Academic literature on the topic 'Psychological aspects of Scuba diving'

Four scuba diving deaths investigated by the Forensic Medicine Unit, University of Edinburgh Medical School, are reported. The pathological investigation of such deaths requires that a detailed history of the events prior to death is obtained and that the site of the accident is fully examined with underwater photographic recording where possible. The diving suits, breathing apparatus and other diving accessories also have to be examined carefully by experts and a complete autopsy with toxicological and histological examination is essential. The causes and mechanisms of death are discussed, as are the importance of special autopsy techniques and investigations. Possible interpretative problems are highlighted.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to describe the nature of regular medications taken by active comorbid scuba divers (having a declared medical comorbidity) and scuba divers and snorkellers who died following a diving incident. Methods: We undertook a retrospective, observational study from July to October, 2020. Data on 268 active comorbid divers were obtained through a 2013 survey of Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific members. Data on 126 deceased scuba divers and 175 deceased snorkellers were obtained predominantly from 2001–2013 reports to Australian State Coronial Services. Results: The active comorbid divers were significantly older, less likely to be male, and more likely to be taking one or more medications than the two deceased subject groups (P < 0.001). Cardiovascular, endocrine and psychotropic medications accounted for 53.4%, 9.9% and 6.4% of all medications taken, respectively. Almost one tenth of the deceased divers took at least one psychotropic medication, a proportion significantly greater than the other groups (P = 0.01). Conclusions: Medication use among active comorbid divers is common which likely reflects their declared medical condition. Nevertheless, they appear to be diving relatively safely, often with conditions once thought to be absolute contradictions to scuba diving. The deceased divers took significantly more psychotropic medications. It is possible that their underlying psychological/psychiatric conditions rendered them more at risk of a diving incident. Increased vigilance for psychological conditions may need to be considered during diving medical examinations.

(Buwalda M, Querido AL, van Hulst RA. Children and diving, a guideline. Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. 2020 December 20;50(4):399–404. doi: 10.28920/dhm50.4.399-404. PMID: 33325022.) Scuba diving is an increasingly popular recreational activity in children and adolescents. During the dive medical examination aspects of human physiology, anatomy, and psychology, that differ between adults and children, deserve our special attention. For example, lack of mental maturity, diminished Eustachian tube function and heat loss can pose problems during diving. It is important that children who wish to take up scuba diving are seen by a dive physician, with extra attention to Eustachian tube function. In children, asthma, bronchial hyperreactivity, pulmonary hypertension, and right-to-left shunts are contra-indications for scuba diving. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a relative contra-indication. This article provides a review of the current literature and presents recommendations for recreational diving in children and adolescents. These recommendations are based solely on ‘expert’ opinion and were accepted by the Dutch Society of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine in 2020.

Background: The experience of Recreational SCUBA Diving (RSD) is unique and exciting because participants can feel innermost and special sensations. Aim: By exploring the role of the senses in RSD This paper seeks to illustrate the complex, kaleidoscopic and inter-relational connections beginner SCUBA divers make with aquatic environment within the sensorium experience for the first time. Methods: The present research draws upon the qualitative inquiry away from the positivist approaches to capture insider views, meanings, and interpretations. Audio-recorded semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of 12 undergraduate students who had experienced a first-time SCUBA diving through Discover SCUBA Diving (DSD) Program were transcribed and thematically analyzed. A thematic analysis was performed with the Nvivo 11 Plus software package program. Results: Analysis illustrated that both positive and negative emotions are experienced due to (a) Diver Dimension of Marine Wildlife Touching, (b) Diver Dimension of Marine Wildlife Viewing, and (c) Diver Dimension of Marine Wildlife Hearing. Conclusion: The opportunity to experience aquatic environment for the first time during active leisure reflects participants’ ability, which offers encouragement, enthusiasm, well-being, and satisfaction. In unravelling the negative diving experience, as experienced by divers, we argue some physical and psychological distress and difficulty arise due to chemical and physical properties of aquatic environment, however. Keywords: Active Leisure, Aquatic, Sensorium, SCUBA Diving, Well-being.

