How Deep Can You Dive Before You Need to Decompress?

How deep can you dive without decompression? In practical terms, you can go non-stop up to 130 feet. While, in theory, you can go further and stay within limits without stopping, the times without stopping are so short that it's practically impossible to overcome the limits.

Most diving agencies, such as PADI or SSI, consider that a decompression stop is mandatory on any dive deeper than 30 meters (100 feet).

If you use a dive computer, it will tell you to make a safety stop on any dive longer than 10 meters (30 feet).When it comes to the question of 'how deep can you dive without decompression', the answer will depend on a variety of factors. In any case, every dive below 30 feet carries the risk of decompression sickness and should be taken seriously.

Even if the surface is visible (which is often the case), divers should always be patient when ascending. This is because nitrogen enters the body even in shallow dives, meaning there is always a risk of decompression sickness. Fortunately, we can break down this information into easily digestible pieces for both divers and diving enthusiasts. The best way to prevent decompression sickness is to invest in a good quality dive computer. Although these are very reliable, it's best practice to have two computers with you in case one fails.

This way, you can stay within the limits of the most conservative one (even identical computers may vary slightly during a dive). The diver switches from one to the other during the ascent or, when using a closed-circuit rebreather, changes the proportions of the gases during the ascent. If you exceed the non-stop time limits set by your dive computer, you will enter a diving terrain with decompression. If this happens, your dive computer will also tell you when and for how long you should perform a decompression stop. Safety stops are considered optional if you only went on a shallow dive that never exceeded 10 meters (30 feet).However, in commercial, technical, scientific and military diving, it is possible to plan dives with necessary decompression.

Therefore, all divers shorter than 20 meters should carry a dive computer with them and follow its instructions carefully during the ascent. To prevent nitrogen narcosis, it's important for all divers to respect the laws of physics while diving. Even if your dive doesn't require decompression stops, that doesn't mean you can be careless in the water.

Tommy Gair
Tommy Gair

Typical tv aficionado. Proud bacon buff. Extreme web enthusiast. Amateur tv enthusiast. Subtly charming social media scholar. Evil internet maven.