Saturation Diving 50m Guide: Heliox, MK-I & Titanium

What changes at 50m in Saturation Diving?

At 50m you enter the Continental Shelf, where Heliox replaces Standard Air and the Reinforced MK-I becomes the required suit. The route changes from a shallow visibility problem into a pressure-and-navigation problem, so set the return reserve before collecting the first Titanium Node.

50m route check	Standard
Depth zone	Continental Shelf (40–120m)
Gas	Heliox — 18% O₂, 82% He
Suit	Reinforced MK-I
Oxygen reserve	35%
Main hazards	Pressure spikes; patrolling eels
Main resources	Titanium Nodes; Quartz

How do you farm Titanium at 50m?

Use the Cargo Shipwreck at 65m for the fastest early Titanium route. Take the eastern trench wall for cover against predatory eels, collect the nearest Titanium Nodes first, and turn the team around before the 35% reserve becomes working oxygen.

A two-run MK-I cycle produces 18 to 24 Titanium Nodes. Do not extend the second run to chase a marginal node: the value of the route comes from repeatable extraction, not from exhausting the return margin.

What is the safe 50m return sequence?

Use the SD-W 45/10 Ascent Rule. Ascend no faster than 0.5m/s, stop for 45 seconds at 30m, then stop another 45 seconds at 10m before surfacing. If The Bends appears, enter the Hyperbaric Chamber within 30 seconds and equalise for 60 seconds.

For a depth-and-time checklist, open the Decompression & Gas Calculator. For the wider route, see the Complete Deep Diving Guide.