10 Myths about Scuba Diving.  This article appered in the The Salt Lake Tribune
 * Myth 1 - Scuba diving is a male-dominated sport.
 Reality - About 50 percent of all new divers are female. Scuba diving appeals to a diverse group of people.
 
* Myth 2 - Scuba divers are prone to shark attacks.
 Reality - Most animals are afraid of things they don’t understand. The bubbles created by scuba equipment keep most underwater animals away, including sharks. In 2006, 31 dog attacks resulted in death; only 4 shark attacks were fatal, and none of the victims were scuba divers.

* Myth 3 - You need to be a good swimmer to scuba dive.
 Reality - Many divers are not good swimmers. Scuba equipment and the gravity-free nature of being underwater, make moving through the water less strenuous.

* Myth 4 - Scuba diving is a dangerous sport.
 Reality - Recreational scuba diving (U.S. & Canada combined) had only 88 fatalities compared to 700 from boating, 3,200 from swimming, 33,100 from home injury and 44,800 from motor vehicles.

* Myth 5 - Scuba diving is an adult-only sport.
 Reality - Sport diving imposes no legal limits on age, but most diver training organizations require candidates to be 15 years old for full certification. Of course, there are always exceptions, and 11-, 12- and 13-year-olds can be taught if they are capable of handling the equipment and training.

* Myth 6 - Scuba diving is a “summer-time only” sport.
 Reality - Special diving equipment, such
as “dry suits,” enables enthusiasts to dive regardless of water temperature - and stay warm in the process.

* Myth 7 - If you care about the environment you should not scuba dive.
 Reality - The more you are aware of the underwater environment, the more you can appreciate it. Seasoned divers are the No. 1 diving subgroup who take up underwater photography. Experienced divers know that touching the reef is not safe for divers nor good for reef life and take a “hands-off” approach.

* Myth 8 - If you are claustrophobic scuba diving is not for you.
 Reality - Some who are claustrophobic still enjoy scuba diving. Others dive to overcome phobias.

* Myth 9 - I need to spend a lot of money on scuba equipment.
 Reality - Start slowly and only buy the (personal or basic) essentials, such as mask, fins and snorkel. Combined, these can cost less than most tennis rackets. Online scuba stores offer deep discounts to make the sport more appealing to the masses.

* Myth 10 - Scuba diving is not a sport.
 Reality - Scuba diving requires training, specialized equipment, a uniform (wetsuit), concentration, skill, teamwork (your dive “buddy”), knowledge and practice.

Let us know if you have any other “Myths and Reality” you have uncovered.