There are an awful lot of variables involved. Dysbaric osteonecrosis is associated with professional divers, and in particular those with a history of deep saturation dives. But then that is an industry where it is not a question of if you will have a DCS hit, but when. And for non saturation deco dives it is (or at least was) routine to do in water stops to the 40 ft stop then pull the diver to the surface and blow them back down in an on board chamber to complete the deco. A very bend and treat approach.
I have also seen references indicating a possible asociation with professional dive instructors. My personal theory is that instructors seem to spend an inordinate amount of time going up and down and in my experience the quality of the ascent is at least as critical to DCS as is the deco time itself.
My personal experience at age 41 after 20 years of diving and quite a lot of deco diving is that I feel a lot better after diving a much more conservative deco schedule based on either a variable permiability model or on a gradient factor model incorporating deep stops.
Normally I dive DPlan with the gradient factors adjusted to give profiles very similar to the VPM-B model. I also normally use accellerated deco with 50% O2.(and sometimes 100% as well). The profiles are a LOT more conservative than US Navy Tables whihc would frankly leave me feeling fatigued with flu like symptoms the day after a day or two of diving.
Another thing to consider is that all diving is deco diving. I suspect the potential long term damage of a long history of reverse profiles, saw tooth profiles and rapid ascents all with in the "no deco" limits may be just as harmful if not more harmful than doing moderate deco dives with conservative deco schedules and slow and precise ascent rates.
My advice is to go slow, be very conservative and pay careful attention to how you feel after a dive and adjust accordingly.
I have also seen references indicating a possible asociation with professional dive instructors. My personal theory is that instructors seem to spend an inordinate amount of time going up and down and in my experience the quality of the ascent is at least as critical to DCS as is the deco time itself.
My personal experience at age 41 after 20 years of diving and quite a lot of deco diving is that I feel a lot better after diving a much more conservative deco schedule based on either a variable permiability model or on a gradient factor model incorporating deep stops.
Normally I dive DPlan with the gradient factors adjusted to give profiles very similar to the VPM-B model. I also normally use accellerated deco with 50% O2.(and sometimes 100% as well). The profiles are a LOT more conservative than US Navy Tables whihc would frankly leave me feeling fatigued with flu like symptoms the day after a day or two of diving.
Another thing to consider is that all diving is deco diving. I suspect the potential long term damage of a long history of reverse profiles, saw tooth profiles and rapid ascents all with in the "no deco" limits may be just as harmful if not more harmful than doing moderate deco dives with conservative deco schedules and slow and precise ascent rates.
My advice is to go slow, be very conservative and pay careful attention to how you feel after a dive and adjust accordingly.
