The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to underwater diving:
Underwater diving – as a human activity, is the practice of descending below the water's surface to interact with the environment.
What type of activity is underwater diving?
Underwater diving can be described as all of the following: A human activity – intentional, purposive, conscious and subjectively meaningful sequence of actions. Underwater diving is practiced as part of an occupation, or for recreation, where the practitioner submerges below the surface of the water or other liquid for a period which may range between seconds to the order of a day at a time, either exposed to the ambient pressure or isolated by a pressure resistant suit, to interact with the underwater environment for pleasure, competitive sport, or as a means to reach a work site for profit or in the pursuit of knowledge, and may use no equipment at all, or a wide range of equipment which may include breathing apparatus, environmental protective clothing, aids to vision, communication, propulsion, maneuverability, buoyancy and safety equipment, and tools for the task at hand.
Diving activity, by type
Modes of underwater diving
There are several modes of diving distinguished by the equipment and procedures used:
Compressor diving – Crude mode of surface-supplied air diving
Diving skills and procedures
Diving support skills and procedures
Underwater diving, by environment
Occupational diving
– Special operations forces of the French Navy – Unit with combat swimmers.
Recreational diving
Diving and support equipment, tools and weapons
Diving equipment
Autonomous underwater vehicles
Breathing gas
Breathing gases by composition:
Breathing gases by use:
Decompression equipment
Diver propulsion vehicles
Diving safety equipment
Historical diving equipment
Rebreather types and components
Rebreather makes and models
LAR-5, LAR-6, and LAR-V represented by
Gas extenders:
Remotely operated underwater vehicles
Underwater breathing apparatus
Cylinder valve alias Pillar valve represented by Diving cylinder#The cylinder valve – A valve to control gas flow to and from a cylinder and to connect with the regulator or filling hose
Diving support equipment
Underwater work tools and equipment
Underwater work tools and equipment – Tools and equipment used for underwater work
Underwater weapons Underwater weapons – Weapons that are intended for use underwater
Underwater pistols
Underwater revolvers
Underwater rifles
Diving support personnel There are also diver support activities which require assessed competence and registration for which formal training may be required.
Science of underwater diving
The diving environment
Physical and biological aspects of the diving environment
Hazards of the aquatic environment represented by List of diving hazards and precautions#The aquatic environment – Hazards of the specific diving environment represented by List of diving hazards and precautions#The specific diving environment –
– A turbulent area of water caused by a strong current over an underwater ridge, or by currents meeting.
Surge (wave action) currently represented by Waves and shallow water – the component of wave motion in the direction of wave front propagation particularly close to and parallel with the bottom
Physics of underwater diving
Physiology of underwater diving
Diving medicine, disorders and treatment
Diving medicine
Diving disorders and treatment
Diving safety
Diving incidents, rescues, and fatalities
Incidents and people involved in a notable incident while diving or during a diving operation. Early diving incidents
Ebenezer Watson – nephew of Charles Spalding and died in the same accident Freediving incidents
Professional diving incidents
Offshore diving incidents
Rescues involving diving
Professional diving fatalities Roger Baldwin (diver) represented by
Victor F. Guiel Jr. represented by Craig M. Hoffman represented by Peter Henry Michael Holmes represented by Edwin Clayton Link represented by Gerard Anthony Prangley represented by Per Skipnes represented by Robert John Smyth represented by Albert D. Stover represented by Richard A. Walker represented by Lothar Michael Ward represented by
Chris and Chrissy Rouse, represented by
Legal aspects of diving
– Legislation regulating diving activity, usually a branch of occupational health and safety.
Geography of diving
History of underwater diving
Military and covert operations
Underwater salvage operations
Kursk submarine disaster#Salvage operation – Raising the wreck of a Russian nuclear submarine represented by USS Sailfish (SS-192)#Sinking of Squalus and recommissioning as Sailfish – The successful rescue of the crew and later raising of the sunken vessel.
Training, certification, registration and standards
Diver training
Diver training can be distinguished between recreational and occupational diver training. Recreational diver training tends to be split into small skill sets for customer convenience and provider profitability. Recreational diver training systems include training and registration of instructors and dive leaders for recreational diving
Professional diver training is usually for registration based on mode of diving and requires a wider range of competence for a range of equipment skills and environments. Titles of certificates vary, but the basic competences are similar and may be internationally recognised by agreement.
Scientific diving is occupational diving in the pursuit of scientific knowledge, and there may be different conditions that apply regionally regarding regulation and registration.
