DAN has published three new resources designed to help divers and dive professionals better understand dive incidents and make more informed decisions when diving. The newly available resources include two editions of DAN’s Annual Diving Report and an updated edition of DAN’s Risk Assessment Guide for Dive Operators and Dive Professionals.
While DAN is well known for providing assistance when diving emergencies occur, DAN also focuses on preventing injuries and incidents before they happen. These publications support that effort by presenting research findings and practical safety guidance that divers and dive professionals can use to better understand and manage risk.
“Research and education are central to DAN’s mission as we strive to make every dive accident- and injury-free,” said Cliff Richardson, president and CEO of DAN. “What we learn from studying dive incidents and fatalities can help prevent similar events — but only if that information reaches the diving community. By putting data and practical guidance into the hands of divers and dive professionals, we can help them make informed decisions that support safer diving for everyone.”
New Annual Diving Reports
The 2022 and 2023 editions of the Annual Diving Report review incidents and fatalities from 2020 and 2021. These reports reflect two distinct periods during the COVID-19 pandemic: the sharp reduction in diving activity during 2020 as travel restrictions and other public health measures took effect, and the gradual return to more typical levels of diving activity in 2021 as restrictions eased.
The case studies in these reports offer insight into diver behavior and safety practices, while expert analysis highlights hazards, contributing factors, mechanisms of injury, and causes of death. The reports also address the role pre-existing medical conditions can play in fatal diving incidents: Cardiac conditions remain a significant concern, underscoring the value of regular medical evaluations, particularly for divers older than 45. Additional sections explore physiological monitoring of freedivers, safety equipment used with closed-circuit rebreathers, and returning to diving after COVID-19 infection.
Diving fatalities are a difficult subject, as every death has a profound impact on families, friends, and the broader diving community. Studying these events helps DAN identify recurring risk factors and share findings that can help prevent such incidents in the future.
Updated Risk Assessment Guide
DAN has also published the third edition of our Risk Assessment Guide for Dive Operators and Dive Professionals. As a component of DAN’s Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) program, the guide provides a tested approach to recognizing operational risks, evaluating safety practices, and mitigating risk.
Designed as a practical resource for dive professionals and operators, the latest guide helps organizations evaluate their operations, take steps to mitigate risk, and identify hazards before they lead to injuries or losses. By strengthening operational safety practices, dive businesses can better protect their employees and the divers who rely on them.
Access the New Resources
The reports and guide are available through the DAN Publication Library at apps.dan.org/publication-library.
- To access the new reports, select Annual Diving Reports, choose Annual Diving Report 2022 or Annual Diving Report 2023, and select Request Document.
- To access the updated risk assessment guide, select Risk Mitigation, choose HIRA Guide 3rd Edition 2026, and select Request Document.
These new publications build on DAN’s longstanding commitment to diver education, turning lessons from research and real-world incidents into practical guidance that helps the dive community more safely enjoy the underwater world.