"Riding your Computer Up" vs. "Lite Deco"

[boulderjohn]

Except the survival rate, what's the difference between a tec dive and a planed diet deco with backup gas?

A planned deco dive, whether light or heavy, is a tech dive.

 

[redacted]

I do not think a skipper who left a boat load of divers behind would be getting much repeat business.

Who are these people on boats that 'check' computers? I don't think you can tell with mine if I was in deco or not.

Not a boatload. Just the diver who chose to take his conservastive computer into 10 minutes of deco and then refused to surface so the boat can head in with an unconscious diver as instructed by the CG who has a boat under way to meet them. It only makes a 20 minute difference in getting care for the stricken diver. A bit less time maybe if there is a helicopter available. In the TX gulf the boat ussually needs to get to a suitable oil rig to make the transfer.

Yeah, my Oceanic computer leaves no sign that I worked off a deco obligation. I suppose those that log dives in high detail would show deco if the crew had a download capability

 

[scubadada]

...Yeah, my Oceanic computer leaves no sign that I worked off a deco obligation. I suppose those that log dives in high detail would show deco if the crew had a download capability

For either my VT3 or Geo2, accessing the log anytime after surfacing will tell you if the dives were no deco or deco. You must download the dive to determine the length of the deco

I've never had anyone ask to examine my computer after a dive. Some operators record max depth and dive time (Ocean Frontiers on Grand Cayman, M/V Spree (may she RIP) out of Key West, as examples). This information is self reported.

 

[uncfnp]

Multiple boats in Florida, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. No one has ever asked to see my dive computer post dive. My usual boat in Florida knows me and my dives. They know what I do and why. As long as I follow the other rules with no more than 60 minutes total run time its all good.

As for recall, good question. I have been in one recall and I had no deco obligation. If the dive is ending early chances are no divers will be in deco anyway. I know of another early departure that left 11 divers on a drift dive but radioed other boats in the area to pick up. And since these are drift dives and I am often solo anyway I know I always run the risk of surfacing without an immediate pickup. In this situation I am comfortable with that. And should I ever have to abort in deco, Theoretically I am in no more risk then most divers using DSAT and I have O2 on the boat.

Recently I did a dive with a boat and captain that did not know me. Eric and I show up, him with his pony and me with a small deco bottle. The captain was obviously uncomfortable with this and started drilling us with questions of our training and intent. A few minutes later we left the dock and had great dives. No problems and no one checked my computer. BTW, no one asked to see a tech card either.

 

[boulderjohn]

Light deco is a few minutes longer than a safety stop. The odds of a recall occurring at any time are incredibly remote. The odds that one would occur in the minute or two after everyone else has completed a safety stop and before you are done with a couple more minutes of light deco are even more remote than that.

 

[KenGordon]

Not a boatload. Just the diver who chose to take his conservastive computer into 10 minutes of deco and then refused to surface so the boat can head in with an unconscious diver as instructed by the CG who has a boat under way to meet them. It only makes a 20 minute difference in getting care for the stricken diver. A bit less time maybe if there is a helicopter available. In the TX gulf the boat ussually needs to get to a suitable oil rig to make the transfer.

Yeah, my Oceanic computer leaves no sign that I worked off a deco obligation. I suppose those that log dives in high detail would show deco if the crew had a download capability

If the dive has a time limit, say you must be back on the surface after an hour, then expecting divers to be up before that seems unrealistic. If for whatever reason a diver cannot surface then they cannot surface. it is important to have a plan and that plan be understood by everyone involved.

Here an unconscious diver will probably mean a helicopter. Standard training includes how to deal with a helicopter. The boat may have to leave divers to accommodate the helicopter but would return as soon as possible once the casualty was removed. Skippers have no expectation that divers can just surface on demand but like to know what people are doing.

In your example how did they recall the rest of the divers?

 

[redacted]

Light deco is a few minutes longer than a safety stop. The odds of a recall occurring at any time are incredibly remote. The odds that one would occur in the minute or two after everyone else has completed a safety stop and before you are done with a couple more minutes of light deco are even more remote than that.

Sure, it is an unlikely event. Yet t is a realistic scenario where one diver intentionaly violates the established dive conditions resulting in a potential endangerment of another diver. Now, if your plan to handle such an event is to blow off the deco stop, since it is short and almost surely unecessary, then it should not effect others.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

I have had a DM accuse me of going into Deco - I had not but he wanted to see my dive computer - he could not read it and that was the end of that.
Won't recommend or dive that boat in NJ again....

 

[redacted]

. Skippers have no expectation that divers can just surface on demand but like to know what people are doing.

In your example how did they recall the rest of the divers?

True, some boats do not have a recall plan. But many others do. It usually involves banging on a ladder or metal hull and is covered in the dive briefing. And it works unless a diver chooses to ignore it.

 

[scubadada]

Light deco is a few minutes longer than a safety stop. The odds of a recall occurring at any time are incredibly remote. The odds that one would occur in the minute or two after everyone else has completed a safety stop and before you are done with a couple more minutes of light deco are even more remote than that.

I would not hesitate to directly surface from a no deco dive. I would not particularly want to surface with, 5, 10, 15 minutes of deco time. It's probably best that rec trips do not allow deco.

The real logistical problem arises on mixed rec/tech trips, increasingly common