How long can I stay underwater while scuba diving?

Question

How long can I stay underwater while scuba diving?

Answer 1

How long a scuba diver can remain under water is a question that is almost impossible to answer.  There are several factors involved, the first of which is how much air is the diver carrying in their tanks.  Without question the diver needs to be finished with their dive and out of the water prior to emptying the air from their tanks.

Based on the physics involved, the deeper a diver descends the more air they consume with each breath they take.  This factor gives the diver less "bottom time" or time they can remain underwater on a deeper dive than on a shallow dive.

Another limiting factor is nitrogen.  The air a diver breaths is compromised of Oxygen and Nitrogen.  In short, the body uses the oxygen but the nitrogen stays in the diver's bloodstream and gradually dissipates from their system over time.  The longer a diver stays underwater, the more nitrogen their system absorbs.  Science has shown us that there is a finite amount of nitrogen a diver can safely have in their system.  They have tables or dive computers that let them know when they are reaching these levels.  When they are approaching their limits the diver knows he or she needs to ascend and finish their dives until such time as the nitrogen has dissipated from their systems.

Any or all of these factors come into play each and every time the diver enters the water and is constantly kept in mind as they plan and enjoy their dive.

Answer 2

How much air ya got?

Don't worry though because if you run out of air you will eventually come up. Bloated but you will be up butt first.

Answer 3

depends on how deep you go.

Answer 4

until your air tanks run out!  You might want to take a class to learn what you are doing.