by David Colvard, M.D. Obesity is important in diving because of its relationship to fitness, the controversial risk of decompression illness, fit of wetsuit and weights, and coexisting diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea. So, how can the obese dive more safely? Let’s start with buoyancy and weight distribution.

Go to our contact form to Submit Your Own Technical Diving Article! Articles in this section are geared toward technical diving, but can provide useful information to every diver. Articles about nitrox, mixed gasses, decompression, technical training, deep diving, how to, etc. are just a few of the many topics that can be found in [...]

If DCI does happen, proper treatment is very important. First aid for DCI is immediate administration of 100% oxygen either through a demand mask that cover’s the patient’s face and delivers oxygen when the patient breathes. If the patient cannot tolerate a demand mask, a nonbreatheable, free-flow mask can be used with a flow rate [...]

The risk of DCI exists with each diver and each dive no matter if it’s a short no decompression dive to 60 feet (18 m) or a staged decompression dive to 200 feet (61 m). Even if you follow all of the rules, your computer or dive tables, your decompression schedule, and ascend properly, DCI [...]

Preventing DCI one hundred percent is not probable or realistic. DCI can occur even when you follow all of the guidelines and safety factors and your day to day body physiology can change, which can increase or decease your susceptibility of getting DCI. There are a number of things you can do to limit the [...]