Indonesian government currently has policies to improve the performance of the tourism sector, including marine tourism. One of the attractions of marine tourism is the coral ecosystem especially through scuba diving activities. The purpose of this study was to determine the suitability of the coral ecosystem on Saebus Island, East Java, to find appropriate locations for scuba diving activities. Purposive samplings were done around the island to determine four stations which will be assessed through suitability analysis. Tourism Suitability Index was used to assess all stations for scuba diving activities. The result showed that all four stations were categorized as very suitable with the score: 85%, 85%, 85% and 83%, respectively. Several aspects that need to be improved and anticipated for diving at all stations are coral coverage and water current. These results suggest that there are several spots around Saebus Island that are suitable for diving site, and can be promoted as marine tourism destination.

Safety procedures are explained during lectures in basic scuba diving courses, but these rules are often counterintuitive and difficult to remember; many accidents occur because divers do not put into practice what they have been taught. Diving accidents are at higher growth than the growth of activity in the world. This research used multimedia in a virtual environment to detect safety aspects of diving more forgetful among experienced scuba divers. This way it is possible to develop courses more effectively: less cost and time spent and lower accident rate. Were discovered the safety procedures recreational scuba divers more unknown among accredited divers. The results showed a large number of errors on all items in particular on the system to keep in pairs. Thus it becomes possible to improve diving courses and/or briefings before dives emphasizing these items, reducing cost and time. As a suggestion for future research, to find ways to improve the performance of divers in case of emergencies, through awareness, education and behavior.

Thesis (MScMedSc)-- Stellenbosch University, 2014.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The commercial and military deep diving environment is typically a low visibility environment, where dependence on the visual senses often needs to be replaced by a reliance on tactile senses. This thesis reviewed the current knowledge regarding neuropsychological manifestations of nitrogen narcosis and exposed a number of shortcomings in the current body of knowledge. In particular, the human performance effects of hyperbaric exposure on tactile perception and memory have not been systematically studied. It is further not clear, how exactly psychological factors (e.g. anxiety, mood states) and biographical factors (e.g. age, education, technical exposure, experience) might influence tactile perception and memory performance under conditions of hyperbaric exposure. The correlation between subjective experiences of narcosis, tactile performance, and psychological and biographical variables is also unknown. This study thus set out to investigate certain neuropsychological aspects of nitrogen narcosis, with special reference to tactile perception and memory, and to examine the relationships of tactile performance with other psychological and biographical factors. The effects of experimental hyperbaric exposure (EHE) on tactile (form) perception and tactile shape memory were examined by testing these functions at 6 ATA and 1 ATA, using a cross-over design where two groups completed the same tasks, in opposite sequence. The psychological variables included trait anxiety, transient mood states, and subjective ratings of narcosis, while the biographical variables included age, education, and previous technical exposure. The results demonstrated the detrimental effect of nitrogen narcosis on tactile form perception and manipulation, irrespective of the sequence of testing. It also demonstrated this effect on tactile form memory, although the sequence of testing also played a role here. Higher trait anxiety was associated with poorer recall, and tension was associated with a larger decrement in recall performance, while fatigue was associated with poorer task completion. Subjective experiences also played a role, where feelings of physical anxiety (i.e. increased arousal) were associated with better recall, and feelings of cognitive suppression (decreased arousal) were associated with a larger decrement in recall performance. Lower academic attainment was