Diving environment

Diving environment refers to the surrounding conditions in which underwater diving takes place. The environment can greatly influence the diver's safety, comfort, and the type of diving equipment used. Diving environments are categorized into two main types: open water and confined water.

Open Water Diving

Open water diving is conducted in an environment where the diver has direct access to the surface of the water. This includes oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and quarries. Open water diving is the most common form of recreational diving.

Marine Diving

Marine diving is a type of open water diving conducted in the ocean or sea. The marine environment is characterized by its salinity, temperature, currents, and marine life. Marine diving can further be classified into tropical diving, temperate diving, and polar diving based on the water temperature and geographical location.

Freshwater Diving

Freshwater diving is conducted in non-saline bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, and quarries. Freshwater environments have different buoyancy characteristics compared to marine environments due to the lack of salt.

Confined Water Diving

Confined water diving is conducted in an environment where the diver does not have direct access to the surface or the surface is effectively sealed. This includes caves, caverns, ice diving, and wreck diving.

Cave and Cavern Diving

Cave diving and cavern diving are types of confined water diving conducted in underwater caves and caverns. These environments are characterized by their lack of natural light, potential for disorientation, and the need for specialized equipment and training.

Ice Diving

Ice diving is a type of confined water diving conducted under ice. The surface of the water is effectively sealed by the ice layer, limiting the diver's access to the surface.

Wreck Diving

Wreck diving is conducted in and around shipwrecks. These environments can be hazardous due to the potential for entanglement, sharp edges, and unstable structures.

See Also

• Underwater diving
• Scuba diving
• Technical diving