SCUBA SCIENCE 01: What is SCUBA Diving?

Well hello everybody and welcome to the first ever episode of Scuba Science where we're going to try and demystify all the scientific aspects of scuba diving. But of course we have to start at the beginning. What is scuba diving? This series is for now at least self-funded but if you want to support you can always do that by picking up some Dive Saga merch or even my book Career in Scuba for dive professionals of course. You can also do it by liking the video or simply subscribing to the Dive Saga channel. Let's start at the beginning. Scuba stands for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. That means that unlike snorkeling or free diving, scuba diving implies that we are using some sort of device to give us an air supply as we are underwater. But it has to be self-contained, meaning we carry it on us. So for instance surface air supplied is not considered scuba diving. Now the concept of exploring underwater has intrigued mankind for centuries. Early civilizations employed natural reed snorkels for instance or diving bells to extend their time beneath the surface. However modern scuba diving emerged in the mid-20th century thanks to pioneers like Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnon who developed the Aqualung. This revolutionary device combined compressed air with a regulator system allowing divers to breathe naturally underwater. Their innovation transformed underwater exploration from something that was incredibly dangerous to a now globally accessible recreational activity. Because scuba diving needs to be self-contained and involves an apparatus there is obviously specialized equipment that needs to be used to be able to scuba dive safely. For starters just like with snorkeling you will need a mask and fins to propel yourselves. You will also need to protect yourself against the elements by means of an exposure suit which is usually a dry suit or a wet suit. Wet suits trap a layer of water between the suit and your body which you heat up and then keeps you warm whereas a dry suit traps a layer of air between yourself and your body which is considered better insulation for colder environments. Scuba diving also requires the use of a buoyancy control device a BCD or buoyancy compensator. This is essentially a jacket or a wing that allows you to control your buoyancy so you can maintain your position mid-water. Scuba cylinders usually made of aluminum or metal contain compressed air which we are able to breathe. For this we use regulators which are the mechanical devices that decompress the air from a compressed state to ambient pressure which means we can breathe it on demand. And lastly in a more modern sense we usually also use dive computers. Dive computers allow us to monitor our depth and dive time and even our gas intake over the course of the dive. So at its core scuba diving basically involves breathing underwater and navigating the aquatic realm. But to do that safely divers do need to take some training. It is very very unsafe to just take scuba gear and try scuba diving. On top of that you'll probably be pretty bad at it without the proper guidance. There are several training agencies ranging from PADI to NAUI, SDI, SSI or even RAID all of which have curriculums that help instructors conduct scuba diving certification courses. In the broadest sense scuba diving is governed by two principles of physics and physiology. Boyle's law which dictates that as depth increases pressure increases and volume decreases. And that's what requires divers to equalize frequently and adjust their BCD. Which is a key concept that is absolutely crucial to being able to scuba dive safely. And then there is Henry's law of soluble gases which dictates that gases will dissolve into a liquid at the surrounding pressure. Which means the deeper we go the more inert gas dissolves into our bodies but that gas will also come out when we ascend and thus the pressure around us decreases. Understanding this can actually help us mitigate the risks of decompression sickness. This is also why we use diving computers to help track our gas intake. Recreational scuba diving offers so much. There are reefs to explore but of course also shipwrecks or even to some extent caverns. Some people love drift diving or fish identification or even diving a little bit deeper. All of these are fair game for recreational scuba divers. There are also technical and professional scuba diving courses. Technical diving usually involves going beyond 40 meters 130 feet depending on the training agency that you work with and usually involves decompression diving. Meaning divers need to stop on their way up to let gas escape their tissues so as not to get decompression sickness. Professional diving is usually what we consider dive guides and diving instructors. People do make a living out of their diving credential in guiding and teaching others how to scuba dive. Other professional paths may include commercial diving, underwater photography or videography or even scientific research and even underwater construction. But scuba diving isn't just adventure. Scuba diving is also credited to have great mental health and wellness benefits. Of course there is the physical benefit of simply scuba diving as a physical activity because you do burn some calories while doing so and being outdoors is always good for you. But there is also the mental benefit of stress relief and being in nature. Scuba diving is even used as a form of therapy for people with physical challenges or post-traumatic stress disorder. That being said scuba diving is not without its risks. Decompression sickness is probably the most notable danger that scuba divers face. You get decompression sickness by essentially overstaying your bottom time, going too deep for too long or ascending too fast. Once again most of this is monitored by your dive computer but the risk is always there even if you do everything right. Another risk is barotrauma which is caused by the pressure of the water on your lungs and ear spaces. Usually upon descent but also possibly upon ascent. That is why it's important to take proper training so you can manage this, you can manage your buoyancy, equalize properly and remember to never hold your breath while scuba diving. Equipment failure is a possibility but when you properly maintain your scuba equipment and send it in for annual servicing that risk is relatively low. And lastly there are environmental hazards. They may or may not be obvious to you. Strong currents, poor visibility and certainly overhead environments all pose hazards to the diver that they may not be aware of. Here once again proper training is key. For many people including myself scuba diving is much more than a hobby. It is a lifestyle and it provides the gateway to the underwater world which is 70% of our planet. I am very passionate about scuba diving which is why I run the Dive Saga channel and you can find a variety of episodes right here on the Dive Saga channel where we explore different scuba diving environments. If you're interested in scuba diving make sure to get proper training. Online videos or reading is not enough. You need instruction from a credentialized professional who does in-water practice with you. I hope you learned a little bit at least about the basic concepts of scuba diving. In our next episode we're going to dig deeper into scuba science.