Decompression Diving

[brycegroark]

Hello. Recently I have been doing a lot of deco dives and I was wondering the health considerations both short term but primarily long term. I only do one dive a day, 5 to 6 days a week. Maximum dive depths 130-160ft(occassionally 180) on air with very random bottom times, giving me deco stops ranging from 7 minutes to 25 minutes. I have been diving for 11 years and an instructor for 5 and am just curious if this kind of diving is bad to do continuously, even at only 5 dives a week??? Should I also be doing some deeper deco stops than 15-25ft, maybe a stop at 60ft???

Thanks for your answers.

 

[Dr Deco]

Hello bruce:

Recent indications are that scuba divers can get aseptic bone necrosis. This is a disorder that causes the bone to die. It is most common in caisson workers and next in professional, hard-hat divers.

It was generally not thought to occur in the recreation diving community, but this does not appear to be a sure thing. Additonal decompression would probably help.

Dr Deco :doctor:

 

[boomx5]

I'm curious Bruce...have you taken any classes for doing decompression dives?

 

[ppo2_diver]

I did read a study that said men who made a lot of deep dives (like yourself) have fertility problems.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Should I also be doing some deeper deco stops than 15-25ft, maybe a stop at 60ft???

Thanks for your answers.

I do but my tastin bubbles may differ from yours

 

[mrobinson]

This original post seems fishy to me... I hope I'm wrong.

 

[matt_unique]

Hello. Recently I have been doing a lot of deco dives and I was wondering the health considerations both short term but primarily long term. I only do one dive a day, 5 to 6 days a week. Maximum dive depths 130-160ft(occassionally 180) on air with very random bottom times, giving me deco stops ranging from 7 minutes to 25 minutes. I have been diving for 11 years and an instructor for 5 and am just curious if this kind of diving is bad to do continuously, even at only 5 dives a week??? Should I also be doing some deeper deco stops than 15-25ft, maybe a stop at 60ft???

Thanks for your answers.

I say this in the non-religious sense my friend.....you better believe you should be doing stops WAY deeper than 15-25' for the dives you describe and a hell of a lot more time than 7-25 minutes! I am intro to tech diver - to give you an example - if you were to dive to 160' for 20 minutes on 24% EAN you would require about 35 minutes of deco time IF you were breathing 40% EAN for the all the deco stops. Your first stop would be at about 80'. If you were to do this entire dive on air only you would be looking at A LOT more deco time than that....Of course what I described above is not optimal but just to give you an idea of how far off you may be with air only (I assume from your short note).

You should seriously and urgently consider a deco class to continue what you are doing. What you wrote above sounds to me what a recreational dive computer would give you for an emergency deco profile.....am I correct in that assumption?

In either case - take a class then make your decisions from there.

--Matt

 

[jamiep3]

Matt,

First let me say that I have never had any classes on Deco beyond covering the Navy Tables in my Open Water Class in the 70's. And before attempting any decompression diving I plan on taking some additional classes. However, in reading the current Navy Air Decompression Tables, I read a 160' dive for 20 minutes bottom time requires the following,
4:40 ascent to 20'
3:00 stop at 20'
11:00 stop at 10 feet.

I realize the tables you are working from are a different source, but would this not be a valid profile for brycegroark, if he is only doing one dive a day?

Not looking to start a flame war, just want to learn.

 

[RTodd]

Matt,

First let me say that I have never had any classes on Deco beyond covering the Navy Tables in my Open Water Class in the 70's. And before attempting any decompression diving I plan on taking some additional classes. However, in reading the current Navy Air Decompression Tables, I read a 160' dive for 20 minutes bottom time requires the following,
4:40 ascent to 20'
3:00 stop at 20'
11:00 stop at 10 feet.

I realize the tables you are working from are a different source, but would this not be a valid profile for brycegroark, if he is only doing one dive a day?

Not looking to start a flame war, just want to learn.

Diving to this depth on air, failing to use the proper decompression gases, and using the navy's bend and treat rush to 10' tables rather than a profile that starts decompression deeper are all bad ideas.

 

[mrobinson]

Diving to this depth on air, failing to use the proper decompression gases, and using the navy's bend and treat rush to 10' tables rather than a profile that starts decompression deeper are all bad ideas.

I'm really surprised from some of these responses but agree here. Scuba is constantly evolving and based on what I'm reading, there are safer ways to dive. I'm wondering brycegroark if you've gotten decompression training or just trying it based on some old tables? (I realize you're an instructor - open water or ???)