How do you pass time at a deco stop?

[pittyyofool]

what are some of the things you do to pass time at deco stops?
we all know 15 minutes of holding on to an anchor / drop line gets rather boring after about oh 30 seconds.

I have done everything from singing "99 bottles of beer", to playing rock paper scissors before.
I picked up a waterproof set of playing cards today, has anyone ever tried playing poker, blackjack,
bs, etc.? If so how was it?

 

[Thalassamania]

I keep a paperback in a ziplock full of water, I take it out and read it, I put it back in and surface so that I can do it again tomorrow.

 

[DepthCharge]

On the longer ones, I take a nap.(conditions permitting)

 

[Deefstes]

I keep a paperback in a ziplock full of water, I take it out and read it, I put it back in and surface so that I can do it again tomorrow.

Are you being serious? Wow! How long does a paperback last? Are the pages not falling apart? I've heard of guys who read glossy paper magazines but not paperbacks.

Second questions, is it difficult to read a book through your mask under water? I've never tried but I'm curious to know how the water refraction affects your reading.

 

[Diver0001]

I engage in what could be described as a little light meditation, with emphasis on light. I just concentrate on getting into a comfortable hang and focusing my attention on the rhythm of my breathing, which I find very relaxing. My deco is rarely more than 1/2 hour though so I don't have time to get bored doing that. If I had to do gobs of deco I'd probably need a distraction.

R..

 

[Jim Lapenta]

National Geographic is printed on more or less waterproof paper. Stops are also a good time to do light skills practice. Mask drills, fine buoyancy control, etc. I have also heard of divers taking UW MP3 players.

 

[it_mike]

Alone, or with a cute friend?

Paperbacks will hold up for days, although the binding may start to let go. The paper doesn't disintegrate until you bring it back to air (ergo the ziplock).

If boat diving, I'll use safety stops to practice buoyancy control, hopefully encouraging others to do so. For shore/shallow reef diving, I just keep swimming.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

I keep a paperback in a ziplock full of water, I take it out and read it, I put it back in and surface so that I can do it again tomorrow.

Take out my slate and play hangman. _ _I'M BORED_ _. Magnetic checkers or chess and of course the fallback plan take a nap of sorts.

 

[HowardE]

If it's just a 30 minute deco total... I just ride it out. Not so bad. If it's really long. I take the idive 300 and listen to music.

 

[Hallmac]

Are you being serious? Wow! How long does a paperback last? Are the pages not falling apart? I've heard of guys who read glossy paper magazines but not paperbacks.

Second questions, is it difficult to read a book through your mask under water? I've never tried but I'm curious to know how the water refraction affects your reading.

Paperbacks work really well, just don't disturb them on the surface. If you don't finish the book the first time, take it with you the following dives. I have read several novels over the years that way. Most of the inks do not smear. Once in a while the binding adhesives soften up and the book will come apart. That depends on the publisher, most of the time I have not had an issue with it.

To answer your second question, my experience is I have not had any trouble reading underwater. I read my guages, my slates, and my books equally well.