From ancient times, mankind has always been fascinated with what the underwater world has to offer. Covering 70% of the Earth’s surface, the ocean is the biggest ecosystem on the planet and plays a critical role in supporting life on Earth. Many explorers tried to pin down its vastness, yet it remains almost incomprehensible. In 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan tried to measure the depth of the Pacific Ocean by dropping a cannonball attached to a 732-meter rope. When the entire rope was gone, and the cannonball had still not touched bottom, Magellan decided that the ocean was “immeasurably deep”. Today, we know a bit more than Magellan did, thanks to the improvements in technology and the numerous divers who went deeper and deeper over time.
People have been diving for over two millennia: early divers simply held their breath, then they started using rudimental tools (ever heard of glass diving bells?) to be able to breathe underwater until the Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus was conceived by Emile Gagnan and Jacques Cousteau in 1943. From that moment, the significance of scuba diving increased considerably in a few aspects, including scientific research, recreation, and military activities.
A Closer Look At Technical Diving And It’s History
Technical diving, also referred to as tec diving or tech diving, represents an advanced form of scuba diving that surpasses the boundaries set for recreational diving. It involves using alternative breathing gases instead of air or standard nitrox mixtures and requires divers to manage multiple gas sources. This form of diving was notably developed for non-professional purposes but necessitates a higher level of skill and preparation due to increased risks.
Originating in the early 1990s and popularized by Michael Menduno, technical diving evolved from the practices established by the U.S. Navy in the 1930s. During this period, the Navy developed mixed gas diving protocols to enable rescues from downed submarines, notably employing helium-based mixtures. By the mid-1980s to late-1990s, technical diving had advanced significantly, integrating technologies like rebreathers and helium mixes to extend the possibilities of underwater exploration.
This field has seen substantial historical milestones. For instance, technical divers often engage in extended range dives that can reach depths significantly beyond the typical recreational limit of 40 meters. Using enriched air nitrox, divers can stay underwater longer by reducing nitrogen absorption, thus extending their bottom time and reducing decompression needs.
The equipment required for technical diving is specialized and includes items such as twin cylinders, closed-circuit rebreathers, and sophisticated dive computers that manage multiple gas mixtures. These tools are crucial for managing the complex dive plans and safety protocols associated with deeper and longer dives.
Technical diving has opened new possibilities for underwater exploration. Divers have accessed wreck sites located at depths of over 100 meters, such as the RMS Lusitania, which lies at approximately 93 meters deep off the coast of Ireland. Similarly, technical diving has allowed for the exploration of deeper cave systems previously unreachable with conventional scuba gear.
Advancements in this field have not only contributed to archaeological and environmental research but also pushed the limits of human endurance and technological capability underwater. Each dive is meticulously planned, often with simulations conducted to predict and manage potential risks.
Technical diving is a discipline marked by its rigorous demands and the high level of expertise required. It represents not just a physical challenge but also a significant mental endeavor, as divers must understand complex procedures and handle sophisticated equipment to safely explore the underwater world. Through this discipline, divers achieve remarkable feats, contributing valuable insights into marine environments and human capabilities.
Technological Advances in Deep Diving
As seen earlier, the invention of SCUBA marked a great step in diving technological advancements. Ever since, new improvements have been made, such as Rebreathers, which allow divers to dive at greater depths circulating the gas around the diver and allowing them to re-breath it instead of exhaling it. Rebreathers offer longer, deeper, and quieter dives.
Atmospheric diving suits, also called ADS, are one-person submersibles primarily used for scientific research, that can dive up to 700 meters maintaining the inner pressure to one bar for several hours without risks of decompression sickness or the need for special gas blends.
We can go deeper with submarines and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) : NATO owns the deepest diving operational submarine which is tested for 830 meters, while the C-Researcher 2, the deepest-diving private submarine on the market, can reach 3000 meters depth. 3800 meters is the infamous depth of the Titanic’s remains, and the memories of the implosion of TITAN on June 18th, 2023, due to the failure of the pressure hull are still fresh in our memories. 10928 meters is now the deepest dive ever made, a record held by Victor Vescovo who piloted the DSV Limiting Factor in April 2019 to the bottom of the “Challenger Deep” in the Mariana Trench.
Historical Perspective
The introduction of all these technologies inspired many divers to explore the depths of the oceans. Pioneers in deep diving have been many and while we have lost some of them – fatalities are unavoidable in this field – we were able to improve constantly.
Notable names include Jim Bowden and Sheck Exley, Nuno Gomez, Pascal Bernabe, and the current record-holder Ahmed Gabr who reached a depth of 332 meters in 2014 in Dahab, Egypt.
Dr. Sylvia Earle set the women’s depth record of 381 meters in 1979 in an ADS, while Karen Van Den Oever reached 246 meters using trimix.
James Cameron, the first man to make a solo dive into Challenger Deep aboard a submersible, descended to 10908 meters deep in 2012, a true breakthrough in modern science.
The Limits of Human Diving
When Nitsch attained the current 253.2 meters World Record in 2012 for freediving, and when Gabr attained the 332.35 meters for scuba diving, they entered the Olympus of Deep Diving, raising the bar for future competitors. However, despite incidents and challenges, mankind is not yet ready to stop there. Projects are actively being carried out to test our abilities to live underwater for a longer time or to identify causes and solutions.
Deep diving is challenged from a physiological and technological point of view, and it is extremely subject to possible errors or malfunctions. The industry is under constant redevelopment to minimize such chances and make it safer and more productive.
The Future of Deep Diving
Emerging technologies are making it possible for divers to reach new depths. The advancements made in the past decades are incredible and pushed the entire dive world fast forward. From new suits with built-in heating systems to lightweight carbon fiber tanks, passing through the creation and testing of new gas blends, the deep diving industry is blooming.
These innovations will allow us, in the long run, to fight ocean pollution, one of the main threats to our planet’s balance, to study oceanography and the impact of the sea on modern society, and to deepen our knowledge of our relationship with the ocean and find its implications in healthcare, transportation, recreation, and economy. All thanks to deep diving!
