How Long?

Maui scuba diving is a wonderful once in a lifetime opportunity. A big question that often comes into play is how long can one dive for? There are many factors to consider when deciding how long you can dive for. You want to make sure that you take Maui scuba diving seriously and that you are taking all necessary precaution. You want to be smart about your decisions while diving so that you can enjoy yourself safely.

Nitrogen absorption is a big factor when it comes to deciding how long you are able to dive for. The deeper you dive the greater the pressure increases. Your scuba tank is 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen. The water pressure causes both of these gases to be absorbed by your body. Since the body does not use nitrogen like it uses oxygen, the nitrogen is stored in the body’s tissues. Your body can only handle so much nitrogen before decompression sickness sets in. You will also notice that the deeper you dive the faster you will burn through your oxygen. For instance, every breath that you take at 66ft deep is roughly three times denser than the same breath on the surface. Air lasts longer in a more shallow dive.

Water temperature is another important factor to consider. Your body will lose heat to the water 20 times faster than it does normally. This will cause your body to become quite cold very quickly. For temperatures greater than 85 greater you can simply use nothing, just a skin suit is fine for diving in these warm temperatures. If the temperature of the water is between 73 and 84 degrees, you will want a suit that is 2mm-3mm thick. For temperatures between 66 and 72 degrees you will need a suit that is 5mm thick. For temperatures between 50 and 65 degrees a 7mm suit is needed. For temperatures less than 50 degrees a dry suit is best.