We had occasion to look over the 2006 DAN Accidents report this week, and one of the things that struck us was the analysis of diving fatalities. It showed that half of the divers in fatalities had done fewer than 20 dives in the 12 months preceding the fatal dive. Seven percent had not dived at all in the preceding 12 months. In addition, forty-five percent of the divers who died had been certified for one year or less. We think that those statistics point to the importance of continuing practice of the basic diving skills in order to assure continued mastery of the basic diving skills and to attain a level of confidence and comfort that wards off panic and confusion. Although scuba diving is a safe sport (only about 90 fatalities per year reported by DAN, out of who knows how many dives and divers), we should still be respectful of the potential consequences of taking it too casually. So, the bottom line is, keep diving, practice your skills, and have fun.

Safe diving,
The staff of Aquatic adventures of MI, LLC