Inner ear barotrauma. This condition may happen if you have trouble clearing during a dive. The result is severe dizziness and hearing loss.

Pulmonary barotrauma. This condition is the result of improper breathing during the ascent to the surface or, occasionally, from diving with a respiratory tract infection. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath and hoarseness.

Arterial gas embolism (AGE). This is a type of pulmonary barotrauma in which bubbles enter the circulation and travel to the brain. Symptoms such as numbness or tingling of the skin, weakness, paralysis or loss of consciousness may occur. This is a serious diving injury.

Decompression sickness ("the bends"). This condition occurs during ascent and on the surface of the water. Inert nitrogen gas that is dissolved in body tissues and blood comes out of solution and forms bubbles in the blood. The bubbles can injure various body tissues and block blood vessels. The most common signs of severe decompression sickness are dysfunction of the spinal cord, brain and lungs.

• Take lessons and get qualified by a certification agency before participating in SCUBA diving.
• Get a medical examination from your doctor and take a swim test before learning SCUBA diving. You don't have to be an olympic athlete, but you do need to know some basic swimming skills.
• Once certified, do not dive in dangerous waters or in an environment for which you are not qualified/certified, such as: ice, cave, and shipwreck diving. They all require special training. One can easily get lost or trapped and run out of air.
• Never dive by yourself. Find a buddy.
• Listen to and follow the rules set forth by the person in charge of the dive.
• Check your equipment carefully and check how the equipment functions. Make sure everything fits and works properly.
• Know local weather conditions before you go on a dive. Make sure the water and weather conditions are safe. Water conducts electricity. Stop swimming, boating or any other activities on the water as soon as you see or hear a storm. Getting struck by lightning isn't pleasant and heavy rains can make certain areas dangerous.
• Protect your skin by wearing a waterproof sunscreen with a sun protection factor containing a high rating such as 15 or 25.
• Drink plenty of water regularly and often even if you do not feel thirsty. Your body needs water. Know the signs and symptoms of dehydration
• Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and emergency treatment if you are diving in hot weather.
• Know the signs and symptoms of hypothermia and emergency treatment if you are diving in cold weather.
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes against the suns damaging rays. Choose sunglasses that absorb at least 90 percent of UV sunlight.
• Use your common sense. There are many more things you can do to be safe while on a dive.

• Most severe dive-related injuries and deaths happen in beginning divers. To be safe, always dive within the limits of your experience and level of training. Good rules to follow for safe diving include:
• Never try a dive you're not comfortable with. During descent, you should gently equalize your ears and mask. At depth, never dive outside the parameters of the dive tables or your dive computer.
• Never hold your breath while ascending. You should always ascend slowly while breathing normally. Become familiar with the underwater area and its dangers. Learn which fish, coral and other hazards to avoid so injuries do not occur. Be aware of local tides and currents.
• Never panic under water. If you become confused or afraid during a dive, stop, try to relax and think the problem through. You can also get help from your dive buddy or dive master.
• Never dive without a buddy.
• Always plan your dive; then always dive your plan.
• Always stay within the no-decompression limits.
• Be sure that your diving equipment can handle the dive you have planned and that the equipment is working well.
• Don't drink alcohol before diving.
• Never dive while taking medicine unless your doctor has said it's safe.
• Diving can be dangerous if you have certain medical problems. Ask your doctor how diving may affect your health.
• Don't fly for 12 hours after a no-decompression dive, even in a pressurized airplane. If your dive required decompression stops, don't fly for at least 24 hours.