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Divers Blog

With diver-focused posts covering a wide range of topics — from the implications of COVID-19 to managing diabetes to current trends in risk mitigation and first aid — divers can find the information they need to stay safe. Safety is paramount in diving, and when divers have a thorough understanding of potential risks and health concerns, they are better able to prepare. Ultimately this leads to both safer and more enjoyable experiences.

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Continuing Education Can Make You a Safer Diver

There are a lot of great reasons to continue your diving education beyond your open water course. Advanced training lets you explore new environments, gives you the opportunity to learn from new instructors, and allows you to master new equipment. Importantly, continuing your education is also a great way to become a safer diver. Inexperience […]

Environmental Stewardship for Divers

Because we venture to it, witness it, and explore it, divers have a deep and abiding appreciation for the marine environment. But as we know, it is threatened by various human factors, including overfishing, pollution, acidification, invasive species, and more. Even diving activities can have detrimental effects on the underwater world. So to preserve the […]

Skin Bends and Flying After Diving

Cutaneous decompression sickness — also known as skin bends — manifests as bruising or mottled skin, typically on the belly, buttocks, breasts, thighs, or upper arms. In some cases, there are no additional symptoms, but in others, the skin discoloration is accompanied by neurological symptoms. Because of this, it’s important that dive professionals take skin […]

Teach Your Divers To Be Prepared

As a dive pro, you know that divers can get injured even when they do everything right. That’s why it’s important to ensure they’re prepared for anything. On a recent trip to Mexico, Brad’s first day of diving was enjoyable and relatively uneventful. On the second day, however, he experienced an odd sensation at the […]

Don’t Let Divers Deny DCS Symptoms

Dive professionals know that decompression sickness (DCS) is a fact of life. We invest significant time and effort in preventing it. What many divers — and even many dive pros — don’t know is that most cases of DCS occur after dives that were within the depth and time limits of the diver’s computer. DCS […]

Be a Great Dive Buddy

Diving is a bit like a team sport: Throughout a dive, it’s important to remain aware of where you buddy is and how they’re doing. But being a great buddy doesn’t happen automatically — and that’s ok. Being a reliable and conscientious dive partner may take a bit of time and practice, but it is […]

How to Manage Ear Troubles

Even with a sound understanding of how pressure affects divers’ ears and practical knowledge of equalization techniques, divers still experience ear problems. Here are a few of the most common and some tips for avoiding and managing them. Middle-Ear Barotrauma Middle-ear barotrauma (MEBT) is the most common dive injury. It occurs when pressure in the air […]

Understand the Ears for Optimal Health

Ears are complex and incredible organs that do so much more than pick up sound: They enable orientation in space, everyday physical activities and social interactions. Because of their importance — especially in scuba diving — divers should prioritize ear health. Ear injuries are prevalent among scuba divers, and many incidents are preventable with proper […]

Rely on Your Emergency Planning

When a real emergency occurs, its already too late to think about how you’ll respond and whether or not your emergency action plan (EAP) is up to snuff. An effective EAP is critical to your ability to safely control and respond to emergency situations in, on, and off the water. As a busy dive professional, […]

Better Boat Diving

Some of the world’s best dive sites are accessible only by boat. At some point in your diving career it’s likely you’ll board a boat for some diving. Here are a few tips to make your boat dives safer and more fun. Pay Attention The crew should brief you and your fellow divers before or […]

Distraction, Discomfort, and Disorientation

Avoid the three Ds While diving is an enjoyable and relatively safe activity, divers should never forget that it involves using life-support equipment to venture into an environment that’s not conducive to human survival. This is why DAN recommends that divers always be mentally and physically prepared to dive and remain focused throughout their dives. […]

Discerning, Diagnosing, and Dealing With Symptoms

Divers Alert Network has decades of experience helping divers in emergencies — and with decades of experience comes decades of stories and lessons you can apply on your upcoming dives. This story features DAN’s medical professionals assisting an injured diver who made a series of unfortunate and preventable mistakes. DAN received a call via satellite […]

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