Question on Safety Stop Buoyancy Abilities

[MichaelMc]

With a light task I hold +- 2', or less, in a 7mm or 20/10mm. Removing backplate or adjusting the hose clamp or cam band on a removed sidemount tank it could go outside that. Not being able to see my dive comp... and my eyes freezing, bets are off. But if there is still some blur I can orient to, then no mask makes little difference.

20 dives per year. About 160 total dives, AOW, Deep, Scientific Diver.

 

[TMHeimer]

I am happy with my stops. I can hold a vertical stop without a line. I would assume I could perform a task while doing so though this has never had to happen. Since the line is there I hold it. I average about 50 dives a year now, but haven't done anything but walk in shore dives since my last boat dive in 2015.

 

[ColoDale]

I can complete tasks during the safety stop. I try to get my tasks done before the stop. I usually go vertical or use a sitting pose and relax so the only movement is my breathing. However it depends on current, surface conditions and depth of the bottom to surface. The latter means that if the bottom is say 20-25 ft and the terrain changes elevation and there is current, the current will take me up and down a bit when it follows terrain.

If the current is running out, say over a wall into deep water then I will have to swim during the safety stop to stay over the wall/sand. My depth can change +/- 5 ft and I like doing shallow swims about 20+ ft. We try to stay out of boat lanes during stops so we may be swimming and depth can change .
If there are larger waves it is more difficult to maintain an exact depth and I usually go a bit deeper.

I use my ears to tell me if I am going up or down. Usually about 2 feet I can feel at 15-18 FSW. Calm seas and enough off the bottom I can maintain a constant depth.
I normally do not use an SMB deployed at depth and don't hold others lines.

Padi AOW and pre-covid about 70-85 dives per year.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

I stated 4'. Reason is if I have a Jon line I can keep it with 2' task loading. Something about that 6' of flat line give me a reference.

If have a dry suit vs a 7m I can hold within 3' without the Jon, add a task and its 4'. If I am using a 7mm and task loading I'm at 5'.

Mild surge or less. Heavy surge... The ocean swims me.

50 dives a year. When I'm diving. Hope the next 2 years I am able to triple that though.

PADI Rescue with a UTD Side mount Intro to tech thrown in there... "How many side mounts dives since that class 8 years ago... 0" I just prefer back mount.

Side note: I have a fundies class coming in the fall that I should have taken 10 years ago but better late then never.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I’d say +- 2 ft consistently, +-1 most times if it’s calm on the surface. This is open ocean ascents as most of my dives are drift dives. I can hold my stops completing basic tasks.

650+ logged dives over 15 yrs of diving. I do 40-50 dives per year, diving at least once a month.

Trained up through Normoxic Trimix.

 

[johndiver999]

If I tried really hard and had calm water and a visual reference, I assume I could do it within a foot or two. The problem is that I may get distracted and start playing with something, looking around and also it is very easy to be "drawn off sides" by a buddy who is gradually sinking or rising and you are subconsciously just staying with them.

As a matter of practice, I often do a deep stop at 40 or 50 feet and try to hang around that depth for a minute or 90 seconds or so and then as I get above 20 feet, I normally have the smb line pretty tight, the line is vertical and I am pulling down on it, so my depth variations are minimal in those situations.

To summarize, it is not something I worry much about - nor do I worry about my trim on ascent and hang, generally i am pretty much vertical. My Sunday confessional session.

 

[DogDiver]

Kind of a loaded question survey in the Basic Forum.

 

[Ayisha]

Very humble of you, @johnkendall.

I've only seen him on video, but that's about the epitome of perfection right there. Just goes to show that no matter what your abilities, you can always learn and grow.

 

[TMHeimer]

For basic rec. divers like myself, what are the tasks you'd have to do during the 3-5 min. safety stop?

 

[Lorenzoid]

For basic rec. divers like myself, what are the tasks you'd have to do during the 3-5 min. safety stop?

Deploy an SMB?