There’s no reason not to explore the deep blue when our world is made up of 70% water. There’s so much more down under than what we can imagine, from different species of animals and plants to architectural ruins and possibly hidden treasures.<\/p>\n
And what’s a more terrific way to experience this part of the world than scuba diving?<\/p>\n
Whether you’re a beginner at scuba diving or a curious lurker with a neat interest, it\u2019s typical to wonder how long a scuba diver can stay underwater.<\/p>\n
With a limited amount of air, the time a scuba diver lasts underwater usually depends on their scuba tank<\/a>. A standard diver using a standard tank of 80 cubic feet at a medium depth can last from 40 to 60 minutes.<\/p>\n When you reach this mark in a recreational dive of 40 feet or less, you should already be preparing to ascend to the surface to avoid running out of air.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a more experienced scuba diver may be able to stay longer. This can be because they have further knowledge of what tanks to use and how to manage their air consumption.<\/p>\n However, there are more factors that influence your time underwater. Some of these factors relate to you as a diver, and some of them are equipment-based.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re aiming to go beyond the average amount of time in scuba diving, you first need to understand the factors surrounding the activity.<\/p>\n From proper mindset, scuba gears, and the environment itself, here are the things that can influence the duration of your scuba diving:<\/p>\n It\u2019s a common mistake for beginners to underestimate the need to know the proper ways<\/a> to regulate breathing when scuba diving. Oxygen tanks supply you with air while underwater, but the air consumption is still not the same as it\u2019s on land.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll have to avoid quick and shallow breaths if you don\u2019t want to end your dive too early. A rapid breathing pattern will instantly get you to the safety limit (500 PSI or 50 bar), which will run you out of air.<\/p>\n Instead, breathe in deep and slow patterns. While submerged, you’ll have to conserve as much oxygen as possible in the tank. A steady breathing technique will help you with this, resulting in a longer underwater experience.<\/p>\n The scuba tank is usually the first gear people picture when they hear about the sport of scuba diving. This is because it\u2019s essentially your underwater breather.<\/p>\n The cylinder, typically steel or aluminum, acts as storage that keeps highly pressurized gases. The amount of these gases contributes to how long a scuba diver can stay under the surface<\/a>. The larger the tank, the higher volume of air it carries.<\/p>\n Instead of the common 80-cubic foot size, a diver who aims to go for a deeper dive may choose a larger tank to last longer underwater.<\/p>\n At times, you may notice how there are technical divers that carry two tanks behind them. These two cylinders have individual regulators each so that if one tank malfunctions, a diver can easily access the other, resulting in more air to breathe and a faster reaction time while in the deep.<\/p>\n Besides the tanks, using the right scuba equipment can determine how long divers can stay underwater. For example, some gears can help you compensate for positive buoyancy and may enhance your control of maintaining neutral upthrust when diving.<\/p>\n There is also an apparatus that can regulate the scuba tank to turn the pressurized gas into breathable air. Meanwhile, having a gauge will tell you how much air you have left in your tank.<\/p>\n The more specialized gear you use, the longer you\u2019ll be able to your stay underwater.<\/p>\n A no-decompression limit (NDL) pertains to the maximum amount of time a scuba diver can spend at a particular depth.<\/p>\n As you dive deeper, your NDL will become shorter. Once you’ve reached your no-decompression limit, you need to ascend and make safety stops to finalize your dive.<\/p>\n It’s advisable not to exceed your NDL if you have no specialized decompression training. This is so you can avoid the risk of decompression sickness<\/a>. However, if you\u2019ve exceeded, you’ll need to perform decompression pauses while ascending to gradually release the absorbed nitrogen as you end your dive.<\/p>\n Your NDL varies on how deep you dive and how frequent your air consumption is. A dive computer<\/a> is an excellent gear to have if you want to calculate your NDL. It can also assist you in tracking when and how long you should be doing your decompression stops while ascending.<\/p>\n The depth of the dive can affect the length of the scuba diver’s stay underwater. This is because as you dive deeper, the water pressure will influence the air that leaves the tank. This is why you’ll have to use more air at the bottom than when you’re on shallower parts of the dive.<\/p>\n Diving deeper will make your body absorb nitrogen quickly. This will cause your no-decompression limit to become shorter, leading to less time spent underwater.<\/p>\n The continuous change in water temperature can shorten the underwater time. Although the appropriate exposure suits should be able to block the temperature changes, the fact remains that our bodies aren’t designed to stay underwater for a long time.<\/p>\nFactors that Can Influence How Long A Scuba Diver Stay Underwater<\/h2>\n
1.\u00a0\u00a0 Breathing Frequency<\/h3>\n
2.\u00a0\u00a0 Tank Efficiency<\/h3>\n
3.\u00a0\u00a0 Scuba Equipment<\/h3>\n
4.\u00a0\u00a0 No-Decompression Limit<\/h3>\n
5.\u00a0\u00a0 Diving Distance<\/h3>\n
6.\u00a0\u00a0 Water Temperature<\/h3>\n