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Those early divers were crazy! Although to be fair, I also think current divers are crazy.
In 1935 getting killed of inured on a job was considered 'normal.' If nothing else, the state of medicine was such that a badly broken leg would require amputation, and people regularly died from simple infections. Safety regulations were considered radical anti-capital. Of course people were lining up for a good paying gig.
Just imagine what must have been running through the head of the first guy to see the bottom of the ocean
"This isn't where I parked my car."
"Yes, I WANT you to pack me into a sardine can and drop me into the deepest depths of the ocean, where a single mistake will unambiguously kill me."
"This man is wholly sane, he's cleared to dive."
depth divers or saturation divers maybe - recreational diving in open water is fun and the risks are quite moderate / controllable. However the impact of a medical incident is amplified - many recreational diving accidents are caused by a diver having a medical issue.
Just speaking for current divers (as I’m too young to have experience with the old divers):
Yes, there are crazy ones. But diving itself is quite safe. As long as you follow the rules. Even diving deep hast safety layers. As long as you follow the rules (!!!).
The most important rules: plan your dive, equip yourself according the plan and the most important rule: follow your plan and don’t change it mid-dive.