HilaryRN71:
I think there are a couple of scenarios one might consider before making a blanket statement. For one thing, YOU, as an observer of ME doing a deep stop (half max depth for 1.5-2 minutes) at 24 m/ 78 fsw, have no idea what is behind my rationale. Thus snickering seems a bit uncalled for.
To be honest, unless you were diving with me as a buddy, I'd have no idea what you were doing on your dive nor would I care... I dive to enjoy myself, not to evaluate others. So sorry if I gave the impression that I'd laugh at you for doing whatever it is you were doing. Your dive, your plan, your decision - I dont fit into the picture at all.
And I don't believe that a deep stop after a depth of 78 feet would be of no benefit. I think it's actually a safe practice. The ata pressure difference between 78 fsw and 80 fsw is really pretty minimal. It slows ascents overall, gives a diver confidence and experience while hanging in blue water, and does give them an extra couple of minutes to off-gas.
More power to you.
I cannot argue with theory and DAN studies, especially when they use fuzzy terms like "may increase bubble formation" or "have noticed the possibility of increase in bubble formation" (emphasis on "may" and "possible"). I can only speak for mysellf and my experiences.
I do, on average, 4 dives in the 30-40m range every week. When I learned about deep stops, I decided to try it out for myself. I spent about 300-something dives seeing what would happen with and without deep stops. For typical no-stop diving (2 dives/day, 1 deep, 1 shallow), it made no difference to me in terms of fatigue, "feeling cleaner", etc.
So yes, it may indeed be safer, so by all means do it if you want to. However, in *my* experience, it doesnt provide *me* with any material benefit for no-stop diving.
Re. post-dive fatigue - IMO, diving is not nearly as effortless as we think it is. We are swimming against a lot of drag and in a fairly high pressure environment. Plus, we do suffer heat loss, even in the warmest of waters. I find that if I am going swimming after a while, I tend to be very exhausted afterwards; however, after a week or so of regular swimming, I tend to feel better. Ditto diving - at the start of every season, it takes me a few weeks to adjust to diving daily. I feel knackered even after I have spent 4-5 hours doing CW... and I think we can all agree that CW is not getting me bent! After a while, I feel a lot less tired.
So IMO, these factors may be more responsible for the typical post-dive fatigue than sub-clinical DCS.
Happy diving,
Vandit