29 CFR § 1910.424 - Scuba Diving.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t29/s1910.424"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "29 CFR § 1910.424 - SCUBA diving."
title_number: 29
title_name: "Labor"
section_number: "1910.424"
section_name: "SCUBA diving."
chapter_name: "OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR"
part_number: "1910"
part_name: "OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "33 U.S.C. 941; 29 U.S.C. 653, 655, 657; Secretary of Labor's Order No. 12-71 (36 FR 8754); 8-76 (41 FR 25059), 9-83 (48 FR 35736), 1-90 (55 FR 9033), 6-96 (62 FR 111), 3-2000 (65 FR 50017), 5-2002 (67 FR 65008), 5-2007 (72 FR 31160), 4-2010 (75 FR 55355), 1-2012 (77 FR 3912), 08-2020 (85 FR 58393), or 07-2025 (90 FR 27878); 29 CFR part 1911; and 5 U.S.C. 553, as applicable."
regulatory_source: "39 FR 23502, June 27, 1974, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "1910"
---


# 1910.424 SCUBA diving.

(a) *General.* Employers engaged in SCUBA diving shall comply with the following requirements, unless otherwise specified.

(b) *Limits.* SCUBA diving shall not be conducted:

(1) At depths deeper than 130 fsw;

(2) At depths deeper than 100 fsw or outside the no-decompression limits unless a decompression chamber is ready for use;

(3) Against currents exceeding one (1) knot unless line-tended; or

(4) In enclosed or physically confining spaces unless line-tended.

(c) *Procedures.* (1) A standby diver shall be available while a diver is in the water.

(2) A diver shall be line-tended from the surface, or accompanied by another diver in the water in continuous visual contact during the diving operations.

(3) A diver shall be stationed at the underwater point of entry when diving is conducted in enclosed or physically confining spaces.

(4) A diver-carried reserve breathing gas supply shall be provided for each diver consisting of:

(i) A manual reserve (J valve); or

(ii) An independent reserve cylinder with a separate regulator or connected to the underwater breathing apparatus.

(5) The valve of the reserve breathing gas supply shall be in the closed position prior to the dive.