Diving Safety: Myths and Facts of Diving

According to the Foundation for Aquatic Injury Prevention, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to reducing the number of diving injuries, drownings and near drowning injuries, and other aquatic accidents, there are a few common diving safety myths that can benefit us to know.

Myth 1. Other people have been diving into three feet of water, and they’re fine, so there’s no risk.

Truth. While people are lucky enough to not get injured often when diving into shallow waters of less than 5 feet, the truth is that over one thousand people each year are injured by shallow water diving. Just because other people have completed similar dives without injury doesn’t mean that it’s safe or that there’s no risk.

Myth 2. Everyone can dive, it’s simple.

Truth. Once you push off a diving deck your trajectory, entry path, and speed are determined at that point. The average recreational swimmer doesn’t understand the complexities involved in diving. It is anything but simple.

Myth 3. Ideally a dive will cause minimal splash.

Truth. An “ideal” dive should be safe and controlled. While highly trained and skilled divers are judged on splash volume, like in the recent Rio Olympics, this is not how a recreational diver should judge their own dives.