As always, I’m excited to share this installment of Safety Stop in my President’s Message. It is my goal to raise awareness about the risks associated with diving, and also underwater photography. I welcome your individual stories and submissions to the Safety Stop column so please don’t hesitate to email me at President@sfups.org. If you wish to share your article anonymously just let me know. This month’s Safety Stop article comes courtesy of fellow SFUPS member Marty Gilman. An important concept that Marty recalls from his basic scuba course is that the primary cause of death and accidents among divers is engaging in activities beyond one’s capabilities and training.
Certainly, physical fitness and age can be included in this broad definition. Recently, I read about several diver fatalities and accidents, prompting me to reflect on the causes and question the factors contributing to these incidents. Some activities that come to mind include deep diving, cave diving, wreck diving, and infrequent diving (such as once a year during mini season.) I recall being invited to dive on the German submarine sunk in 200 feet off Block Island, Rhode Island, at a time when I considered myself a novice diver. Several friends were to accompany me. Fortunately, peer pressure did not influence my decision to join their trip.
There was a group that dove on the famous Andrea Doria near Cape Cod, which claimed at least one life annually. While these incidents may be extreme, I remember several friends who believed it was acceptable to push the recreational limit solely for the sake of obtaining a lobster or capturing a specific photograph. No lobster or photograph was worth risking one’s life. Hypothermia and disorientation can also impair decision-making abilities. I recall being in my 30s and canceling dives due to these two reasons, a prudent choice that would be even more wise today. Considering my current age, I have chosen to avoid diving in deep reefs, swift currents, wreck penetration, or other situations that I would have given no thought to in my youth. To ensure my physical fitness and readiness for diving, I have scheduled regular visits with physicians. Additionally, I have my dive gear inspected and serviced on a regular basis. “There are old divers, there are bold divers, but few old, bold divers.”