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Safety and injury prevention measures when scuba diving
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
Safety precautions when diving
The risk of barotrauma can be reduced by actively equalizing the various air spaces, including the mask (blowing air from the nose into the mask) and the middle ear (yawning, swallowing, or performing the Valsalva maneuver). Divers should avoid holding their breath and breathe normally during ascent, which should be no faster than 0.5 to 1 foot per second, a rate that allows gradual elimination of N2 and emptying of air-filled spaces (e.g., lungs, paranasal sinuses). Current recommendations for additional equalization also include a 3-5 minute decompression stop at 4.6 m (15 ft). In addition, divers should avoid air transport for 15 to 18 hours after a dive.
Divers should be aware of and avoid certain conditions that make diving difficult (e.g., poor visibility, strong underwater currents). Low water temperatures are especially dangerous due to the risk of rapid hypothermia, which can lead to rapid loss of mental acuity and dexterity, or fatal arrhythmia in susceptible individuals. Diving alone is not recommended.
Consumption of any amount of alcohol or drugs before diving can have unpredictable and unexpected consequences at depth and should be avoided. Prescribed medications rarely interfere with scuba diving, but if the medication was prescribed to treat a medical condition that contraindicates scuba diving, it is best to avoid the latter.
Contraindications to scuba diving
Since scuba diving involves high levels of exertion, divers should not suffer from cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases and should have an above-average oxygen metabolism level. Scuba diving is contraindicated in diseases that may impair consciousness, alertness, and criticality. If any diseases raise doubts as possible contraindications to scuba diving, a consultation with a recognized expert is necessary.
Special contraindications to scuba diving
Medical contraindications to swimming | Examples of diseases and side effects |
Lung diseases | Active asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease, history of spontaneous pneumothorax |
Cardiovascular diseases | History of ventricular arrhythmias, coronary artery bypass grafting, heart failure, coronary artery disease |
Mental illnesses | Panic and phobia |
Organic diseases | Irreducible inguinal hernia |
Neurological diseases | Convulsions, fainting |
Metabolic diseases | Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, overweight |
Isolated cavities in the body (inability to equalize pressure) | Lung cysts, ruptured eardrum, upper respiratory tract infection, allergic rhinitis |
Pregnancy | Increased incidence of congenital malformations and fetal death |
Poor physical fitness | |
Severe gastroesophageal reflux | Aggravation due to weakening of the action of gravity on the abdomen during immersion |
Children under 10 years old | |
Congenital aerophagia | Gastrointestinal tract distension upon ascent due to swallowing compressed air at depth |