history of underwater diving dates back to antiquity. breath-hold technique in diving was known to the ancient nations. however, deep diving progressed only in the early decades of the 19 th century as the result of advancements in efficient underwater technologies which subsequently led to invention of sophisticated sets of scuba diving in the 20 th century. currently, diving is performed for ...

BACKGROUND Recreational scuba diving involves the use of complex instruments and specialized skills in an unforgiving environment. Errors in dive preparation in such an environment may lead to unsafe conditions, mishaps, injuries and fatalities. Diving mishaps can be major and minor based on their potential to cause injury and the severity of the resulting injury. The objective of this study is...

Introduction: Scuba diving is an important marine tourism sector, but requires proper safety standards to reduce the risks and increase accessibility to its market. To achieve safety goals, safety awareness and positive safety attitudes in recreational scuba diving operations are essential. However, there is no published research exclusively focusing on scuba divers' and dive centres' perceptio...

In recent years, scuba diving has become accessible worldwide. The average age of female scuba divers is similar to their window of fertility, and many women dive annually without knowing their pregnancy status. These women seek advice concerning the potential teratogenicity of diving, and whether they can continue the pregnancy. Nevertheless, little is known about the consequences of scuba div...

BACKGROUND Physical activity increases the performance of the nervous system by stimulating the body's metabolism and improving the efficiency of the ATP production system. OBJECTIVES In the present study, the effect of twenty minutes scuba diving in high depth (10m) on cognitive function and stress system activity was investigated. METHODS Twelve professional scuba divers with a mean age o...

Environmental conditions and increased physical activity during scuba diving are followed by increased production of free radicals and disturbed redox balance. Redox balance disorder is associated with damage of cellular components, changes of cellular signaling pathways and alterations of gene expression. Oxidative stress leads to increased expression of sirtuins (SIRTs), molecules which play ...

INTRODUCTION An individual case review of diving-related deaths reported to have occurred in Australia in 2004 was conducted as part of the DAN Asia-Pacific dive fatality reporting project. METHOD The case studies were compiled using reports from witnesses, the police and coroners. In each case, the particular circumstances of the accident are provided, and also details from the post-mortem e...

Interest in scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) diving increased in the 1970s, and undersea diving continues to be a popular sport early in the 21st century, with approximately 3 million certified divers in the United States. The Divers Alert Network (DAN), an institution created in 1981 by the Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has collected...

BACKGROUND Heart rate variability (HRV) describes the cyclic variations in heart rate and offers a non-invasive tool for investigating the modulatory effects of neural mechanisms elicited by the autonomic nervous system on intrinsic heart rate. OBJECTIVE To introduce the HRV concept to healthy volunteers under control conditions and during scuba diving. In contrast with more established manoe...

The diving environment provides a challenge to the lung, including exposure to high ambient pressure, altered gas characteristics and cardiovascular effects on the pulmonary circulation. Several factors associated with diving affect pulmonary function acutely and can potentially cause prolonged effects that may accumulate gradually with repeated diving exposure. Evidence from experimental deep ...