associated with poorer recall, while higher diving qualification was associated with better recall. Performance on the surface was a good predictor of performance at depth. Qualitative analysis rendered three themes, namely focus vs. distraction, following instructions, and shape memory. Psychometric properties of the subjective narcosis measure were also reported. Theoretical implications include support for the slowed information processing model when completing complex neuropsychological tasks, as well as support for the memory model, thus suggesting that this particular pattern of memory impairment occurs because encoding under narcosis produces a weaker memory trace than normal. Lastly, the study has a number of implications for industry. For example, divers need to compensate for slowed task completion by, firstly, planning more time to complete complex tasks, and secondly, by practicing those tasks prior to the actual deep dive (either on the surface or in shallow water). The need for using additional forms of recording of events or objects at depth, to aid memory encoding and subsequent recall at surface was also emphasised.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kommersieële en militêre duik vind dikwels plaas in ‘n omgewing met swak sig, waar duikers moet staatmaak op taktiele sintuie, eerder as op visuele sintuie. Die tesis begin met ‘n oorsig oor die huidige kennis rakende neurosielkundige verskynsels van stikstof narkose, en het ‘n aantal tekortkominge gevind. Meer spesifiek, die menslike faktor in die effek van hiperbariese druk op taktiese persepsie en geheue is nog nie sistematies bestudeer nie. Dit is verder nie duidelik presies hoe sielkundige faktore (angs, gemoedstoestande) en demografiese faktore (ouderdom, opvoeding, tegniese blootstelling, ondervinding) taktiele persepsie en geheue onder toestande van hiperbariese druk sou beïnvloed nie. The korrelasie tussen die subjektiewe ervaring van narkose, taktiele taakverigting, en sielkundige en biografiese veranderlikes is ook nie bekend nie. Die studie het verskeie neurosielkundige aspekte van stikstof narkose, met spesifieke verwysing na taktiele persepsie en geheue, sowel as die verhouding tussen taktiele prestasie en sielkundige en biografiese faktore ondersoek. Die effek van hiperbariese druk op taktiele persepsie en geheue is ondersoek deur hierdie funksies te toets by 6 en 1 ATA, deur middel van ‘n oorkruis studie ontwerp, waar twee groepe die take voltooi het, in teenoorgestelde volgorde. Die sielkundige veranderlikes het bestaan uit trek-angs, tydelike gemoedstoestande, en die subjektiewe evaluering van narkose, terwyl die biografiese veranderlikes ouderdom, opvoeding, en vorige tegniese blootstelling ingesluit het. Die resultate het die nadelige effek van stikstof narkose op taktiele vorm persepsie en manipulasie gedemonstreer, ongeag die rigting van toetsing. Dit het ook hierdie effek op taktiele vorm geheue gedemonstreer, hoewel die rigting van toetsing wel hier ‘n rol gespeel het. Hoër trek-angs was geassosieër met swakker herroeping, en spanning met ‘n groter agteruitgang in herroeping, terwyl matheid geassosieer was met swakker taakvoltooiing. Subjektiewe ervarings het ook ‘n rol gespeel, met ervarings van fisiese spanning (verhoogde opwekking) geassosieer met beter herroeping, en ervarings van kognitiewe onderdrukking (verlaagde opwekking) met groter agteruitgang in herroeping. Laer akademiese kwalifikasie was geassosieer met swakker herroeping, terwyl hoër duik kwalifikasie geassosieer was met beter herroeping. Taakverrigting op die oppervlak was ‘n goeie voorspeller van prestasie op diepte. Kwalitatiewe analiese het drie temas geidentifiseer, naamlik fokus vs. afleibaarheid, die volg van instruksies, en vorm geheue. Die psigometriese eienskappe van die subjektiewe narkose meetinstrument is ook gerapporteer. Teoretiese implikasies van die studie sluit in ondersteuning vir die vertraagde prosesseringsmodel, wanneer komplekse neurosielkundige take voltooi word, sowel as ondersteuning vir die model vir hierdie spesifieke herroepingspatroon wat ‘n swakker geheuespoor laat wanneer enkodering plaasvind onder toestande van narkose. Die studie het ook praktiese implikasies vir industrie. Dit is byvoorbeeld nodig om te kompenseer vir vertraagde taakvoltooïng deur, eerstens, die beplanning vir meer tyd om komplekse take te voltooi, en tweedens, deur daardie take te oefen voor die diep duik plaasvind. Die noodsaaklikheid vir additionele maniere om gebeure of voorwerpe op diepte vas te lê is ook beklemtoon.

