Presenter: Our program about extreme sports is on and today we’re going to learn about scuba diving. Our expert is Barbara Green who owns a diving school.
Barbara: Hello everybody.
Presenter: Barbara, what’s the difference between diving and scuba diving?
Barbara: The word scuba stands for a self contained underwater breathing apparatus. That’s the basic difference. Knowing how to scuba dive opens up an entire underwater world of corral, fish and other creatures. You can even say hello to a shark! That’s a joke though.
Presenter: People say when they trying scuba diving they’ll never forget it. Is that true?
Barbara: Imagine swimming in clear blue waters as you look at brightly colored fish and striking shapes of coral organisms. The underwater world is quite, except the sound of your breathing. Can you ever forget it? Would you like to go back and see it again?
Presenter: I guess, that’s the answer to my question. I heard scuba diving needs a lot of… stuff and can be expensive.
Barbara: Scuba diving requires several pieces of important equipment which can be relatively expensive. Scuba-divers must wear a mask in order to see underwater. Te mask creates an air space that protects the eyes and nose. Divers wears scuba fins on their feet. Without them it’s impossible to move easily and quickly through the water. Any divers also wear a wet suit to stay warm underwater.
Presenter: Is scuba diving dangerous?
Barbara: Basically, no. But the ocean demands respect. Divers wear a BCD or buoyancy control devise to control how much they float or sink. A pressure gage devise tells divers how much air is left in the air tank. Or a dive computer can calculate how much air is left as well as the diver’s depth and the length of time, they can stay underwater. Scuba divers breathe with the regulator which brings air to the mouth when they inhale. The regulator is attached to the air tank that is placed on the diver’s back. There’s also an extra regulator called an octopus. It’s used in case of the emergency situations.
Presenter: I know the compression sickness is a great problem for divers.
Barbara: You are right. It is a major concern for divers. The deeper the diver goes, the more pressure the surrounding water puts on the volume on the air what is inside his or her lungs. And the deeper a dive the more nutrition gas goes into the divers blood.
Presenter: Do you teach it in your school?
Barbara: Of course. To learn how to use all this equipment it helps to go to dive school. Becoming a certified diver requires thee serious of lessons. New divers must learn about the physics and safety of diving. And practice the diving skills first in the closed water area and then in actual beginners dives. Several organizations offer official diving certifications.
Presenter: New people dive alone, far from the instructor?
Barbara: Another important aspect for diving is having a body system. Having a diving partner you can watch one another and help if there is an accident.
Presenter: Any final comment from you?
Barbara: One important diving rule: is to never touch any of the sea life. This rule is to protect both diver and the underwater environment. For example there is a reason fire coral received his name – he causes a painful burning feeling if touched. The diver can also be cut by touching the sharp pieces of coral. It may seem hard like stone, but it’s actually a very fragile organism. It can be damaged if divers touch or stand on it. To protect the beautiful coral reefs divers must treat them with care. Sorry to say tourists often forget about that.
Presenter: Thank you.
