Medical Problems of Skin Diving

In the past 10 years since World War II has become an increasingly popular sport. Liberal estimates for the number of individuals participating in skin diving throughout the United States for the year of 1954 are numbered at one million. More conservative estimates number these sports divers between 250,000 and 500,000 persons. Many of the divers belong to skin-diving clubs. In California the Council of Diving Clubs list 125 clubs. Throughout the United States there are an estimated 375 clubs. The average age of the skin diver is about 20 years, with a ratio of about 90% male to 10% female divers. Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus is used by approximately one-third of the divers. Statistics to date have been difficult to obtain, and most have been based on estimates from equipment sales. In Europe skin diving is also popular and continues to increase in popularity as here in