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Sesotho<br>Scuba diving is a popular marine recreational activity along the eastern and southern coast of Africa. This region is characterised as the East African Marine Ecoregion (EAME) and is known for its richness in marine fauna and flora, including some of the Indian Ocean‟s most diverse and abundant coral reef ecosystems, making it a popular destination for scuba divers. The future of the scuba diving industry has come under threat as a result of environmental, social, political and economic impacts, and there is a need to better understand how these external risks impact on scuba diving tourism businesses in the EAME. Empirical evidence suggests that external risks, both international and domestic, have an effect on the tourism industry as a whole. However, limited research has been conducted on the impact of such external risks on the dive tourism industry specifically. Existing research has also focused extensively on environmental risks rather than on how external risks of a political, economic and social nature affect dive operator sustainability in the EAME. Most studies have also focused on the demand side (divers) as opposed to the supply side (dive operators). In addition, as dive tourists have greater flexibility to change their destination should risks arise, this threatens the success of dive operators in higher risk areas. To address these problems, the primary objective of the research undertaken sought to comprehensively identify the impact of external risks (environmental, economic, social and political) on dive operators in four countries within the EAME from a supply-side perspective. In order to achieve the primary objective, the following secondary objectives were achieved: 1. Identified scuba diving tourism operators in the EAME and their scope of operation. 2. Determined the external risks most relevant to dive operators in the EAME and assessed their level of impact. 3. Compared the individual external risks experienced by each of the countries in the EAME (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa) using a cross-case analysis. 4. Assessed the perception of dive operators regarding whether external risks would influence a dive tourists decision to travel to the dive operators area of operation in the EAME ii The study consisted of two phases. Phase 1 comprised structured interviews with a select group of dive operators to gain insight into the external risks most prevalent in the scuba diving industry, as well as to assist in developing a quantitative structured survey (Phase 2), which was subsequently completed by dive operators in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa. Data was imported into SPSS for quantitative statistical analysis. From the primary data collected, the major findings from this study determined that current economic and political risks have the greatest impact on dive operators in the EAME, and this trend is expected to continue. Environmental degradation of coral reefs, while not seen as a threat at present, constitutes a key threat for the near future. The greatest influences expressed in terms of risk categories impacting on dive tourism are domestic economic risks, international economic risks, domestic political risks and international political risks. A cross-case analysis conducted on the four countries concluded that external risks have varying effects within the different countries. Finally, the results indicated that external risks significantly influence a dive tourist's decision to travel to the EAME. By identifying and assessing the external risks that have an impact on dive operators in the EAME, this research contributes to knowledge on the dive tourism industry in the EAME, as well as dive tourism further afield and the wider field of tourism management. The study's findings create awareness of the effect that external risks have on dive operators in the region. A conceptual framework was developed which encompasses external risks in the scuba diving industry. Risk radars, risk maps