Jim Bowden is an American technical diver, known as a cave diver and as a deep diver. In 1994 he set a world record, since broken, by diving to 925 feet (282 m).[1] He is one of only thirty-five people who have dived below a depth of 800 feet (240 m) on self-contained breathing apparatus. He has also made six sub-five hundred foot dives.[citation needed]
He was attempting a dual descent with Sheck Exley in the dive which resulted in Exley's death.[1] Bowden had aborted his dive and ascended prior to the events which led to Exley's demise.
Bowden's record-breaking dive served as the inspiration (with Bowden's permission) for the opening chapter of Tom Morrisey's 2002 novel, Yucatan Deep.[2]