Divers

Divers are individuals who descend below the surface of water to observe, study, work, or retrieve objects. They may operate in recreational, professional, or scientific contexts and train to various depths. Diver training typically covers the physics of diving, physiology, skills, and safety procedures.

Recreational divers pursue sport and exploration within certified depth and time limits, and are certified by organizations such as PADI, NAUI, CMAS, and SSI. Professional divers perform underwater tasks as part of a job, including commercial diving, inspection, and salvage. Technical divers operate beyond standard recreational limits, using specialized gas mixes and staged decompression.

Equipment includes breathing apparatus (scuba gear), masks, fins, exposure protection, lights, and instrumentation such as depth gauges and dive computers. Freediving uses breath-hold diving without a mechanical gas supply. Core skills include buoyancy control, equalization, navigation, and emergency procedures.

Safety and regulation emphasize planning, buddy systems, equipment maintenance, and procedures for dealing with decompression illness, nitrogen narcosis, oxygen toxicity, and barotrauma. Divers work in many environments, including oceans, rivers, caves, and wrecks, and undertake roles in research, archaeology, rescue, construction, and military operations.

In science and exploration, divers contribute to marine biology, archaeology, and environmental monitoring, while in industry they support underwater inspection, repair, and installation.