Decompression sickness practices in lobster diving among the indigenous Miskito people, who face great economic pressures. At that time it was estimated that in the country over 2000 divers had been injured and 300 others had died since the 1970s. In the United States, it is common for medical insurance not to cover treatment for the bends that is the result of recreational diving. This is because scuba diving is considered an elective and "high-risk" activity and treatment for decompression sickness is expensive. A typical stay in a recompression chamber will easily cost several thousand dollars, even before emergency transportation is included.
Decompression practice scientific divers may all be expected to do decompression dives in the normal course of their sport or occupation, and are specifically trained in appropriate procedures and equipment relevant to their level of certification. A significant part of practical and theoretical training for these divers is on the practice of safe and effective decompression procedures and the selection and use of the appropriate equipment. Decompression practice The practice of decompression by divers comprises the planning and monitoring of the profile indicated by the algorithms or tables of the chosen decompression model, to allow asymptomatic and harmless release of excess inert