and colour-coded tables were further outputs this study which can assist businesses, society and economies in responding to current and future threats and crises in a more informative and intuitive way. This can be achieved by implementing risk management strategies to mitigate or reduce exposure to external risks; strengthening stakeholder involvement along the tourism value chain; and stressing the need for government involvement towards the protection of the environment and promotion of small business growth in the region. Future research can include a wider view of the marine tourism industry and other areas of the Blue Economy.<br>Skubaduik is 'n gewilde mariene ontspanningsaktiwiteit langs die oos- en suidkus van Afrika. Hierdie streek staan bekend as die Oos-Afrika Mariene Ekostreek (East African Marine Ecoregion, EAME) en is bekend vir sy rykheid aan mariene fauna en flora, insluitende sommige van die Indiese Oseaan se mees diverse en welige koraalrif-ekostelsels, wat dit 'n gewilde bestemming vir skubaduikers maak. Die toekoms van die skubaduikbedryf word bedreig weens die impak van omgewings-, sosiale, politieke en ekonomiese gebeure, en daar is 'n behoefte om beter te verstaan hoe hierdie eksterne risiko's skubaduiktoerisme-besighede in die EAME beïnvloed. Empiriese bewyse suggereer dat eksterne risiko's, internasionaal sowel as plaaslik, 'n invloed op die toerismebedryf as 'n geheel het. Beperkte navorsing is egter gedoen oor die impak van sulke eksterne risiko's op spesifiek die duiktoerisme-bedryf. Bestaande navorsing het ook uitvoerig gefokus op omgewingsrisiko's eerder as hoe eksterne risiko's van 'n politieke, ekonomiese en sosiale aard duik-operateur-volhoubaarheid in die EAME beïnvloed. Die meeste studies het ook gefokus op die aanvraagkant (duikers) in teenstelling met die aanbodkant (duik-operateurs). Verder, omdat duiktoeriste meer buigsaamheid het om hulle bestemming te verander indien risiko's voorkom, bedreig dit die sukses van duik-operateurs in hoë-risiko-gebiede. Om hierdie probleme te hanteer is die primêre doel van die navorsing wat gedoen is om op omvattende wyse die impak van eksterne risiko's (omgewing, ekonomies, sosiaal en polities) op duik-operateurs in vier lande in die EAME te identifiseer uit 'n aanbodkant-perspektief. Om die primêre doelwit te behaal, is die volgende sekondêre doelwitte bereik: 1. Skubaduik-toerisme-operateurs in die EAME en hulle operasionele omvang is geïdentifiseer. 2. Die eksterne risiko's wat die relevantste vir duik-operateurs in die EAME is, is bepaal en hulle vlak van impak is geassesseer. 3. Die individuele eksterne risiko's wat deur elkeen van die lande in die EAME (Kenia, Tanzanië, Mosambiek en Suid-Afrika) ervaar is, is vergelyk deur die gebruik van 'n kruisgeval-analise. 4. Die persepsie van duik-operateurs wat betref of eksterne risiko's 'n duiktoeris se besluit sal beïnvloed om na die duik-operateur se operasionele gebied in die EAME te reis, is geassesseer. Die studie het uit twee fases bestaan. Fase 1 het gestruktureerde onderhoude met 'n geselekteerde groep duik-operateurs behels om insig te kry in die eksterne risiko's wat die algemeenste in die skubaduikbedryf voorkom, en om te help om 'n kwantitatiewe gestruktureerde peiling (fase 2) te ontwikkel, wat gevolglik deur duik-operateurs in Kenia, Tanzanië, Mosambiek en Suid-Afrika voltooi is. Data is ingevoer in SPSS vir kwantitatiewe statistiese analise. Uit die primêre data wat ingesamel is, het die belangrikste bevindings van hierdie studie bepaal dat die huidige ekonomiese en politieke risiko's die grootste impak op duik-operateurs in die EAME het, en daar word verwag dat hierdie tendens sal voortduur. Die omgewingsagteruitgang van koraalriwwe, hoewel dit nie tans as 'n bedreiging beskou word nie, is 'n sleutelbedreiging vir die nabye toekoms. Die grootste invloede wat uitgedruk is as risiko-kategorieë wat 'n invloed op duiktoerisme het, is plaaslike ekonomiese risiko's, internasionale ekonomiese risiko's, plaaslike politieke risiko's en internasionale politieke risiko's. 