14/09/2026
Running out of air is rarely about air alone.
Gas management is a fundamental skill, and every diver is trained to understand air consumption, monitor tank pressure, know the limits of their available supply, and maintain adequate reserves. Yet running out of breathing gas remains a surprisingly common dive incident and a leading cause of diving fatalities. Out-of-air emergencies rarely stem from a single cause.
📉 Take depth, for example: Gas consumption increases dramatically as a diver descends, reducing available bottom time and increasing the gas needed for a safe ascent. Combined with exertion, extended dive times, or missed pressure checks, a manageable dive can become an out-of-air emergency faster than many divers realize.
Often, an emergency results from the accumulation of small factors, such as depth, exertion, anxiety, procedural oversights, and equipment issues that increase gas consumption, rather than one critical mistake. Even experienced divers can find themselves in these situations.
Review the most common causes of out-of-air emergencies at dan.org/most-common-causes-of-out-of-air-emergencies.
