Alert Diver Category: Safety 101

Dive-accident victims benefit from the use of oxygen in two fundamental ways. Learn how they benefit and how to administer oxygen.

THE RAPID GROWTH OF FREEDIVING in the U.S. brings a positive light to a sport that is mentally healthy and physically inspiring but has little tolerance for error. Shallow-water blackout […]

To clear up any confusion divers may have about patent foramen ovale (PFO), I will share how I explain the condition to patients. 

The day-to-day tasks of injury monitoring at Divers Alert Network include tracking dive fatalities by sifting through emails, news alerts, and social media to collect information about recent events. Our goal is to report to the dive community our findings on what people report to us or what we encounter in our research. 

As a hyperbaric physician and dive instructor, I’ve been around a lot of dive accidents, and I’ve spent decades educating divers and treating decompression sickness (DCS). A misunderstanding I consistently see among the divers I treat pertains to no-decompression limits (NDLs), with divers repeating the common refrain that they were “diving within the limits” and that their DCS must therefore have been a random event.

You check in at the dive shop, sign your waivers, get your gear on the boat, and set up your BCD on your first tank for the day. The divemaster introduces you to your dive buddy for this trip — a total stranger from another part of the world who is here for the same things you are: great diving and returning home safely. 

Being physically fit can be important, and sometimes crucial, for dive safety. Physical fitness plays a role in both regular dive activities and emergent events. A quick and effective response to sudden demands can often quickly and easily resolve a situation, while an insufficient response can prolong or exacerbate it.

Do you fully understand relevant safety standards and maintenance practices of cylinders? Gain an education on how to safely transport cylinders, inspect life support equipment and more.

I was recently scrolling through social media and found a popular video of a salvage diver saying that ear beer was enough after diving in contaminated water. Hearing this advice gave me pause — someone could have serious adverse health effects if they follow it without more knowledge.

Lionfish are fascinating and beautiful creatures, but they can cause serious injuries as well as environmental problems outside their normal range.