• Adventure
  • Auto
  • Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Home & Garden
  • Money
  • Science
  • Tech
  • Video
  • Shows
  • Blogs
  • Quizzes
  • Games
  • Random Article
  • Outdoor Activities
  • Survival
  • Destinations
  • Home / 
  • Adventure / 
  • Outdoor Activities / 
  • Water Sports

MORE STUFF LIKE THIS:

Stuff to Blow Your Kid's Mind
Stuff to Blow Your Kid's Mind
Upload your best pics to win a free Apple iPad!
Upload your best pics to win a free Apple iPad!
The Worst Time Travel Movie Ever
The Worst Time Travel Movie Ever
10 Most Dangerous Places You Should Definitely Visit
10 Most Dangerous Places You Should Definitely Visit
  • Page
  • 1
    What causes 'the bends'?
  • 2
    Decompression Sickness
  • 3
    Lots More Information

    • Lots More Information

    Related HowStuffWorks Ar­ticles

    • How SCUBA Works
    • How Your Lungs Work
    • How Shark Attacks Work
    • How Cave Diving Works
    • Is it harmful to breathe 100-percent oxygen?
    • How does a rebreather work?
    • Why do my ears pop when I dive in the deep end of the pool?

    ­

    More Great Links

    • Scuba Diving Explained: Decompression Sickness
    Print
    Cite This!
    Close 
    Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks article:

    "What causes \u0027the bends\u0027?"  01 April 2000.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/water-sports/question101.htm>  22 May 2012.
    Cite
    Feedback
  • Page
  • 1
    What causes 'the bends'?
  • 2
    Decompression Sickness
  • 3
    Lots More Information

    • More Great Links

    5 Scams Foolish Tourists Always Fall For
    5 Scams Foolish Tourists Always Fall For
    Quiz: The World's Most Stunning Sites
    Quiz: The World's Most Stunning Sites
    The Ultimate Coolest Stuff on the Planet Fan Quiz
    The Ultimate Coolest Stuff on the Planet Fan Quiz
    The Ultimate Survival Skills Quiz
    The Ultimate Survival Skills Quiz
    5 Mysterious Monuments from Around the World
    5 Mysterious Monuments from Around the World
    Check out videos on survival tips >>

    You Might Also Like

    How do dirt, dust and debris affect trucks?

    As you could probably guess, there's lots of dirt, dust and debris on a ranch. How do ranchers keep their trucks in good working order under such dirty and dusty conditions?

    Top 5 Surf Spots

    Surfers like to keep their hotspots quiet, so the tourists don't motor in and ruin the whole scene. Keep these five between you and your elite group of surfing buddies.

    Popular Articles

    • The Ultimate Salmon Fishing Quiz
    • How the Chicago Marathon Works
    • Top 4 Catfishing Techniques
    • Most Watched
    • Most Read

    • Most Watched

      • Stuff to Blow Your Kid's Mind
      • Coolest Stuff on the Planet
      • Shark Attacks
      • How to Survive
      • Man vs. Wild

    • Most Read

      • Upload your best pics to win an Apple iPad!
      • 10 Incredible Holes
      • How to Start a Fire Without a Match
      • 10 Most Breathtaking Views in the World
      • Quiz: The World's Most Stunning Sites

    Don't Miss

    The Worst Time Travel Movie Ever
    The Worst Time Travel Movie Ever
    The most mind-blowing pic wins an iPad!
    The most mind-blowing pic wins an iPad!
    Stuff They Don't Want You to Know
    Stuff They Don't Want You to Know

    CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS

    STUFF NATION NEWSLETTER THE HOW BEHIND TODAY'S NEWS
    HOWSTUFFWORKS
    • Adventure
    • Auto
    • Culture
    • Entertainment
    • Health
    • Home & Garden
    • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Science
    • Tech
    MORE STUFF
    • Blogs
    • Games
    • HSW Tools
    • RSS
    • Maps
    • Podcasts
    • Quizzes
    • Newsletters
    • Video
    OUR WEBSITES
    • Animal Planet
    • Consumer Guide Auto
    • Consumer Guide Products
    • Discovery Channel
    • Discovery Fit & Health
    • HSW Brazil
    • HSW China HowStuffWorks China
    • Investigation Discovery
    • Oprah Winfrey Network
    • Planet Green
    • Science Channel
    • TLC
    • Discovery Education
    • Store
    CUSTOMER SERVICE
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Help
    CORPORATE
    • About Us
    • Careers @ Discovery
    • Privacy Policy
    • Visitor Agreement
    TAKE US WITH YOU
    FOLLOW US
    © 1998-2012 HowStuffWorks, Inc