In isolated locations without the industry or population required to support medical facilities equipped to deal with dive related emergencies, in-water recompression (IWR) becomes an attractive prospect for dealing with decompression sickness, and a hotly debated issue.
Stingrays are frequently considered dangerous or threatening but largely without cause. These are shy fish that generally present no threat to divers unless stepped on or deliberately antagonized. Most stingray injuries occur in shallow water when beachgoers step on the animals. Stingrays can vary in size from just a few inches to more than six feet wide and have a serrated barb at the end of their tails that can cause serious injuries. At the base of the barb are two venomous glands that can cause infections and exacerbate an initial penetrating wound.
