Hyperbaric & Safety
General dive safety reference. This page is educational — it is not medical advice and does not replace proper dive training, a dive medicine professional, or your local emergency services.
Interactive Safety Tools
Hands-on tools to prep before a dive and think through problems on one.
Inactive Diver Refresher Guide
Coming back after time away from diving? Step through these before your first dive back — or better yet, book a formal scuba review with a local dive professional.
Ease back into equalization
Practice equalizing early and often on your first descent — every 1-2 feet rather than waiting for discomfort. If it stops working, ascend slightly and try again before continuing down.
Rebuild buoyancy control
Do a weight check in shallow water before your first dive back — your body composition and gear may have changed since your last trip. Expect to feel less precise for the first dive or two.
Reset your air consumption expectations
Time away from diving usually means faster air consumption at first from unfamiliarity and mild anxiety. Plan a shallower, shorter first dive and turn the dive with extra reserve.
Re-familiarize with your gear
Reassemble and test your kit (or rental gear) on land first — locate the inflator, dump valves, and releases by feel before you're relying on them underwater.
Start shallow, start easy
Choose a shallow, low-current, guided first dive back rather than jumping straight into an advanced site. Rebuild comfort before pushing depth or conditions.
Refresher Videos
Open-access video walkthroughs to review skills before you dive again.
PADI Scuba Review — A Refresher for Returning Divers
DAN Safety Services — Frequently Asked Questions
Emergency Contacts
DAN (Divers Alert Network) Emergency Hotline
DAN America's 24-hour emergency line is +1-919-684-9111 (collect calls accepted). If you're diving outside the Americas, look up your regional DAN organization (DAN Europe, DAN Asia-Pacific, etc.) before your trip — the emergency number differs by region.
In a life-threatening emergency, always contact local emergency services first, then DAN.
Hyperbaric Chamber Locator
A starting point for common dive destinations, not a live directory. Facility names, contact details, and operational status change — always confirm locally or through DAN before you dive, and know your operator's emergency evacuation plan.
Cozumel, Mexico
Cozumel hyperbaric chamber (San Miguel)
Well known within the Cozumel dive community — confirm current details with a local dive operator.
Red Sea, Egypt
Hyperbaric facility, Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada both have chambers serving the Red Sea dive industry.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Townsville / Cairns hyperbaric services
Queensland's dive-medicine chambers primarily serve the GBR region.
Hawaii, USA
Oahu hyperbaric treatment center
Affiliated with Honolulu-area hospital services.
Indonesia (Coral Triangle)
Bali hyperbaric facility
Coverage across the wider Coral Triangle can be sparse — confirm evacuation plans with your operator before remote trips.
Mediterranean Sea
Varies by country
Chamber availability differs significantly by coastline — check the specific country you're diving in.
Marine Sting & Scrape First Aid
General guidance only. Seek medical attention for severe pain, spreading redness, difficulty breathing, or any sign of allergic reaction.
Lionfish
Immerse the area in water as hot as can be tolerated without burning (roughly 40–45°C / 104–113°F) for 30–90 minutes, which helps break down the venom. Remove any visible spine fragments. Watch for allergic reaction.
Jellyfish
Rinse with seawater (not fresh water, which can trigger more stinging cells to fire). Remove tentacles with tweezers or a gloved hand. Vinegar helps deactivate stinging cells for many species, but isn't universal — for Portuguese man o' war specifically, hot-water immersion is generally preferred over vinegar.
Fire Coral
Rinse with seawater, avoid rubbing the area, and remove any embedded fragments. Hot-water immersion (as with lionfish) can help with pain. A mild topical reaction is common; seek care if pain or swelling worsens.
Sea Urchins
Remove visible spines carefully — don't dig for fragments that break off deep in the skin, as that can cause more damage. Soak the area in hot water for pain relief. Retained spine fragments can cause infection and often need medical removal.
Safe Ascent & No-Decompression Checklist
- Ascend no faster than about 9–18 m/min (30–60 ft/min) — follow your dive computer's ascent-rate indicator, which is more conservative than older fixed guidelines.
- Do a safety stop of 3–5 minutes at 5 m (15 ft) on every dive, even ones that stayed within no-decompression limits.
- Stay within your dive computer or table's no-decompression limits — plan the dive, dive the plan.
- Ascend slowly and continuously; never hold your breath while ascending.
- Wait at least 18–24 hours after your last dive before flying or ascending to altitude.
- If you ever exceed no-decompression limits or suspect decompression sickness, do not re-enter the water — contact DAN and seek medical evaluation immediately.