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Comment by frozenport | Hacker News Reader

Sounds incredibly dangerous, I hope they have some kind of backup or rescue plan. Also without air tanks he could easily suffocate.

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Relatively little danger, with the proper care and attention (it pumps oxygen from the surface). Also, watch some of his interviews, he seems very competent.

Finally; sometimes a little bit of danger is what makes things worthwhile :)

Imagine trying to get out if the water bursts, especially if you try to go under the current 6 feet.

I imagine having a small pony bottle in with him would be enough to return to the surface safely. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pony_bottle

This is true but with the proper precautions one can take measures to reduce the risk. Never to complete zero of course and it will probably always be relatively dangerous to travel underwater. But it's already dangerous to travel in a minimal atmosphere, in a pressurized vessel, at the speed of a bullet, and it happens everyday via air travel. More work in the field from pioneers like these students will help reduce the risk for future travelers.

Agreed. Amateur underwater devices have a century-long history of being unexpectedly fatal.

It would be the same as if you were in a car that dropped in a body of water. Do not panic. Let the water fill up the submarine while breathing deep to oxygenate your body just like a swimmer. When enough pressure is gone from the submarine filled with water, open the hatch and swim to freedom. Most people drown in these scenarios because they try to leave before it fills with water and panic sets in.

In the mythbusters episode where they tried that, Adam "died" the first time he attempted doing it that way. It worked after he gained experience escaping, but most people aren't going to have the training/ability to escape that way.

The best thing to do is to open the door as soon as it hits the water before the pressure is too great, or to break the window if you have the tools.

The thing is, when a car hits water, it is usually in a violent way where I would imagine people would be momentarily stunned. By that time, the water pressure outside would be too high for them to open the door. Breaking the window is a bit hard to do as well for most people in that situation. Breakout window tools are great, but most people leave their tools in the trunk. This is where the controlled breathing is vital. I have not been in this situation, but I have been in drowning situations where I have helped someone in the ocean. I took quick, deep breaths and it helped me while I was underneath the water searching. When I was a kid, I took swimming lessons, and the first thing the trainer talked about was controlled breathing. Before we even started swimming around, he would make us stay still while taking deep breaths. Try it anywhere and you will see how your body reacts to it afterwards.

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