Diver certification organisations
Occupational diver certification authorities
Recreational diver certification agencies Freediver certification agencies
Recreational scuba certification agencies
CEDIP members
– the branch of the world underwater federation representing European affiliates
European Underwater Federation certification
– a recreational diver training and certification agency WRSTC and RSTC members
Technical diver certification agencies Cave diving certification agencies
– A recreational and technical diver training and certification agency
Scientific diver certification authorities
Organisations setting international standards and codes of practice for diving and diver training
Scientific diving standards organizations
Commercial diving schools
Underwater diving organisations
Diver membership organisations Diver membership organisations Freediver federations
Recreational and technical scuba clubs and associations
Military services recreational diving organisations
Scientific, archaeological and historical diving organisations
National underwater-sports federations
International underwater-sports federations
Diver nature conservation organisations
Diving industry trade associations
Underwater environmental research organisations
Diving medical research organisations
Underwater diving publications
Books and manuals
– Tom Mount, Joseph Dituri, Eds
A document providing extensive general information on the equipment, procedures and theoretical basis of underwater diving. Scientific diving manual published by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration John Bevan Ed. A manual of offshore diving
– Carl Edmonds, Bart McKenzie, Robert Thomas Alf O. Brubakk, Tom S. Neuman, Eds – Charles Shilling, Ed.
Legislation
Codes of practice (National or international codes of practice for diving)
A voluntary code of industry best practice followed by members of the International Marine Contractors Association.
Standards (National or international standards relating to diving equipment or practices)
Buoyancy compensators Diving accessories. Buoyancy compensators. Functional and safety requirements, test methods. Diving equipment. Buoyancy compensators. Functional and safety requirements, test methods.
Depth gauges Diving accessories. Depth gauges and combined depth and time measuring devices. Functional and safety requirements, test methods.
Diver training Recreational diving services – Requirements for the training of recreational scuba divers Recreational diving services – Requirements for training on environmental awareness for recreational divers
Diving masks
Underwater Safety. Recreational Skin and Scuba Diving. Lenses for Masks. Gumowy sprzęt pływacki - Maski pływackie (Rubber swimming equipment - Swimming masks). Specification for snorkels and face masks. Amended 1977. 潛水鏡. Diving mask. 潛水鏡檢驗法. Method of test for diving mask. Tauch-Zubehör. Tauchbrillen. Sicherheitstechnische Anforderungen und Prüfung. Diving accessories for skin divers. Diver's masks. Requirements and testing. Diving equipment. Diving mask. Requirements and test methods. Маски резиновые для плавания под водой. Общие технические условие. Rubber masks for submarine swimming. General specifications. Tauch-Zubehör; Tauchmasken (Tauchbrillen); Sicherheitstechnische Anforderungen, Prüfung, Normkennzeichnung. Diving accessories; divers’ masks; safety requirements, testing, marking of conformity.
Dry suits Diving suits. Dry suits. Requirements and test methods. Diving suits. Dry suits. Requirements and test methods.
Recreational diving services Recreational diving services – Requirements and guidance on environmentally sustainable practices in recreational diving
Snorkels
Specification for snorkels and face masks. Amended 1977. Tauch-Zubehör; Schnorchel; Maße, Anforderungen, Prüfung. Diving accessories for skin divers. Snorkel. Technical requirements of safety, testing. Tauch-Zubehör; Schnorchel; Sicherheitstechnische Anforderungen und Prüfung. Diving accessories for skin divers. Snorkel. Safety requirements and testing. Diving accessories. Snorkels. Safety requirements. Diving equipment. Snorkels. Requirements and test methods. Tauch-Zubehör; Schnorchel; Abmessungen, sicherheitstechnische Anforderungen, Prüfung, Normkennzeichnung. Diving accessories; snorkels; dimensions, safety requirements, testing, marking of conformity.
Swimfins
BN-82/8444-17.02 Gumowy sprzęt pływacki - Płetwy pływackie (Rubber swimming equipment - Swimming fins). DIN 7876:1980 Tauchzubehör. Schwimmflossen. Maße, Anforderungen und Prüfung. Diving accessories for skin divers. Flippers. Dimensions, requirements and testing. Diving equipment. Diving open heel fins. Requirements and test methods. Ласты резиновые для плавания. Общие технические условия. Swimming rubber flippers. General specifications. Military specification. Swim fins, rubber. Specification for rubber swimming fins. Specification for rubber swimming fins. First revision. Tauch-Zubehör; Schwimmflossen; Abmessungen, sicherheitstechnische Anforderungen, Prüfung, Normkennzeichnung. Diving accessories; fins; dimensions, safety requirements, testing, marking of conformity.
Underwater breathing apparatus Transportable gas cylinders. Periodic inspection and testing of seamless aluminium alloy gas cylinders Transportable gas cylinders. Periodic inspection and testing of seamless steel gas cylinders Respiratory equipment - Self-contained re-breathing diving apparatus
Wetsuits 濕式潛水衣. Diving Wet Suit. Diving suits. Wet suits. Requirements and test methods. Diving suits. Wet suits. Requirements and test methods.
Journals and magazines Magazine on technical diving, founded and edited by Michael Menduno Quarterly magazine of DAN on diving safety and recreational diving matters
Repositories
Recreational dive site guides Notable dive site guides with Wikipedia article.
Authors of publications about diving
Authors of general non-fiction works on diving topics who are the subjects of Wikipedia articles.