Define "conservative" diving on vacation...

[PhatD1ver]

Like most of you, most of my diving requires deco and typically, more than one gas. While my question pertains to recreational, vacation diving, it doesn't pertain to the average diver...

I typically take a trip or two south every year. When I'm there, I would typically do three or four dives in a day. Max depth on these dives would be in the 100' to 130' range. I use a Shearwater, set to 40/85. I'll dive nitrox if it's available, but set my 'pooter to that gas so I'm not getting a "safety factor" using this gas.

We constantly read about how we should dive very conservatively on these multi-dive, multi-day trips. Which got me thinking about how "we" define "conservative". And by "we", I mean someone who doesn't run out of gas, doesn't rocket to the surface, and someone who can hold a stop/depth accurately. Mrs. Stoo (my usual travel buddy) and I practice sharing gas a ton and are very comfy in the water together. In other words, someone who can "dive".

My typical dive week would have most of my dives going into deco on my computer. But if my computer says I need five minutes, I putz around in the shallows (or hang midwater) for 15. If it says I need 10, I do 20. Most of my dives end up being 65-70 minutes. On the occasional "deep" dive, I'll sling an extra 80 for good measure. (I typically carry a stage kit with me... and dive at very tiny resorts where I'm given the freedom to do that.) However, I frequently take an afternoon "off" mid week to clean up a bit. And I always leave more than 24 hours before flying home.

So my question is if you feel that "conservative" must mean no deco. Or can it mean a VERY conservative profile, which includes mandatory deco.

I've been doing this for decades without incident, but as I get older, and at increased risk, I feel I should probably tone it down a few notches, so I'm curious. I know what the literature says, but I also feel it's aimed at recreational divers who are more likely to run short on gas or blow a stop...

And as I prepare to hit "Submit", I am prepared for the sh!tstorm! ;-)

I just finished a week at Sipadan which included doing Tec40. But I did 20 dives over six days (limited more by study and class time than desire or opportunity to dive), and literally was diving up to the 24 hour marker day before our flight out. I planned for 27 dives, but my studies for the three courses got in the way (also did Self-Reliant and Cavern).

I'd say though that what you do is already pretty conservative. I'm not an old 'tec' diver by any measure, but I've dove pretty aggressively by rec standards for most of my traveling vacations. I did a four day trip to Anilao with 16 dives, six in one day (and two below 30m).

For me it's about planning the schedule, hitting deep dives early each day, and using EAN for conservatism (on the 16 in 4 day trip, all but two dives were on EAN, but my comp was set to AIR, and I felt great every night).

As I get into Tec, I know I'll have to do a lot more planning, and monitor much closer, but I think it's the same basic principles to feel 'clean' and keep within the limits. BTW, I am a BIG believer in the deep stop/slow ascent concept to control bubble size.