THE MAN WHO DIVED 900M IN 1930

In 1930, a remarkable episode marked the history of deep-sea diving. At the time, the technology was rudimentary, the equipment basic and the risks immense. The case of a diver who descended to an impressive depth of 900 meters, without any kind of communication, encapsulates the fearless and adventurous spirit of those who dared to explore the unknown.

The 1930s were still a pioneering era for deep diving. Most of the diving equipment available at that time consisted of heavy rubber suits with metal helmets, connected to the surface by air hoses, operated by hand pumps. There were no communication technologies that we know today, such as underwater radios or sonar monitoring systems. The diver was completely isolated from the surface, relying on simple signals, such as tugs on the rope, to transmit rudimentary information.

On that particular day, a diver was preparing to make a historic descent. The mission was to study the ocean floor and understand more about deep ecosystems. It was a time of discovery, when scientists and explorers were beginning to unravel the mysteries of the oceans. However, the depth of 900 meters posed a challenge that, until then, few had dared to face. The risk of collapsed lungs, the adverse effects of the pressure on the body and the complete darkness made the journey almost suicidal.

Equipped with a primitive diving suit, he was slowly lowered into the sea. The team on the surface looked closely at the cable holding him, knowing that any abrupt movement could be a sign that something was wrong. As he descended, the water pressure increased exponentially. At 900 meters, the pressure is about 90 times higher than at sea level. Without adequate protection, the human body would be crushed instantly. However, thanks to the specialized diving suit, the diver was at least partially protected against these effects.

Time passed, and the team on the surface began to get restless. Without direct communication with the diver, there was no way of knowing if he was okay, if he had completed his mission or if something terrible had happened. The only indication of his situation came from the safety cable that held him. With each passing minute, the tension grew. The darkness of the ocean depths made it impossible to see anything below a few meters, and the absolute silence added to the atmosphere of uncertainty.

Back then, divers didn't have the luxury of efficient decompression systems like we have today. A rapid ascent could result in a deadly phenomenon known as “decompression sickness” or “divers' disease”, where gas bubbles form in the body due to the rapid reduction in pressure, causing intense pain, paralysis or even death. The descent and ascent had to be meticulously controlled, which made the wait even more agonizing for those on the surface.

Minutes turned into hours, and the crew began to lose hope. There was no way of knowing if the diver was alive, if he had completed his task or if it was too late. The worst-case scenario was beginning to take hold of everyone's mind. However, after a long period of uncertainty, a gentle movement on the cable indicated that the diver was still there.

Slowly, he began to be pulled back to the surface. The tension was palpable; at any moment, the cable could break, or the diver could have succumbed to the challenges of the deep. When he finally emerged from the water, the relief was immediate. Despite the complete absence of communication throughout the dive, he had survived.

This extraordinary feat marked an important point in the history of diving. The man who descended 900 metres in 1930, without any kind of communication or guarantee that he would return to the surface, symbolizes the courage and determination of those who challenge the limits of human exploration. At a time when technology was rudimentary and the dangers immense, this dive not only expanded our knowledge of the ocean, but also of the limits of the human spirit.