Working Under Pressure: An Overview of Professional Diving

Humans can’t survive underwater, yet diving is a thriving industry. People love it so much that millions of recreational divers around the world spend significant time underwater simply because they want to. And then there’s the professional side of diving that supports tourism, industry, and military interests. Divers perform construction and engineering, ship husbandry, salvage, search and rescue, explosive ordnance disposal, combat, and more. Although diving is widespread, it’s still dangerous. The physics of the underwater world are different and have pronounced risky effects on human physiology. Divers must deal with pressure, buoyancy, rapid heat loss, and differences in light and sound transmission. They are vulnerable to a myriad of dangers and to survive, they must use a host of equipment, exotic breathing gases, and careful procedures. This book teaches about the types of professional diving, underwater physics, effects on the human body, equipment, and current research. If it doesn’t scare you, you’ll hopefully enjoy and appreciate diving as much as I do. Read more