For computer users only... safety stops.

[ShakaZulu]

What if my feet is lower than my head, should I allow extra time for my feet to decompress.........

 

[El Orans]

3 Minutes at 5 meter, I never come even remotely close to the NDL.

 

[gcbryan]

I always do more.

 

[JohnL]

I usually do three minutes at 15 to keep the computer happy. I also come up slow from depth and take a minute or more coming up from 15...makes a big difference.

A few weeks back I did my AOW class and depsite short bottom times and only moderate depths I felt pretty wasted and needed a nap when I got home. We did three minute stops and "safe" ascent speeds. It was allot faster than I usually come up and it was a great learning experience to see what a difference it makes.

I've gone deeper and been withing a minute or two of ndl, but come out feeling great when I make slower ascents and spend a few minutes poking around in the shallows.

 

[NYHippo]

I always do a least 2 minutes at half my max depth and 3 minutes at fifteen. Why? My instructor taught me to do it that way and I haven't died yet

 

[halocline]

3 min at 15, another 2-3 at 10, and very slow from 10 to the surface. This one practice has made a huge difference in the way I feel after diving; almost no fatigue.

 

[diver_paula]

Dive with a Suunto Solution and backed up with a Suunto Companion. For safety's sake I always make safety stops. For deeper wreck dives (70ft to 130ft) I do at least 1 to 2 minutes at 30 ft and 3 to 5 minutes at 15 ft. Part of the reason is safety and part is that these older computers don't count the safety stops down. There's a little bitty graphical bar on the side but no actual countdown timer or watch. If I make sure to go over I know I got at least 3 minutes. (ex. If I start my safety stop at 36 minutes I don't know if it's 36 min 02 seconds or 36 min 55 seconds. I just make sure to not count the time until the minute changes to 37, and then hang until at least 40.)

Paula

 

[pickens_46929]

I generally do a 3 min safety stop anything deeper than 40 feet. Always when my computer calls for it (Oceanic Atom or Versa Pro). The make sure I come up slowly, like 20 ft. per min.

If there are people ahead of me waiting to get on the boat, I hang around more at 10 to 15 ft. rather than crowd the ladder. So usually get more than just 3 mins. at 15'

 

[DandyDon]

How many of you do a FULL FIVE MINUTE safety stop if you are diving a computer? Why or why not?

I do one or two deep stop, then 3 minute SS if I'm in the green. If I'm in the yellow, I hang as long as it takes to clear....

Either way, I may do another minute at 5 ft, and will do another minute or two on surface - just floating.

 

[ScubaTony]

I do the 3 min everytime with my Suunto Mosquito. I am a dive instructor in Cozumel and I make all my clients do them too. We do long deep profiles as a norm here. My Suunto is about the most conservative computer I have seen. I often compare limits to my customers computers and mine always shows fewer minutes even on it's most liberal setting.