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The ocean's fascination is attested to by eight million Americans who have tried various phases of diving. With scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) it has become possible to learn quickly to explore the ocean floor in freedom.
Instead of the fear he expected, the novice scuba diver is often surprised to find himself feeling a peaceful complacent euphoria when first submerged in the ocean. Psychological factors alone do not explain this inappropriate confidence sufficiently. Physiological changes produced by submersion must be analyzed and correlated with psychological factors. Thus integrated, the two aspects of the diving experience display an illuminating synergism.
Man has always been fascinated and frightened by the mystery of the ocean. The siren-myth (5) is a typical personification of the ocean as a seductive and destructive woman or mother. The sirens exhibit their charms to lure unwary sailors into shipwrecks.
With the advent of satisfactory diving equipment, the mystery of the ocean has been decreased. But man's emotional relationship to the ocean has been potentiated. It remains a mixture of desire and fear.
Though corroborated by experts and related literature (1,9,11,12,13), the following formulation is considered only a working hypothesis in the absence of controlled experiments. A diver exercises strenuously on the surface. He swims heavily weighted and develops exertional dyspnea. As soon as he submerges even to such shallow depths as 10-40 feet he is suspended effortlessly and weightlessly in a silent world. He feels smaller due to magnification of his surroundings by light refraction, and abdominal compression elevates the diaphragm permitting more complete pulmonary ventilation. Because the compressed air he breathes is under increased pressure, the exchange of respiratory gases is accelerated, and any previously incurred oxygen debt is repaid rapidly. Various factors improve venous return to the heart, such as h