Deco for Divers covers the issue on pages 67-69 (2nd ed.), ending with a presentation of the Findings and Conclusion of the workshop (page 290 of the PDF):
Findings:
- Historically, neither the U.S. Navy nor the commercial sector has prohibited reverse dive profiles.
- Reverse dive profiles are being performed in recreational, scientific, commercial and military diving.
- The prohibition of reverse dive profiles by recreational training organizations cannot be traced to any definite diving experience that indicates an increased risk of DCS.
- No convincing evidence that reverse dive profiles within the no-decompression limits lead to a measurable increase in the risk of DCS was presented.
We find no reason for the diving communities to prohibit reverse dive profiles for no-decompression dive profiles less than 40 msw/130 fsw and depth differentials less than 12 msw/40 fsw.
Note on depth differentials, from Deco for Divers, pg. 68:
Bruce Wienke [a participant in the workshop] prevailed in his argument that the pressure differential of most of the safely executed reverse profiles was less than 12 msw/40 fsw or less between the repetitive dives. Accordingly, it was agreed that reverse dive profiles are reasonably safe as long as the depth difference between repetitive dives is 12 msw/40 fsw or less. A point of final agreement was that the sport diving limit of 40m fsw/130 fsw should apply to any relaxation of current prohibitions on reverse profile diving.
