Scuba diving is one risky human endeavor. No doubt. Despite the possible risks that scuba divers can encounter, its increasing prominence is unstoppable. More than ever, more and more individuals are still convinced to try exploring the abyss of the great seas and oceans and fathom its natural underwater wonder through scuba diving. It is only understandable why scuba diving is one such flourishing industry.

It is very true that scuba diving is one risky sport but the risks involved could be calculated when the physics of diving are known. It elucidates those frequently asked questions regarding this recreational activity. Hence the physics of diving is the key to understanding the how’s and why’s in scuba diving.

So what are the concepts that make-up the physics of diving?

First things first, before anything gets complicated, gas laws that are interrelated in scuba diving should be familiarized with. These are the Boyle’s law, Charles’ law, Henry’s law, and Dalton’s law.

Boyle’s law --- this law is taken from Robert Boyle and is one of the popular physics of underwater diving. Boyle is the one who discovered that volume relates with pressure of any given gas granting they are in constant temperature. Simply put, if the pressure of any give gas is increased automatically the volume will decrease. In the same way that if the volume of the gas is increased the pressure will surely drop in a constant temperature. This law explains that on the way down, the pressure increases which makes the volume decreases. When this happen the BCD of the divers will deflate automatically.

Charles’ law --- this law is one of the most important components of physics of scuba diving. This law is somehow related to that of Boyle’s. The only difference is the interchanging of the elemental factors in scuba diving. In this law the constant is the pressure as opposed to Boyle’s temperature as the constant factor. Here the relationship between volume and temperature is highlighted. It states that if the temperature drops the volume also decreases, whereas if the temperature rises the volume increases. A clear example is to putting a tank in a hot surface, it is expected that the tank will burst because as the temperature increases the volume of gas in the tank also increases.

Henry’s law --- this law is one of the basic of diving physics that is taught on scuba diving students in one of their classes. The law explains how the mass of any given gas can be proportional to its pressure when it is dissolved in a liquid. Divers are further taught that as their body descends the pressure increases and as the pressure continues to increase the body is absorbing more gasses.

Decompression illness naturally occurs when divers reach the 100ft depth mark. This is so because the blood and the tissue are actually absorbing more nitrogen that it can actually absorb when in shallower depths.

Daltons’ law --- this law is being named after John Dalton who discovered that the pressure that a combination of gases exert produces the same sum when the pressure of each gas exerts are all put together. It is further stated that all gases have the tendency to compress in a similar fashion. So for example if nitrogen and oxygen are present together and a pressure of 100lbs is being added the two gases are expected to compress equally. For scuba divers, knowing the importance of this law will help in determining gas level that the body needs so that an informed decision is reached.

Other important aspect of diving physics is Archimedes’ principle on buoyancy. This explains why some objects can just float in water and other objects can just sink while some objects are neither floating nor sinking.

Getting familiar with physics of diving can truly help the scuba divers especially the first timers understand the complexity behind this sport and recreational activity. Doing so will not only make the make scuba diving exciting but enriching as well.