Unfortunately, diving accidents can happen but they can be prevented. Learn from them and take preventive measures to reduce them. If you do get hurt, you can be compensated. Read on to learn more about preventing dive accidents and recovering from them. After many years of diving, you've probably heard about people who needed help following an accident.
Lessons learned from scuba diving accidents
DAN recently reported that environmental factors were major contributors to scuba divers' accidents. These factors included sudden changes in visibility, which could trap divers and deprive them air, problems with regulators, as well as malfunctioning rebreather device. Divers without the right experience or fitness can also be exposed to dangers from shifting currents.
An important lesson that divers should learn is to not hold their breath underwater. Breathing can help calm nerves, improve concentration, and connect the diver to his/her body. It is possible to avoid common diving injuries by improving your breathing technique. Also, learn how share air and recover your primary regulator. Ultimately, this will increase your chances of surviving a dive.
Poor skills and inadequacy of equipment are two of the leading causes of diving accidents. These problems typically involve improper use of the air and cylinder valves. Divers should either reconsider diving or stop doing it altogether if these issues occur.
Prevention measures
Scuba diving can be a very safe sport. However, it is important that you practice good preparation and follow all the instructions. Simple steps can help prevent minor problems from becoming serious and leading to an accident. Proper equipment and training will ensure you don't suffer a decompression or other life-threatening injuries.
Divers should inspect their air tanks for leakages before diving. The regulator can become obstructed if the valve is partially opened. This could lead to a diving accident. To prevent this, the diver should slowly open and close the valve until it stops. This procedure will prevent an overpressure, a condition that may lead to death. It can also be used to prevent respiratory complications, such as anoxia (gas narcosis) and other serious conditions.
It is important to take into account the environment you will be diving in. If the water is turbid, it may pull a diver's fins or equipment. Strong underwater currents could also cause a diver to be separated from their boat cover. They may be stranded underwater. If the visibility is poor, the boat crew may fail to notice them. Yellow flags are also a good idea for divers to use to draw attention to them. You can also use your personal submersible EPIRB or vhf to alert others to your presence.
Compensation for accident victims
When you have been injured in a dive accident, you may be entitled to compensation. The amount of compensation that you can claim depends on the type of accident you were involved in and how severe the injuries were. You may also be eligible to receive compensation for lost wages if you were on a commercial diving ship. To learn more about what compensation you may be eligible for, consult an experienced attorney.
A captain of a dive boat could be held responsible for injuries sustained by you. You may be able sue the captain if he or she was drunk or negligent. If you are injured while diving, you may also be entitled to compensation if the boat was defective.