SCUBA DIVING UNIVERSITY / SAFETY
Decompression & pressure
Understand what pressure does to your body, how decompression risk develops and why a computer cannot guarantee an injury-free dive.
10 lessons in this section
YouDive educational guide · References checked 30 September 2026 · Independent instructor and medical review pending. This library does not provide certification, individual medical clearance or a dive plan.
What decompression means
Decompression is the reduction of pressure during ascent. It happens on every dive, including a no-stop dive.
Read the guide →02DCS, AGE and decompression illness
Decompression illness is an umbrella term. Decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism are different mechanisms that can both be emergencies.
Read the guide →03Recognising possible decompression sickness
Unexpected symptoms after diving deserve attention even when the dive seemed uneventful.
Read the guide →04What your dive computer cannot know
A dive computer is a planning and monitoring instrument, not a medical clearance device.
Read the guide →05Safety stops and mandatory stops
Two stops may look similar in the water while having very different meanings in a dive plan.
Read the guide →06Repetitive and multi-day diving
The next dive starts with the exposure history from the dives before it.
Read the guide →07Flying and altitude after diving
A flight or mountain drive can add a further pressure reduction after you leave the water.
Read the guide →08Exercise, temperature and hydration
Decompression stress is affected by more than a depth-and-time profile.
Read the guide →09Ear and sinus pressure problems
Pain during pressure changes is a reason to stop and respond, not something to push through.
Read the guide →10Lung overexpansion and breath-holding
Compressed gas expands as pressure falls, including during the shallow part of an ascent.
Read the guide →