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How Deep is Too Deep to Dive?

How Deep is Too Deep to Dive?

Written by Leisure Pro Staff
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Published on May 15, 2015

Deep diving is filled with potential dangers. It requires extensive knowledge, experience, and discipline, plus the appropriate equipment and preparation. There are three realities that must be taken into consideration when deep diving: an increased likelihood problems will happen; if a problem does occur the consequences are more serious; and the long-term and short-term physiological effects are still mostly unknown.

One of the most common problems is a diver going unconscious while deep diving. There are many reported accidents and deaths that begin with this. A number of conditions can cause a diver to lose consciousness underwater, all of which are exacerbated by depth. Blacking out underwater may not be due to a single cause, but may result from a combination of physiological or physical factors. Such conditions include high blood carbon dioxide levels, oxygen toxicities, nitrogen narcosis and decompression illness.

Knowing that things can go wrong, it’s really up to the individual what is “too deep.” Sure, there are dangers to deep diving, but it’s also an incredible experience and a way that some people make their living.

So when you’re deciding how deep you want to go, consider these six major components.

  • Your diving experience: How many dives have you made since your open water certification? Beginning divers are advised to stay above 60 feet.
  • Your deepest previous dive: How deep have you already been, how often have you been deep, and how recently? It’s best to increase your depths gradually.
  • Your equipment: You need to be properly equipped with equipment in good condition.
  • Your buddy’s equipment AND experience: The least-experienced buddy should determine the limits of the dive.
  • Surface support
  • The conditions of the dive: Consider the stress component of the dive. Diving in 100 ft of warm Caribbean water is going to be very different from seventy feet in cold, rushing water. Cold, current, low visibility, surge, equipment load, anxiety, and fatigue are important facts to consider.
  • Your motivation: Ask yourself why you are considering this dive at all. “Because everybody else is doing it and I don’t want to look like a wimp” is not a good reason!
Leisure Pro Staff

Leisure Pro Staff

Marketing Director for LeisurePro