PADI Divemaster Certification 2026 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

As pressure increases, nitrogen dissolves into the bloodstream due to the principles laid out in Henry's Law, which states that the amount of gas that dissolves in a liquid is proportional to the pressure of that gas above the liquid. When scuba diving, as a diver descends and experiences increased ambient pressure, nitrogen gas from the breathing gas (which is approximately 78% nitrogen) becomes more soluble in the bloodstream. This is significant because it increases the nitrogen levels in the body, meaning that as divers go deeper, they accumulate more nitrogen in their tissues, which can lead to decompression sickness if they ascend too quickly and the nitrogen gas comes out of solution too rapidly.