RECREATIONAL DIVERS

Out Of Air Emergencies

Human beings do not have gills and, therefore, in order to survive underwater, a diver is totally dependent upon the air supply that is carried on his back in the scuba tank. If the air supply runs out while the diver is underwater, then a true emergency exists, the gravity of which will depend upon the depth of the diver and any other environmental factors restricting the diver's immediate access to the surface. Another critical factor is the diver's access to a dive buddy capable of air sharing.

Due to the fact that standard equipment includes a submergible pressure gauge that gives the diver a constant reading of his remaining air supply, it is surprising how frequently divers find themselves either out of air or critically low on air. Generally, this type of emergency is caused by diver error, but that error in turn may have been caused by poor training or an ill conceived dive plan imposed on the diver by a dive boat operator or instructor. For example, due to the pressure exerted by water on the human body, the air the diver breathes underwater at 100 feet is depleted four times as fast as the air the diver breathes at the surface. This is not to mention that a diver breathes faster and consumes more air if he is nervous, scared, in poor shape, cold, or overly active. Thus, for example, a diver who must fight a current to get to a wreck at 100 feet is frequently amazed to look at his pressure gauge and find he is almost out of air and can not safely make it to the surface. Good training and experience can avoid this type of problem. However, poor training and a poorly conceived dive plan can result in a diver being placed in a situation that he or she is not equipped to handle. We can help you find out what went wrong.

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