How deep can a person go in the ocean with a scuba tank?

Answer 1

Scuba Cat Technical Instructor Trainer Mark Ellyatt has set a new world record of 313 meters for the deepest scuba dive, beating the previous record by five meters. Describing his historic dive in waters four hours off Patong, Mark said, "It's a lonely trip, like a trip to the Moon.”

Descent of 12 minutes
The descent into the depths took a mere 12 minutes and Mark spent just 60 seconds there, collecting a marker to verify his record-breaking depth. But the ascent took six hours and 40 minutes. He dove with six tanks to begin with and had another 24 brought down to him by support divers who met him at various depths on his way back up.

Success lies in coming back up safely
Mark Ellyatt said, the success lay not just in reaching the record depth but in coming back up safely. "Other dives like this that have been attempted ended with massive injuries to the diver,” he explained. In February this year Mark himself needing emergency decompression treatment after a deep dive. He spent more than three months recovering. He said that he himself had devised the decompression tables needed to ascend safely from great depth, and had made sure that they were reliable before attempting the real thing.

Preparation took ten years
When asked how long he had been preparing for this deep dive Mr Ellyatt said with a laugh, "About 10 years.” He said that his main motive, however, was not to break the world record, but to improve safety standards. "I wanted to find a method for safely ascending because there didn't seem to be one. Lots of companies sell computer software that plots a solution for returning to the surface, but none of it seems to work,” he said.