'n Kruisgeval-analise wat op die vier lande uitgevoer is, het bevind dat eksterne risiko's wisselende uitwerkings binne die verskillende lande het. Laastens het die resultate aangedui dat eksterne risiko's 'n duiktoeris se besluit om na die EAME te reis, aansienlik beïnvloed. Deur die eksterne risiko's te identifiseer en te assesseer wat 'n impak op duik-operateurs in die EAME het, dra hierdie navorsing by tot kennis oor die duiktoerismebedryf in die EAME, asook duiktoerisme verder weg en die wyer veld van toerismebestuur. Die studie se bevindings skep 'n bewustheid van die uitwerking wat eksterne risiko's op duik-operateurs in die streek het. 'n Konseptuele raamwerk is ontwikkel wat eksterne risiko's in die skubaduikbedryf omvat. Risiko-radars, risiko-kaarte en tabelle wat volgens kleur gekodeer is, was verdere uitsette van hierdie studie wat besighede, die gemeenskap en ekonomieë kan help om te reageer op huidige en toekomstige bedreigings en krisisse op 'n meer ingeligte en intuïtiewe manier. Dit kan bereik word deur risikobestuurstrategieë te implementeer om blootstelling aan eksterne risiko's te mitigeer of te verminder; belanghebberbetrokkenheid op die toerismewaardeketting te versterk; en om die behoefte vir regeringsbetrokkenheid by die insluit.<br>Ho sesa tlasa metsi a lewatle ke mosebetsi o tsebahalang haholo wa boithabiso ba lewatle haufi le mabopo a ka botjhabela le borwa ba Afrika. Sebaka sena se kgethollwa e le lefatshe la bophelo ba mawatle a Afrika Botjhabela (EAME) mme se tsejwa ka leruo la sona la diphoofolo tsa lewatle le dimela, ho kenyelletsa le tse ding tsa diphedi tse fapaneng tsa lewatle la Indian, e leng se etsang hore e be sebaka se tumeng bakeng sa batho ba sesang tlasa lewatle. Bokamoso ba indasteri ya ho tola tlasa lewatle bo kotsing ka lebaka la tshusumetso ya tikoloho, kahisano, dipolotiki le moruo, mme ho na le tlhokahalo ya ho utlwisisa hantle hore dikotsi tsena tsa kantle di ama jwang dikgwebo tsa bothori bo amanang le ho sesa tlasa lewatle EAME (Mabatoweng a Afrika Botjhabela a diphedi tsa mawatle). Bopaki bo hlakileng bo fana ka maikutlo a hore dikotsi tsa kantle, tsa matjhaba le tsa lehae, di na le tshwaetso indastering ya bohahlauli ka kakaretso. Leha ho le jwalo, dipatlisiso tse fokolang di ile tsa etswa mabapi le sefutho sa dikotsi tse jwalo tsa kantle indastering ea bohahlaudi ba ho sesa ka ho kgetheha. Dipatlisiso tse teng di boetse di tsepamisitse maikutlo haholo ka dikotsi tsa tikoloho di sa shebe hore na dikotsi tsa kantle tsa dipolotiki, tsa moruo le tsa kahisano di ama jwang ho tsitsisa tshebetso ho EAME. Diphuputso tse ngata di boetse di tsepame lehlakoreng la tlhokahalo (disesi) ho fapana le lehlakore la diphallelo (batho ba sesang). Ho phaella moo, jwalo ka ha disesi tsa bahahlaudi di ena le maemo a mangata a ho fetola dibaka tsa bona ha ho hlaha dikotsi, sena se senya katleho ya disesi dibakeng tse nang le dikotsi tse ngatanyana. Ho rarolla mathata ana, sepheo se ka sehloohong sa dipatlisiso tse entsweng di ile tsa leka ho lemoha ka ho hlaka sefutho sa dikotsi tsa kantle (tikoloho, moruo, kahisano le dipolotiki) ho disesi dinaheng tse nne tse ka hare ho EAME ho tloha lehlakoreng la phepelo. E le ho finyella sepheo se ka sehloohong, dipheo tse latelang di ile tsa fihlellwa: 1. Ho kgetholla basebeletsi ba bahahlaudi ba ho sesa lebatoweng la EAME le tsela ya tshebetso ya bona. 2. Ho etsa qeto ya dikotsi tse ka ntle tsa bohlokwa ho tsamaisa ba disesi ho EAME le ho hlahloba boemo ba tsona ba tshusumetso. 3. Ho bapiswa dikotsi tse ka ntle tsa naha ka nngwe ho EAME (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique le Afrika Borwa) ho sebedisa dintlha tsa ho hlahloba diketsahalo. 