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by pests 1099 days ago
Wow these numbers blow my mind. I imagined much deeper but some of these seem literally just below the surface.
2 comments

'just below the surface' -> already at very impressive pressures and given the complex shape of their hulls absolute marvels of engineering. 240 meters below isn't 'just below the surface', that's pretty deep. That the ocean is much deeper is a simple fact but that should not diminish your appreciation for the differences between a 'regular' submarine and a deep sea vessel. Which is also why the latter tend to be extremely simple geometric shapes for the pressure vessel because of the stresses they are subjected to. Ball shape preferred, then cylinder. Something with angles in it would fail for sure.
Each ~30 feet or 10 meters adds an extra atmosphere of pressure. Recreation divers go to 120-130 feet (~4 extra atmospheres). Commercial divers go to ~1000 feet (~30 extra atmospheres). There are rumors that Navi divers can go to ~2000 feet (~60 extra atmospheres).
Not sure why somebody downvoted this. 'Just below the surface' is an odd phrasing, but I had the exact same sort of initial reaction as I think anybody would. The numbers are just so shocking here. The 'average' military sub isn't fit for travel much beyond 300 meters. The peak theoretic technology has subs that may be about to travel to around the 2000 meter mark.

The Titanic is at 3800 meters. That it's reachable, by private organizations no less, is just a marvel.