Caissons, Compressed-Air Work and Deep Tunneling

Do you know how underground tunnels are made? The working spaces, or caissons, are pressurized with compress air. But in the 19th century, many laborers had an unexplained illness after returning to atmospheric pressure.

An old photo of workers building tunnels and bridges

Breathing Gases

Some divers like closed-circuit rebreathers for their ability to provide breathing gas at a set partial pressure of oxygen throughout dives.

Two green monitors read breathing gas

Saturation Diving

What is saturation diving? When the diver breathes in inert gas, it dissolves into the body’s tissues and reaches equilibrium with the ambient pressure at the diver’s depth.

A diving bell can be locked out from a saturation chamber and lowered to the seafloor. A moon pool on the underside allows divers to exit and enter the diving bell.

Silence Beneath a White Ceiling

Researchers test to see how rebreathers function in arctic environments. Read how a team of researchers aimed to explore this little-known subject.

A diver waits under an ice hole as a seal uses the hole first

Night Diving

Diving at night provides an exciting new dimension in underwater exploration. As the light fades and darkness spreads through the water, marine life exhibits different behaviors, and the underwater world takes on a new and ethereal quality.

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Always Ready

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the U.S. Coast Guard Diving Program. With its rigorous testing, do you have what it takes to make the cut?

A U.S. Coast Guard Diver jumps off a dock and into the water

Empowering a Spectacle

What does it take to be a safety diver for Cirque du Soleil? With a 1.5-million-gallon, 25-foot-deep pool, these safety divers have to be ready for anything.

A group of performers in colorful costumes pose as a group next to water

The Logistics of Exploration

Get a deeper understanding of exploratory diving — a sometimes controversial topic. One team of divers schemed a plan to dive and explore a deep wreck. Read more about the process.

Dive team explores propeller

Diving Out of Bounds

Expedition diving varies, but ultimately, they are complex adventures that require months of preparations and a team of dedicated individuals. Learn more about expedition diving.

Expedition diver gets hosted out of water and back aboard the boat vessel

Without Bubbles

Rebreathers do create an added complexity to a dive, but they can be incredibly useful. Learn more about how rebreathers work, benefits and challenges to their use and practical applications.

A rebreather diver, holding a camera, tries to take a photo of a nearby shark