The maximum depth that a human being can dive into the ocean without the aid of underwater vehicles is limited by hydrostatic pressure.
That is, the pressure exerted by the water column above the diver. That pressure builds as you go deeper into the ocean, and it can have significant effects on the human body.
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Hydrostatic pressure increases by about one atmosphere for every 10 meters of depth. One atmosphere equals sea level pressure at sea level, approximately 1 bar or 14.7 pounds per square inch (psi).
What are the risks of diving “too deep”?
As pressure increases, physical and physiological changes occur in the human body. One of the main concerns is nitrogen narcosis, also known as “drunkenness of the deep”.
Nitrogen narcosis is an effect of the high partial pressure of nitrogen present in gases breathed at greater depths. It can cause confusion, disorientation and a decrease in the ability to make correct decisions, posing a risk to the diver's safety.
In addition, another concern is decompression sickness, which occurs when the diver quickly returns to the surface without taking adequate decompression stops.
Decompression sickness results from the formation of nitrogen bubbles in body tissues due to the rapid decrease in pressure. These blisters can cause pain, damage to tissues, organs and even life-threatening.
What is the suggested maximum depth?
Due to these risks, the recommended maximum depth for recreational diving without the aid of underwater vehicles is approximately 40 meters.
This “height” is considered the maximum safe limit for trained and certified recreational divers. This is provided that proper decompression and safety procedures are followed.
However, it is important to highlight that there are specialized divers, such as technical divers and saturation divers. They have advanced training and special equipment that allow them to reach depths much bigger.
What is the maximum depth a person has ever reached?
The maximum depth reached by a human being without the aid of underwater vehicles was approximately 332.35 meters. That record belongs to diver Ahmed Gabr, an ex-Egyptian military and technical diver. He set the mark in September 2014 in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt.
On the dive, Gabr used a special mix of gases and technical diving equipment to withstand the high pressures found at extreme depths.
Finally, regarding his health, he followed a rigorous decompression plan during the ascent to avoid decompression sickness.