Deep, clear, peaceful, unexplored!
Diving deeper is often a strong temptation when in the water with scuba. As underwater explorers, divers have a natural curiosity about what lies in the depths beyond their reach, and as adventurous sportspeople, divers sometimes like to challenge their limits. But the practical limit of 40 meters for recreational scuba diving doesn’t seem fair. The oceans are kilometers deep, why should we be restricted to barely scratching the surface?
To some people 40meters doesn’t sound like a great distance – sprinters can run 100m in 10 seconds, an olympic sized swimming pool is 50 meters long, and champions can swim that distance in little over 20 seconds, but it’s all about context. We’re well adapted for travelling great distances horizontally, and we can climb mountains thousands of meters tall with relative ease, but get into the water and descend 40 meters and we’re getting close to the limits of safe and fun scuba diving. No-decompression limits become short, the risk of nitrogen narcosis is higher, it’s darker, colder and a long way from the surface if there is a problem. Take a look at the illustration; the red line is (approx) 40 meters when compared to the dive centre
So what’s the big deal?
Well, … water is heavy, in fact it is 800 times more dense than air, so as you explore at 40 metres depth, the surrounding pressure will be 5 times greater than at the surface!
So why go there?
With the correct training, equipment and safe diving practices you will be amongst the few people on earth to witness these beautiful, deeper sites. As your torch illuminates the overhangs and crevices you are filled with the sense that you may be the first human to observe that particular place!
So where can I go to get this training and experiences?