how do you ascend SAFELY???

[Cacia]

When I began doing deep stops, I made the mistake of staying too long. Now, I just stay one minute for every ten feet (starting at half depth) until I get to 15-20 feet, where I stay three, unless I have acrued more, compliments of Suunto.

I don't have formal training in this but just listen to what others explain and do it because it makes sense with the various tissue compartments. Usually I just dive air. I used to feel like I was hit by a truck after the third dive and would sleep the rest of the day. Now, I feel much better and do not get headaches.

In addition to the profile component of ascending safely, I almost always blow my SMB on my 20 ft stop due to boat traffic, canoes, and as a courtesy to the captain.

I listen for boat traffic and even ascend with my hand over my head turning 360 the last 20 ft. I no longer hold ascent lines when the swells are rocking the line. In stiff current, I have started placing my cave line on the mooring line with the two way, sort of an improvised jon line. I make up my methods as I figure out more, so I am sure that I make mistakes along the way.

Oh...and I pay particular attention to not exerting myself against a current to get back to the line if the current switches on the dive. I blow the marker and take a ride and wait to get picked up because I am convinced working hard, especially on an ascent will get you bent.

 

[superstar]

I follow my smallest bubbles up. And about 10 years ago I added a 3 min. stop at 10 ft.

 

[paintsnow]

thank you guys for all the great replies. keep them coming
also can anyone point me towards a good decompressing program or something like that to plan dives?
sb is great
again thank you

 

[Dive-aholic]

dive-oholic:
what is the name of your deco program and where can i get it?
im hoping its free and im guessing you put in variables and it tells you if your safe or not?

thank you all for you help i never would have though to acend at 30fpm but will definatly consider it now if not adopt if compleatly

Deco Planner and V-Planner are 2 programs I have. Neither is free. You can download a trial version of V-Planner, but it limits the mix you can enter.

 

[fabasard]

Much like superstar, I use the smallest bubbles method when my computer is blown, otherwise its about 30 fpm, SS @ 15 ft / 3 min. No deep stops, just slow ascent.

 

[Walter]

The 60 fpm with stop at 15' is what is on the tables and what's taught in OW cert. class.

I believe only one agency still teaches 60fpm, the others are up to date.

How long of a safety stop: I do not do safety stops...................

Since the majority of my dives are within NDL limits, I try to keep my ascent rate to no more than 30fpm. I stop every 10ft starting at about 50ft (or 70ft on dives between 100 and 130ft).

If you are within the NDL (NDL Limits = No Decompression Limit Limits) the stops you are making are safety stops. Stops are either required and therefore decompression stops or they are optional and are therefore safety stops.

I follow my smallest bubbles up.

Smallest bubbles are foam and they expand as they ascend and as a result speed their ascent. You have to switch bubbles every few seconds. Assuming you are doing it correctly, you're ascending at twice the recommended rate. If you are not doing it correctly, you're coming up even faster. Slow down. It should take you 2 seconds to ascend 1 foot.

 

[grazie42]

I do 30fpm + 3 min at ~15ft with a very slow ascent from the safetystop.

I also tend to spend a few minutes at 60, 50, 40 & 30ft, even on recreational dives, as long as there is something to look at. I feel a lot more alert after doing that than the "traditional 30ft/min + 3min and head for the surface".

It may feel restrictive for some but I´ve found that I enjoy the shallows more the more time I spend there. The fact that water temps are usually below 50F propably contributes to the difference I feel after dives between what I do and what is "recommended".

Deco dives have so many variables that I don´t feel its productive to discuss it in such general terms...

 

[SDAnderson]

For NDL diving to depths no greater than 130 feet, I ascend at 30fpm and make a safety stop at 20 feet. If the average depth for the dive has been greater than 100 feet, I add a second safety stop at 70'.

I use 20' (instead of 15') and 70' (instead of half the distance) because I'm used to them as gas switch points from decompression diving and I don't want to have to completely alter my protocols just to do a recreational dive.

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

I confess I rely on my computer's ascent rate indicator, keeping the ascent rate below 100% and I don't do safety stops unless the divemaster of the group requires we all do it... I've just never done a dive profile personally that required it. If my computer would ever fail, I would rely on the 30 fpm/rule. I use the Uwatec nitrox wrist computer with a reasonably big display that I can easily get close to my mask (for those of us with 50+ year old eyeballs). I paid good money for it, so I use it.

 

[mislav]

Deco Planner

If there was a Mac OS X version of it, I'd buy it pronto. It should be a part of DIR to use OS X instead of Windows.

Are there any deco planners that work on Macs?