Medical & Safety

The rules of diving exist because someone learned them the hard way. Here's the medicine behind the ones that matter most: equalising, ascent rates, narcosis, flying afterwards. Nothing here replaces a dive medical, but it will make the conversation with your doctor a better one.
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  • 4 min read

Can You Scuba Dive With Asthma?

Mild, well-controlled asthma is often compatible with diving under DAN and UHMS guidelines. Here's what "well-controlled" actually means, and why medical clearance matters.

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  • 5 min read

Flying After Diving: Why You Have to Wait, and How Long

Flying too soon after diving can trigger DCS just like too fast an ascent. Here's where the 12/18/24-hour guidelines actually come from, and why they're minimums, not targets.

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  • 6 min read

Decompression Sickness and Decompression Illness: How Bottom Time and Nitrogen Supersaturation Cause the Bends

The bends happen when nitrogen dissolved in your tissues forms bubbles on ascent. Here's how supersaturation works, what exceeding bottom time actually risks, and why some hits are "undeserved".

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  • 5 min read

Why You Should Never Hold Your Breath While Scuba Diving

Holding your breath while ascending can rupture lung tissue in as little as a metre of depth change. Here's the physics behind pulmonary barotrauma and why the oldest rule in diving still matters most.

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  • 5 min read

Nitrogen Narcosis: Why Depth Can Feel Like a Martini

Nitrogen narcosis makes divers feel drunk at depth, and it's the leading cause behind more diving errors than most divers realise. Here's what causes it, what it feels like, and how to manage it.

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  • 6 min read

Equalising Your Ears When Scuba Diving: Techniques and Warning Signs

Ear problems are the leading cause of diving injuries, but nearly all are preventable. Here's how to equalise properly, which techniques to try, and when pain means it's time to end the dive.

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