Re: Are scuba divers capable of identifying up and down without visual cues?

Hi Zack,

Thanks for your question. I speak as a diver who's never been in the position that you describe, but I know several people who have. They tell me that in conditions of poor visibility, it is possible to become disoriented for short periods of time. The way that they identify up is by remembering that when they breath out, the bubbles always rise to the surface! So provided that you can see a little way in front of your face, you can always work out where the surface is. This even works at night, when it's not so dark as you might imagine underwater, even without torchlight. The inner ear is also very good at establishing orientation. I've been in the mountains in a condition known as "whiteout", where it snows so heavily that all you can see is white and you can't distinguish the ground from the sky. This can be confusing visually; you may even see white flashes in front of your eyes, but you always know that you are standing upright. The important thing in such situations is to stay calm, relax, breathe and move slowly.

By the way, if you ever get the chance to scuba dive, I really recommend it. It's a fantastic experience, like nothing you've ever imagined!

Neil Saunders