The Exciting World of Scuba Diving

Scuba diving is a fantastic way to explore the world beneath the water. There is a fascinating world of marine life that can be explored in a virtually weightless state as you can explore the seas as if you were a fish.

What makes scuba diving possible is the scuba apparatus which supplies air to breath while underwater. A tank holding regular compressed air is hooked up to a regulator which lets us breath in and out with normal breathing pressure just as we would above water. People naturally float in water and neoprene diving suits have tiny air bubbles that make this buoyancy factor even worse. Therefore, scuba divers often wear leaded weights to get their bodies to sink in the water. To reach weight equilibrium underwater, the vest you wear that your scuba gear attaches to can inflate with precise amounts of air allowing you to reach that weightless equilibrium state.

Scuba diving is an amazing experience but it can be quite dangerous as well. Water pressure increases dramatically every couple of feet down. At lower depths, the air you breathe from your regulator is denser due to the pressure and therefore you can go through it much faster. Careful attention must be paid at all times to your air gauge to make sure you air supply is adequate. Additionally the nitrogen from compressed air can do weird things to the body. Nitrogen narcosis is a common side effect of scuba diving which results in a temporary drunk like state while underwater. The effect goes away when returning to the surface but while under the influence of being "narc'd" you may loose good judgment in the water which can be dangerous.

Also, nitrogen that builds up in the body at depth must gradually be neutralized by a slow ascent otherwise a very serious condition called the bends can occur. People who get the bends have to spend time in specialized compressed air tanks while the body readjusts, and not many of these tanks exist.

Given these dangers, it is important to get adequate scuba training before diving off into the ocean. Scuba training will also teach you how to do important things like how to get the water out of your scuba mask underwater. Scuba diving easily allows you to visit shallow depths. But going to depth of one hundred feet, for example, require expert planning, timing and air regulation in order to not run out of air or get the bends on ascent. Additionally, don't plan on flying the day after scuba diving. Give your body one day of rest to minimize dangerous negative effects.

With some education and good gear, amazing worlds can be explored, and you can swim with animals you never knew existed. If you want an out of the world experience right here on this planet, scuba diving might be just the thing to try.