Maximum depth

[Kagh't]

Something that i've been thinking about over the past few days, but i have yet to find me a satisfactory answer.

Assuming that one has an an adequate gas supply, of the best possible gas (neox/heliox e.t.c) mixture, and assuming that they have a bit of a suicide wish, what would be the maximum possible depth one could descend to before kicking the bucket?

Decompressing afterwards isn't an issue, lets say our diver has just been through a lengthy divorce proceeding and all he has left is the tanks on his back, and a torch with a big battery. He is also physically fit enough to keep breathing to depth, and lets say he is able to overcome any narcotic effects of his breathing mixture enough to keep descending properly. He also has any other specific training and equipment.

Is there a depth where he would completly crush, or where he was no longer able to function due to the pressure?


A tag along question too, to settle an argument, is there a hand signal for being narked?

 

[El Orans]

It will have to be deeper than 311 m.

 

[spectrum]

He probably dosen't need the big battery.

Somewhere in the 200-300 foot range oxygen toxcicty is likely to take him out were it air. But you have a gas mix involved. That will extend the range but not infinitely unless you include a progression of gas blends. What is safe down deep will not sustain the diver on the way down. That's why deep trimix divers have travel gas.

There was a thread about this maybe 5-6 months ago. As I recall human physiology would breakdiwn at about 2000 feet. Something about permeability of cell walls as I recall.

You have ruled out excessive gas density and narcosis. It will be interesting to hear the other replies.

BTW, Don't do it, she's not worth it!

Pete

 

[Kagh't]

BTW, Don't do it, she's not worth it!

Lol, i wasn't intending too, just giving our joe diver some reason to do something monumentally stupid:fruit:

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Dr. Sylvia Earle holds the record for deepest solo dive at 1,250 feet wearing a Newt Suit.

 

[diversteve]

Even slightly deeper than that - 330M now.

http://www.divernet.com/news/stories/130705bernabe.shtml

 

[DeepSeaDan]

...the early 80's, Dr. Peter Bennet et.al. were doing deep saturation experimentation @ their Duke University complex, trying to concoct a breathing mixture to extend the working depth of commercial deep sea divers.

The relative density of Helium at around the 2200' mark was causing severe h.p.n.s. problems in the divers. A variety of mixes were tried ( mostly substituting / adding various inert gases to mitigate the h.p.n.s. problems ), without much success.

To my knowledge, interest such experimentation waned as undersea robotic technology was advancing in leaps n' bounds, thus the need for divers at great depth would soon be usurped by r.o.v.'s.

I've tried to discover if Comex of France has done any deeper experimentation, but have not been able to verify they pushed the envelope beyond what was done at Duke.

I believe the deepest working dive remains a pipeline repair job in the N. Sea
@ 1800'. Gas mixture issues would make it seem like the only other option for advancing humans to greater depths would be in the spectrum of liquid breathing.

Regards,
DeepSeaDan

 

[DeepSeaDan]

Dr. Sylvia Earle holds the record for deepest solo dive at 1,250 feet wearing a Newt Suit.

...doesn't count - that's a one atmosphere armoured diving suit. At the end of the trip, they just pop the lid & out you get. You're breathing 20.9% O2 for the whole ride.

Regards,
D.S.D.

 

[Kagh't]

...the early 80's, Dr. Peter Bennet et.al. were doing deep saturation experimentation @ their Duke University complex, trying to concoct a breathing mixture to extend the working depth of commercial deep sea divers.

The relative density of Helium at around the 2200' mark was causing severe h.p.n.s. problems in the divers. A variety of mixes were tried ( mostly substituting / adding various inert gases to mitigate the h.p.n.s. problems ), without much success.

To my knowledge, interest such experimentation waned as undersea robotic technology was advancing in leaps n' bounds, thus the need for divers at great depth would soon be usurped by r.o.v.'s.

I've tried to discover if Comex of France has done any deeper experimentation, but have not been able to verify they pushed the envelope beyond what was done at Duke.

I believe the deepest working dive remains a pipeline repair job in the N. Sea
@ 1800'. Gas mixture issues would make it seem like the only other option for advancing humans to greater depths would be in the spectrum of liquid breathing.

Regards,
DeepSeaDan

hmm, guess that settles it, we need to find someone willing to do some liquid breathing.

 

[D1V3R]

btw, the signal for being narked is pointing towards your temple, and rotating your finger
(like when you call someone crazy)