Shallow Dives Are NOT Safer

Ascend slowly from every dive, especially the last 15 feet.

Recently, I have heard a few folks make comments like, "The water isn't that deep, so the diver will be fine" or maybe you have heard a diver say, "It is only a swimming pool, what could happen?"

These comments are frightening because they show a serious misunderstanding of the most basic concept of scuba diving safety. This is a failure of the diver the understand the risks in diving!

Let's go back to your beginning scuba course. Recall it starts with a lesson on Boyle's Law and lung over-expansion injuries. You must learn and prove mastery of this concept with a quiz before you can ever get into a pool. Often the analogy of a balloon popping as air expands on ascent is used to explain what happens inside the lungs if you hold your breath or if mucous or lung tissue traps air in the lung while ascending. Unfortunately delicate lung tissue is not as strong as a balloon and alveoli can be torn in as little as 3 feet of water. Rupture of lung tissue can allow air to enter the blood stream, which is potentially fatal! The greatest changes in volume occur at the top of the water column in the few feet near the surface so this is where most lung over expansion injuries actually occur. You are told to never hold your breath, never dive with a cold or congested lungs, and always ascend slowly from every dive, but there is always some risk of lung over-expansion. Shallow water in no way lowers the risk. Shallow water such as a pool does lower the risk of decompression sickness, which is why some divers mistakenly think shallow water is safer. It simply is not. I have seen many new divers, dutifully complete their safety stop and then bolt from 15 feet to the surface. This is a risk both for decompression sickness and gas embolism!

Over time some divers get complacent and forget this basic information. Don't let this happen to you. Continue your education. Keep learning beyond the basic scuba course, which is meant to inform you, but not overwhelm you. Be an active Divers Alert Network member and read the great dive safety information the organization provides. Learn beyond the basics. Seek out books on diving. Entry level courses are entry level. There is much more to learn. Treat every dive seriously, regardless of the depth. Ascend slowly from every dive, especially the last 15 feet. Breathe continuously and don't dive if you have congested lungs.

Transform Yourself- Transform Your Ocean!