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Scuba diving has become fairly common. People try their hand at in while on vacation at a tropical resort, or take a few classes at a local dive center. Most never advance beyond recreational diving. Some people, though, progress to technical diving. While the exact definition of this term is not agreed upon, the general idea is clear. It refers to a more complex type diving, beyond what most divers will ever do. The majority of people will practice recreational diving, not going below forty meters and therefore not needing to decompress and using a simple air mixture. This type of diving is perfect for those who only want to look at fish or coral reefs, to add some adventure to a vacation. Technical divers take more risks in order to accomplish something and have more training. They might be exploring a cave or shipwreck in deep waters. Depth is one of the main distinguishing factors between recreational and technical diving; divers who go below forty meters (one hundred and thirty feet) have to decompress when they come back to the surface. Diving below that depth changes what gases are present in the blood, decompression is the process by which blood gasses are allowed to return to normal. Many people have heard of the bends, a dangerous condition resulting from inadequate decompression. Solo diving is also considered technical; virtually all recreational diving is done using the buddy system, meaning at least one other person is with you. Diving at resorts often takes place in large groups for safety, but technical divers can descend on their own.
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