4. Hlahloba maikutlo a disesi mabapi le hore na dikotsi tse ka ntle di tla susumetsa qeto ya bahahlaudi ba ho etela sebakeng seo ba sebetsang ho sona ho EAME Thuto e ne e ena le mekgahlelo e mmedi. Mokgahlelo wa 1 o ne o ena le dipuisano tse hlophisitsweng le sehlopha se kgethilweng sa basebetsi ba disesi ho utlwisisa dikotsi tse ka ntle tse atileng haholo indastering ya ho sesa, le ho thusa ho ntlafatsa tlhahlobo e entsweng ka bongata (Phase 2), e ileng ya qetella e phethilwe ke basebetsi ba disesi Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique le Afrika Borwa. Lesedi le ile la kenngwa ka SPSS bakeng sa tlhahlobo ya dipalopalo. Ho tswa leseding la motheho le bokelletsweng, diphuputso tse kgolo tsa thuto ena di bontshitse hore dikotsi tsa moraorao tsa moruo le tsa lipolotiki di na le tshusumetso e kgolo ho ba sebetsang e le basebetsi ba disesi EAME, mme mokgwa ona o lebeletswe hore o tswele pele. Ho senyeha ha tikoloho ya dimela/diphedi tsa lewatle, ha ho sa nkuweng e le tshoso hona jwale, ke tshoso e ka sehloohong bakeng sa nako e tlang. Tshusumetso e matla ka ho fetisisa e hlalositsweng ka mekgahlelo ya dikotsi tse amang tsela ya ho etela dibaka tsa bohahlaudi ke dikotsi tsa moruo wa lehae, dikotsi tsa matjhaba tsa moruo, dikotsi tsa dipolotiki tsa lehae le dikotsi tsa matjhaba tsa dipolotiki. Phuputso e entsweng dinaheng tse nne e qetile ka hore dikotsi tsa ka ntle di na le diphello tse fapaneng dinaheng tse fapaneng. Qetellong, diphello di bontshitse hore dikotsi tsa ka ntle di susumetsa haholo qeto ya mohahlaudi wa ya sesang tlasa lewatle ho etela EAME. Ka ho kgetholla le ho hlahloba dikotsi tse ka ntle tse nang le tshwaetso basebetsing ba disesi EAME, dipatlisiso tsena di tlatsetsa tsebong lefapheng la bohahlaudi ba ho ho sesa tlasa lewatle dibakeng tsa EAME, ha mmoho le bahahlaudi ba ho sesa ka ho phatlalla tsamaisong ya bohahlaudi. Diphuputso tsa thuto di etsa hore ho be le tlhokomediso ya phello ya ka moo dikotsi tse ka ntle di nang le kameho disesing sebakeng seo. Ho na le moralo o ileng wa etswa o kenyeletsang dikotsi tsa kantle indastering ya ho sesa tlasa lewatle. Diwaelese tse nkgellang dikotsi, dimmapa tsa dikotsi le ditafole tse nang le mebala di ne di boetse di hlahisa thuto ena e ka thusang dikgwebo, setjhaba le moruo ho arabela dikotsing tsa moraorao le tsa nakong e tlang ka ditsela tse rutang le tse nang le tsebo. Sena se ka fihlellwa ka ho kenya tshebetsong maano a tsamaiso ya kotsi bakeng sa ho fokotsa ho pepeseha dikotsing tsa kantle; ho matlafatsa tshebetsong ya bankaseabo motjheng wa bohlokwa wa bohahlaudi; le ho totobatsa tlhokahalo ya ho nka seabo ha mmuso ho sireletsa tikoloho le tshehetso ya kgolo ya dikgwebo tse nyenyane sebakeng seo. Phuputso ya nako e tlang e ka kenyelletsa pono e pharaletseng ya indasteri ya bahahlaudi ba lewatle le dibaka tse ding tsa Blue Economy.<br>Environmental Sciences<br>M. Com. (Tourism Management)

There has been much debate about whether shallow water diving , in the absence of neurological insult , can lead to cognitive deficits. The aim of this study was to investigate possible neuropsychological effects on two groups of divers , without any known history of decompression illness, who represent opposite ends of the spectrum of diving practice (rescue divers and sport divers) , and to compare them with a non-diving control group. 17 rescue divers , 17 non-diving controls and 15 sport divers were recruited. The groups were matched for age, but not for education. The two diving groups were comparable in terms of diving history. Results of neuropsychological testing indicated that the rescue diving group was not significantly different from the control group, suggesting that rescue diving under controlled conditions is comparatively safe. The sport diver group performed significantly worse than controls on a test of verbal reasoning (Comprehension, SAWAIS-R) and on a measure of word fluency (Controlled Oral Word Initiation Test), suggesting the possibility that risky diving practices may lead to decrements in frontal lobe functioning. Another possibility is that global decrements occur, but that the tests of frontal lobe functioning were more sensitive to mild deficits in functioning. This contention is tentative, and further research into frontal lobe functioning of divers should be conducted. Sport divers are recommended to follow safe diving practices and use dive profiles that avoid bubbling in order to prevent cognitive damage. VI<br>Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.