Diving medicine

SummaryRecreational diving developed in the late 1940s when self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) first became available for civilian use. At the same time the development of the commercial airliner, in particular the jet airliner, made possible the concept of international travel for pleasure as opposed to business. Over the past 50 years the number of international tourists has increased by over 2500% from a mere 25 million in 1950 to over 700 million in 2002 (Treadwell TL. Trends in travel. In: Zuckerman JN, editor. Principles and practice of travel medicine, 2001; p. 2–6). The popularity of recreational diving has also increased over the same period from an activity experienced by a small number of individuals in the early 1950s to an activity today enjoyed by many millions. The combination of increased international travel and the means by which to enter and explore the underwater world has led to diving becoming increasingly popular as a tourist activity.