SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Practice Exam 2025 - Free Scuba Diver Practice Questions and Study Guide

Avoiding exceeding your no-decompression limits is the most effective way to minimize the risk of decompression sickness during a dive. No-decompression limits are established to provide guidelines for how long a diver can remain at a specific depth without needing mandatory decompression stops during ascent. When divers exceed these limits, they increase the likelihood of nitrogen bubbles forming in the bloodstream, which can lead to decompression sickness.

Understanding these limits and adhering to them gives divers the best chance of ascending safely and efficiently, thus reducing the risk of the condition that can result from excess nitrogen. While other measures, such as ensuring adequate hydration and diving to shallow depths, may contribute to overall safety and well-being, they do not specifically address the critical aspects of managing depth and time underwater, which are fundamental to avoiding decompression sickness. Using a heavier weight belt does not relate to minimizing decompression risk and could instead affect buoyancy control.