Average/ Longest Decompression and your Thoughts

[Doppler]

so i put a similar thread up on the deco stop to see what people there had to say. and a few ppl brought up something kind funny. They call it "Deco Wars" anyone do that? it seems its a way of messing with your buddies by moving stuff around on there config and swapping things between divers with out them noticing it. Seems kinda mean to me but idk really.

FULL CONTACT DECO... lots of fun.

Longest deco, several hours. Average deco, less than an hour.

 

[Colliam7]

I was kinda just wondering, what is the average decompression time for the majority of the dives you guys do (tech dives). As well as the longest deco time you have successfully completed. what do you normally think about / do when the stops are substantially long.

Longest deco has been about 80 minutes, I prefer to keep them under 60. But, I will do whatever it takes according to what I am diving on. In fact, though, my deco is controlled / defined by my bottom time, and that is controlled / limited by my depth, my individual gas consumption, and my gas supply. So, if I go to 240 ft, and I am carrying double 130s as my back gas, I only have about 25 minutes before I am starting my ascent. I am already carrying enough cylinders, I don't care to add stages to increase my bottom time, which then increases my deco time, etc. Of course, if I start going deeper, that will change.

As to what I do or think about, I think how bored I am, I check my computers / timers frequently, I ask myself if the dive that has just generated this deco obligation was really worth it (the answer is always, 'Yes'), I watch whatever creatures are curious enough about me / us to hang with us, and think about how I want to get an underwater electronic device for the next trip that allows to to listen to music or watch movies - which I still haven't done.

Though on really rough days i wonder how anyone gets through any substantial deco obligation when the current is blowing like crazy.

For me, it is called a jon line. I just clip on to the anchor line, get (close to) neutral, and hang. The bigger challenge is managing a stop when more than a couple of divers are on similar run times, and we all end up at a stop together (not infrequently at 20 ft, when we are using 100% as out second gas). Particularly in a current, where we want to remain in contact with the anchor line, a jon line is essential. If there is no current, it isn't an issue - we back off the line and hang. But, in open ocean, with a modest current, I don't really care to be expending energy trying to stay within sight of the line.

My tech instructor said drift deco helps with that.

It does, IF the situation permits it. I love drift deco, but it is not always possible / practical.

She also mentioned that in caves she will normally have favorite little spots to do deco where she kinda just sits at and chills till the stop is done.

When I used to dive at 40 Fathom, I would sometimes get to the platform at 20 ft and just lie there. OK, I should have been practicing my neutral buoyancy hang. But, I would get to the platform, get a bit negative, and doze.

so pretty much im kinda interested in knowing about the experience of just sitting there doing nothing but minding the dive plan and your thoughts.

Boring. But, in a current, challenging enough to keep my attention focused on what I am doing.

 

[kensuf]

20 minutes average. Longest was a little over 6 hours.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Any time I've had more that thirty minutes of deco I used my spool as a jon line, crossed my arms and laid my head down on my jon line pillow, singing an entire album to myself. If there are no jellies or I'm not diving a pinnacle that reaches the surface, deco time seems to drag on forever. All of my deco dives have been in water less that 53° so looking up at the boat, knowing I can't go there to warm up makes it seem even longer.