Can You Dive 50 Meters?

If you are new to scuba diving you may be wondering if you can dive to 50 metres (164 feet). For most recreational divers, a depth of 50 meters (about 164 feet) is considered a very deep dive, which requires proper training and equipment to dive this deep.

It is possible for a person to dive to a depth of 50 meters (164 feet) with the appropriate training, equipment, and safety measures in place. Diving to this depth is considered a deep dive and typically requires advanced diving certification and experience.

Having dived to 50 plus metres myself on a number of occasions, I know it can be done safely, but here are some key considerations for diving to 50 meters:

• Training: Specialty training beyond open water certification is highly recommended for recreational dives beyond 18-40 meters. Technical dive training, deep dive certifications, and experience with deep wrecks or caves helps prepare you for the greater challenges that deep diving presents.
• Equipment: Most standard recreational scuba gear is adequate beyond about 40 meters, but you will need additional scuba diving equipment to stay safe. Technical diving equipment or equipment you will need in addition to the scuba equipment you already have includes multiple dive tanks or a rebreather, bottom gas with lower oxygen content, decompression tanks, redundant regulators, delayed surface marker buoy, secondary depth gauges and a drysuit if you are diving in cold waters.
• Safety: Have a plan is key when doing any dive, but the deeper the dive the more important the planning becomes. Also, diving with a buddy is recommended for all recreational diving, but a dive buddy at depth is even more important for safety reasons. Allow ample time for safety stops on your ascent and enough air for the time it takes to ascend from a depth of 50 metres. Carry extra gas supplies for emergencies, as air consumption increases with depth. Know your emergency procedures for problems at depth and don’t take the risks for granted.
• Physiology: Effects like nitrogen narcosis, oxygen toxicity, the risk of decompression sickness, and High Pressure Nervous Syndrome (HPNS) become greater risks. Breathing gas at depth is higher which means you need to take this into account when planning your dive, and as the important saying goes “Plan The Dive and Dive the Plan“. Exertion harder. at depth and will result in the consumption of more air, so take things slowly on a deep dive to a depth of 50 metres (164 feet), which is why careful gas planning is important. You are also advised to acclimatise yourself to deeper dives by doing a few dives to around 30-40 metres 99-131 feet) leading up to a dive to 50 metres, which will help manage the effects of a deep dive.
• Conditions: Visibility may decrease sharply beyond 30 meters (99 feet), so prepare yourself for a low visibility dive and make sure you take a dive torch with you, along with a backup torch. Temperatures can drop rapidly at depth, which is why I recommend you add a drysuit to your equipment for a dive to 50 metres. Currents may strengthen during the dive, which can make a very deep dive dangerous, so make sure you understand the tides and currents in the area, which should be part of your dive plan. Therefore, you should plan for poor conditions on deep dives.
• Be prepared: Things can begin to go wrong very quickly at depth, your air will be used much more quickly when you dive to 50 metres, and you don’t have much time before your dive turns into a no-stop decompression dive. Once you pass the no-decompression-stop ascent threshold, the amount of decompression and stop times increase rapidly, so be vigilant and check your dive computer often. Also, keep a regular check of your air supply too, as this will be used much more quickly.

With the right training, scuba gear, planning and buddy support, an experienced technical diver in good health can safely dive to 50 meters.

Other thoughts about a dive to 50 metres:

Here are some other important considerations for planning and conducting a dive to 50 meters (164 feet):

• Gas consumption: Air consumption is greatly increased at 50 metres compared to shallower depths, so plan ample gas supplies. Use larger tanks, twin tanks or a rebreather, have backup/decompression tanks ready, and monitor consumption. Plan your air supply to last for your descent, for bottom time and your ascent to include decompression stops.
• No-decompression limits: At 50 metres, no-stop decompression time is only a few minutes compared to hours at shallow depths. Follow dive tables and computers closely to avoid decompression sickness.
• Emergency procedures: Review responses for situations like mask flooding, regulator failure, dropped weight belt, etc. Practice skills at depth in advance. Have cutting tools and a delayed surface marker buoy.
• Entanglement hazards: Bring cutting tools and use caution around wrecks, kelp, fishing lines etc. which can trap you at depth. Scooters may help navigate complex sites and help conserve energy to reduce air consumption.
• Light requirements: Carry dive torches, including a backup and prepare for low light affects and poor visibility.
• First aid supplies: Have a supply of oxygen on the dive boat, decompression sickness medications, Automated External Defibrillator (AED) available on site for emergency treatment just in case. You should also have an evacuation plan in place too.
• Surface support: Use a tether line, especially if you penetrate a wreck or when currents are present Have a surface support team for additional monitoring and assistance. Rescue divers should be ready.
• Physical conditioning: Fitness is important for deep dives to 50 metres and previous deep dive experience builds your body’s physical preparation. Build up gradually to this depth.

Proper deep dive training, planning, gear, and support is critical to manage the greater risks inherent at 50 meters. Conservative gas management, contingency preparation, caution and teamwork help maximise safety.

It’s important to conclude that a dive to 50 metres is considered an advanced dive that requires thorough preparation. If you are already a recreational diver, it’s advisable to gradually work up to a dive depth of 50 metres, through specialty training and incremental experience.

I hope you enjoyed this article about can you dive 50 meters?

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