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What ascent rate do the US Navy and NOAA use for divers?

30 feet per minute.

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  1. 100 feet per minute
  2. 60 feet per minute
  3. 30 feet per minute ✔

Why: Slow ascents give nitrogen time to leave your body and let expanding air escape your lungs. A 2009 study found divers rising at 60 feet a minute had more bubbles than those at 30.

Huh, didn't know that: Training agencies recommend 30 to 60 feet a minute. PADI's limit is 60, so the Navy and NOAA rate of 30 is the slower, safer end.

The dad joke
My ascent was so slow, the fish started giving me directions.
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References

Answer: 30 feet per minute. Slow ascents give nitrogen time to leave your body and let expanding air escape your lungs. A 2009 study found divers rising at 60 feet a minute had more bubbles than those at 30.

  1. DAN Alert Diver: Ascent Rates dan.org/alert-diver/article/ascent-rates
    The U.S. Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use a rate of 30 feet per minute
    Checked 2026-10-12.
  2. DAN Alert Diver: Ascent Rates dan.org/alert-diver/article/ascent-rates
    recreational dive-training-agency recommendations range from 30 to 60 feet per minute
    Checked 2026-10-12.
  3. PADI: The Golden Rules of Scuba Diving blog.padi.com/the-golden-rules-of-scuba-diving
    Slowly Ascend From Every Dive at a rate of no faster than 18 meters /60 feet per minute.
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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