Scuba diving is inherently dangerous. We cannot breathe water and breathing compressed air underwater involves the risk of decompression sickness and lung embolisms. Every year, thousands of divers around the world die or suffer debilitating injuries after scuba diving accidents that are often attributed to human error.

There is no such thing as "safe" diving. In reality, divers manage the various risk factors of diving in order to reduce the probability that they will be involved in a scuba diving accident. There are many things divers can, and should do, to lower the inherent risks of using underwater life support equipment.