What is a potential consequence of excessive ascent rates?

Excessive ascent rates during a dive can lead to decompression sickness, which is a serious health risk for divers. Decompression sickness occurs when a diver ascends too quickly, causing nitrogen that has been absorbed into the body tissues under high pressure to form bubbles as pressure decreases. These bubbles can cause a variety of symptoms ranging from joint pain and fatigue to potentially life-threatening conditions affecting the nervous system, lungs, and other organs.

When divers are at depths, they absorb gases like nitrogen due to the increased pressure. Ascending rapidly reduces the surrounding pressure quickly, leading to a difference between the pressure in the blood and the pressure in body tissues. This can cause the nitrogen to come out of solution and form bubbles, which is the hallmark of decompression sickness. Proper ascent rates and safety stops are crucial to allow gases to be released safely and avoid the formation of these harmful bubbles.

Other options, such as increased buoyancy or enhanced visibility, do not result from ascent rates but rather from buoyancy control and environmental conditions, respectively. Quicker dive completion is not a safe goal during ascent, as prioritizing speed over safety can have dire consequences. Thus, understanding the risks associated with ascent rates is critical for diving safety.