shellim123
Look, I'm an atom!
I am taking my ow dives on the 17th and 18th. I am really scared about the safety stop. What if I cant control my bouyancy? What if i ascend too quickly? I have never done a safety stop before. Please help!
Probably a silly concern
- Thread starter shellim123
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just vent your bcd before you begin your ascent and kick up to the stop,you will be negatively bouyant,at the stop you will probably have to add a little air to become neutral. Calm yourself so you breathing isn't labored,if your using a line just hang on it till you get situated.I'm sure your instructor will help you and make sure ascending to quickly isn't a concern,relax and enjoy!
OP
shellim123
Look, I'm an atom!
Thanks! Is this a common concern?
REII
Contributor
How was your bouyancy in the pool? Your instructor should work with you to get you properly weighted. When ascending, stay with your instructor and you will get a feel for how slowly to ascend. If you are not using a computer, make sure you are ascending slower than your smallest bubbles.
You'll be fine.
TOM
You'll be fine.
TOM
OP
shellim123
Look, I'm an atom!
It was a little shady, but I think I worked through it with my breathing
Ok here goes, your safety stop needent be a worry.
Your O/W should be planned so your unlikely to do a safety stop during your O/W cert. If you are at safety stop limit then you shoud know through your classroom sessions what time limits your looking at, and your NDL planner.
If you are in a position do a safety stop, trust your instructor. During your OW dives, if if you have to, grab that Line and hold yourself. If you in doubt, level the same as your instructor and recite your training (you should know you RDP by now).
Hopefully, your instructor is in tune to your safety and will control you if you happen to 'float away'.
Use your previous knowledge.
Scotty
Your O/W should be planned so your unlikely to do a safety stop during your O/W cert. If you are at safety stop limit then you shoud know through your classroom sessions what time limits your looking at, and your NDL planner.
If you are in a position do a safety stop, trust your instructor. During your OW dives, if if you have to, grab that Line and hold yourself. If you in doubt, level the same as your instructor and recite your training (you should know you RDP by now).
Hopefully, your instructor is in tune to your safety and will control you if you happen to 'float away'.
Use your previous knowledge.
Scotty
Rapid ascent is not a silly concern at all. If you ascend too rapidly you risk DCS and a variety of other traumas you don't want to experience. Although the chances of that happening at the shallow depths you'll be doing your certification dives at are slim to none. I would recommend talking to your instructor about your concern so s/he knows you are worried and can give you some clear advice about controlling your ascent rate...which should be no faster than 30ft/minute. Chances are you won't have a bit of trouble.
shark_tamer
Contributor
shellim123:
First, let me welcome you to the board ... There are a lot of people here willing to help you and give you tips on diving.
In regard to your post, I am wordering about two things :
- Are the dives your certification dives ?
- Or are they your first dives by yourself ?
If they are your certification dives, this is the reason that when your get certified, an instructor dives with you ... You should have learned all the basic by now, but getting wet in a natural environment is different from pool diving.
I'd say you should talk to your instructor before diving and tell him or her your concerns ... that way he or she will have special attention for you.
If they are your first dives on your own, I'd say you are not ready to go diving by yourself ... make sure that a DM, instructor or someone with diving experience goes with you.
Can't wait to hear from you and tell us you got certified !!!!
Remember to dive safe ..
OP
shellim123
Look, I'm an atom!
Thanks! This is for my cert. dives.I will make sure I tell my instructor my concerns. I have done 2 of the intro. to diving but I clawed my instructors arm off the first timw and the second I felt more comfortable. But we did not go deep enough to do a safety stop
Midnight Star
Contributor
There's different kinds of stops. Decompression, mandantory and non-mandantory safety stops. Most "stops" for a majority of diving will fall under the non-mandantory category (it's not necessary to prevent DCS, but is an extra added "safety" measure). Remember is just a "safety" stop, not because if we miss it, DCS is going to happen, we're just being extra cautious. That should help you overcome the fear of "absolutely" doing or missing it. It's kinda like buckling up your seatbelt when you drive your car ... you don't always need it, but it's safe to do it anyways, because if you do and an accident is going to happen, it will lesson or completely prevent injury 
The reason it's around 15-20' instead of deeper (some decompression dives require a "deep" stop - a stop deeper than 15-20' as well as the normal safety stop at 15-20'), is that most "off gassing" (where nitrogen comes out of solution) happens in the shallow side (around 10-15'). I've gone up to quickly before, within that 15-20' range - to correct it, I just vented my BC, sank back down to the required depth. In these instances I didnt "rocket" to the surface from depth (that wouldnt be good thing to do), but ascended a bit too quickly around the safety stop depth. I usually prevent this now by by going just a bit on the negative bouyant side at around 25',then slowly finning up to where i'm going to stop and hang out for 3 minutes.
I hope that helps some.
-----
Mike.
The reason it's around 15-20' instead of deeper (some decompression dives require a "deep" stop - a stop deeper than 15-20' as well as the normal safety stop at 15-20'), is that most "off gassing" (where nitrogen comes out of solution) happens in the shallow side (around 10-15'). I've gone up to quickly before, within that 15-20' range - to correct it, I just vented my BC, sank back down to the required depth. In these instances I didnt "rocket" to the surface from depth (that wouldnt be good thing to do), but ascended a bit too quickly around the safety stop depth. I usually prevent this now by by going just a bit on the negative bouyant side at around 25',then slowly finning up to where i'm going to stop and hang out for 3 minutes.
I hope that helps some.
-----
Mike.
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