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Each year near 900,000 sport divers are trained worldwide, in earlier times, medical problems associated to SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) diving were handled by military physicians; nevertheless, there are more people practicing recreational diving. Nearly 50% of the medical conditions associated to SCUBA diving fall into the specialty of otolaryngology, 90% of them belong to the ear. The medical conditions a SCUBA diver can present occurs during descent, ascent, or associated to the depth or gas mixture. With this said, the otolaryngologist must be familiarized with the problems and dangers inherent to SCUBA diving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]