Deep scuba diving using compressed air is definitely to be considered a high-risk dive. All international diving organizations recommend limiting diving with compressed air to -40 meters of depth to avoid incurring what is called nitrogen narcosis. Compressed air is denser as the depth increases, and consequently greater breathing effort is required which could lead to breathlessness and greater air consumption.

We planned this scuba dive in the area between Livorno and Gorgona Island. We are over 12 nautical miles from Livorno and about 6 miles from Gorgona. In this area the seabed rises from over 100 meters deep to 48 metres. It is an area that we know well in the part between 48 and 54 meters deep, but the sea always reserves unexpected surprises: in fact from the echo sounder we saw that there are reef at depths of 60, 70 meters and more.