What Is a No-Decompression Limit?

Nitrogen. Underwater, a diver's body absorbs compressed nitrogen from his breathing gas. (Gasses compress underwater according to Boyle's Law). This compressed nitrogen is trapped in his tissues. As the diver ascends, this trapped nitrogen slowly expands (or de-compresses). The diver's body must eliminate the nitrogen before it expands to the point that it forms bubbles and causes decompression sickness.

If a diver absorbs too much nitrogen, he can not make a normal ascent because his body will not be able to eliminate the expanding nitrogen quickly enough to prevent decompression sickness. Instead, the diver must pause periodically during his ascent (make decompression stops) to allow his body time to eliminate the excess of nitrogen. A no-decompression limit is the maximum time that a diver can spend underwater and still ascend directly to the surface without the need for decompression stops.

The amount of nitrogen in a diver's body (and therefore his no-decompression limit) depends upon several factors:

1. Time: The longer a diver stays underwater, the more compressed nitrogen gas he absorbs.

2. Depth: The deeper the dive, the more rapidly a diver will absorb nitrogen and the shorter his no-decompression limit will be.

3. Breathing Gas Mixture: Air has a higher percentage of nitrogen than many other breathing gas mixtures, such as enriched air nitrox. A diver who uses a breathing gas with a low percentage of nitrogen will absorb less nitrogen per a minute than a diver using air. This allows him to stay underwater longer before reaching his no-decompression limit.

4. Previous Dives: Nitrogen remains in a diver's body after surfacing from a dive. The no-decompression limit for a repetitive dive (a second, third, or fourth dive within last 6 hours) will be shorter because he still has nitrogen in his body from the previous dives.

_{Read more about related concepts:}

• Nitrogen Absorption and Scuba Diving
• Pressure, Depth, and Scuba Diving
• Emergency Decompression Guidelines for Scuba Diving

Observing the no-decompression limit for a dive only reduces the chances of decompression sickness. No-decompression limits are based on experimental data and on mathematical algorithms. Are you a mathematical algorithm? No. These limits can only estimate how much nitrogen an average diver will absorb during a dive; every diver's body is different. Never dive right up to a no-decompression limit.

A diver should reduce his maximum dive time if he is exhausted, sick, stressed or dehydrated. He should also shorten his maximum dive time if he has dived many days in a row, is diving in cold water or will be physically exerting himself underwater. These factors may increase nitrogen absorption or decrease the body's ability to eliminate nitrogen elimination on ascent.

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