What factor increases the risk of decompression sickness during a dive?

Raising too quickly during a dive significantly increases the risk of decompression sickness because it does not allow the body enough time to safely eliminate nitrogen absorbed during the dive. When divers descend, their bodies absorb nitrogen from the compressed air in their tanks, and this nitrogen forms bubbles in the tissues and bloodstream if a diver ascends too rapidly. These bubbles can lead to symptoms of decompression sickness, which range from joint pain to more serious neurological and circulatory problems.

Controlled ascent rates are crucial for allowing nitrogen to be expelled from the body gradually and safely, often following specific guidelines that recommend ascent rates of no more than 30 feet per minute in recreational diving. Other factors, such as depth or the use of a dive computer, are related to dive safety but do not directly heighten the immediate risk of developing decompression sickness in the same way that rapid ascent does.