Safety Stops and old practices

[Diver0001]

I believe on repetitive dives the Navy tables are more conservative than some others.
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That's quite possible. IIRC the SI times on the Navy tables were calculated using the 120min 1/2 time. The PADI tables (and may some others) use the 60min 1/2 time.

R..

 

[dpbishop]

An interesting thread, this. I checked my 1975 edition of the Sport Divers Manual last night and it had no mention of a safety stop at any depth for any length of time for a NDL dive. It also recommended inflating your horse collar to initiate the ascent.

I did not do safety stops for my 1st 28 years of diving because I never heard of them until diving with a DM in La Paz, (the first dives with a DM since I was certified) and I suffered no ill consequences. Having been introduced to the concept, however, I now do them on any dive exceeding 40'. Verifiable scientific data trumps personal experience IMHO.

The fact that people have shot at you and missed does not mean ducking bullets is an excessive safety precaution.eepwalla:

 

[nereas]

...

S&P Page 2.16 Changed wording
It is recommended that following dives in excess of 40 feet (12m), divers make a two to three minute stop (with two and one-half minutes being optimum) at a depth that is half that of the deepest depth reached during the dive and make a precautionary stop in the 10-20 feet (3-6m) zone for one minute before returning to the surface. The precautionary stop time may be considered "neutral time" - not counted as either dive time or surface interval time...[/i]

I have not ever heard of an "inverted pyramid" stop schedule like this before, in other words, longer at the first stop than at the last stop.

But I am glad that 1/2 of MOD is getting more visibility.

 

[Gene_Hobbs]

Also, note that DAN is currently sponsoring another study specifically to determine the effects of ascent rate on subclinical bubble formation. Results are forthcoming, should be interesting!

Hate to break it to you but this study has been over for a while. The final publication has just not been written. Below is the only publication that has been issued to date:

Vote, DAP and Vann, RD. 2003 DAN USA Ascent Rate Study (Abstract only work in progress) South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society Journal. 33(1) RRR ID: 7760

Nice post above BTW... That sort of answers my earlier question about utilization of the most recent Bennett et. al. work.