Six Scuba Diving Fun Facts You Should Know About
Seeming to defy logic, underwater devotees don their scuba gear, dive deep into the waters, and swim with the fish. It makes land lovers wonder how did these strange outfits and gear come about?
Six fun facts to know about scuba diving include its history, why it is healthy, colors and sounds of scuba diving, why it is fun, and some of its cool equipment. Scuba diving offers fun and excitement for a wide range of ages and interests.
Fact 1: Scuba diving is mentioned in Aristotle’s writings dating back to 300 BCE.
Fact 2: Breathing while scuba diving is similar to techniques taught as part of meditation and can bring you calmness.
Fact 3: Colors that scuba divers see change the deeper they dive.
Fact 4: Water changes the speed of sound waves, which affects what you hear when diving.
Fact 5: Scuba divers can be true explorers since over 80 percent of the ocean has yet to be studied.
Fact 6: To make the most of your diving experience, cool accessories are available.
Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus or scuba diving affords the adventurous an incredible exploration of the seas. Continue reading for interesting information about scuba diving that will have you grabbing your fins and diving deep.
History of Scuba Diving
Many attribute modern-day scuba diving to Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnon’s development of the aqualung. This invention allowed divers to explore the ocean without being tethered to a hose. With the aqualung, scuba diving proliferated in the military and for scientific exploration. Cousteau’s movies in the 1950s spawned the growth of recreational diving.
However, evidence of the origins of scuba diving can be found in Aristotle’s writings dating back to 300 BCE. He mentions divers using breathing tubes in the Mediterranean Sea. This is further supported by documentation that Alexander the Great, a student of Aristotle’s, used a diving bell to be lowered into the deep waters.
Designs of Leonardo da Vinci’s diving suits are considered early prototypes of today’s scuba suits. da Vinci was tasked with creating a means to stop sneak attacks on Venice. In response, he created a leather diving suit for frogmen to wear patrolling the Venetian coast. Air tubes from the mask connected to the diving bell on the surface that was sending air to the divers.
Scuba Diving is a Healthy Hobby
Scuba diving offers a multitude of health benefits. While it seems that one’s heart would be racing when breathing through scuba gear, most people experience a lowering of their blood pressure. When some divers begin their ascent, they have a slight and short-lived increase in blood pressure.
Water temperatures are lower than our body temperatures. Initially, our blood vessels will tighten seeking to conserve energy. Once you start swimming during your dive, slow breathing will relax your body. This slows your blood flow; your heart rate and blood pressure both are lowered.
Breathing during scuba diving is similar to techniques taught as part of meditation. This breathing brings a calmness to you that lets you enjoy the underwater world. Water and animals have a natural calming effect on people. A happier less stressed you emerges from the depths.
Colors of Scuba Diving
Locations and depths of dives will determine what amazing underwater life you will encounter. Coral, shipwrecks, and ocean animals that you see will differ with each dive. What is surprising to first-time divers is the impact of the depth of a dive on color. The sea life you view in person may look vastly different from what you have observed in pictures.
Gradually and orderly the colors you are accustomed to seeing will fade from view. Underwater wavelengths traverse differently than above water. Remember ROY G BIV? This is the sequence in which colors will change. With your naked eye, you start losing reds first at about 20 feet.
Orange will change next. Yellow will be the third color to vanish. Violet will be the last true color that you lose from view. This occurs because colors are absorbed by the water. Thinking back to prisms you observed in school, colors are wavelengths. Those with the lowest energy waves are absorbed by the water first.
To counter this phenomenon, dive lights can be purchased. A shaft of light from the dive light will restore colors.
Sounds of Scuba Diving
Scuba diving is a peaceful experience letting you float and swim in the water. However, it is not necessarily a soundless experience. Soundwaves pass through the water much faster than air. Since sounds traverse five times faster when you are underwater, it is almost impossible to determine the origins of the sound.
Adding to the complexity of hearing underwater, soundwaves go directly to your ears. The sounds are not tempered by the air as they are on land. Over 60% of our bodies are comprised of water. The composition of our bodies affects how soundwaves are heard by us underwater.
There is a constant movement of the layers of Earth that you will hear while you dive. Different snaps, cracks, and scraping noises and vibrations will create a musical melody for your swimming pleasure.
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What Makes Scuba Diving Such Fun?
Our world’s oceans cover about 70 percent of Earth. Of all that water, less than 20 percent has been explored. Most of the floor of the ocean is unknown to humans. Space exploration has provided more information about the surface of the moon than we know about the oceans. Scuba divers have the opportunity to truly be explorers.
We know from pictures, videos, and movies that the parts of the oceans that have been probed are amazing. Each part of the world has different ocean animal and plant life to examine. Adding to the fun of scuba diving are the trips you can take ranging from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.
Scuba diving is a hobby for all ages. This makes scuba diving a perfect family trip. Gather up your extended family, trips around the world are waiting for you.
Cool Equipment
Fins
Where else do you get to wear fins? Using fins while scuba diving allows you to swim more easily through the water. With the right set of fins, you will not tire as readily. Fins get you in the mindset of an ocean creature. Both fins are exactly the same. So, you can wear them on either foot, very versatile.
Dive Skins
If you struggle to pull on your wetsuit, then explore dive skins. These Lycra or Spandex one-piece suits fit like a second skin. In warmer waters, you can wear these as your protection from the sun’s rays, stings, and scrapes. In cooler and colder waters, dive skins are worn under your wetsuit. They make it easier to slip on the wetsuit.
Underwater Metal Detectors
A scuba diver’s dream – finding a treasure chest filled with gold coins. To assist in your search for lost treasures of old, an underwater metal detector is just the accessory for you. This will add another dimension of fun to your dives.
Related Questions
What do scuba divers breathe?
Scuba divers breathe compressed purified air from their tanks. Most tanks are filled with a mixture of 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen.
How much does a scuba tank weigh?
Scuba tanks weigh between 26 and 40 pounds. The weight is impacted by whether the tank is aluminum or steel, the size of the tank, and the amount of air pressure. When you are submerged in the water, the tank will not feel as heavy as it does on land.
At what age can you get scuba certified?
You can participate in scuba diving classes once you are ten years old. Ten- and eleven-year-old scuba students’ parents or guardians must attend classes with their children.
Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. Please consult a legal expert or medical professional to address your specific needs.