Safety stops: First Dive post-Open Water Course

[Storker]

Like others have said, if its been 24 hours, you feel fine and you aren't showing any symptoms which may indicate DCS, there's no reason to believe that there's anything wrong. But if you feel unsure, a phone call to DAN may be a good thing.

And if you were one of my clubmates, I'd recommend you to do some shorter, shallower dives while working on your buoyancy control and operation of your BCD before going to the limits of the table. You don't have to dive to 18-20m; there's usually a lot of cool stuff to see in the shallows. Some of my coolest dives have been to no more than 10m.

 

[Diver-Drex]

Recreational diving does not require a stop. It's an optional, recommended "safety stop"; which can be omitted without much if any risk of DCS. Especially from the relatively shallow dive with a short bottom time that was described. You weren't even close to the NDL limits.

In addition, it's been almost a full day since the last dive with no symptoms that indicate decompression sickness.

Relax, you're fine.



I just have to ask. What does it matter what wetsuit was worn, if any?

The issue isn’t not doing a safety stop. The issue is self described rapid ascents on consecutive dives. I agree this diver seems fine but since I’m not a doctor I won’t give medical advice.

The prudent thing to do if you have a dive related medical concern is to seek medical advice from experts. A call to DAN takes far less time and will be far more productive than posting a concern on an internet forum.

 

[Rooster59]

If you're looking for the PADI RDP in feet

https://elearning.padi.com/company0/tools/RDP_Table Imp.pdf

 

[Dominik_E]

Well, the way of thinking to always be on the safe side and ask experts has benefits, absolutely no doubt. But on the other hand, everything in the world operates under limited resources. How many rapid ascents from shallow sport diving depths happen around the world every day? Imagine every person that has this happen and feels OK afterwards still calling DAN or visiting a hospital...

If in doubt, no question, get expert advice. But if you have no issues after 24 hours, the overwhelming likelihood is you are OK. For sure, as others have commented, most important is to train safe ascends now.

 

[drk5036]

More importantly at this point, have you pinpointed WHY you had *two* back to back rapid uncontrolled ascents? Being underweighted shouldn’t really be a good excuse, because If you were severely underweighted you should have noticed pre-descent. A little bit underweight might make the safety stop difficult but you shouldn’t shoot to the surface...

 

[Jiminy]

I'm with everyone on the uncontrolled ascents they really really really should not happen. Try to approach your safety stop depth slowly in a controlled manner.

I am also of the opinion that gas permitting they should have immediately gone back down and done a 5 minute safety stop. Just my opinion, What does everyone else think?

 

[Bob DBF]

Thanks for ur reply! During my first dive, I forgotten to deflate my bcd and only inflate on the way up so I ascend really quickly. During my second dive, I went up more slowly but unable to stop for the safety stop. (both dives were about an hour apart)

From this quote alone i agree with @Graeme Fraser advice to find a benign reasonablely shallower area to practice. The rapid ascents can become a serious problem if they are not corrected.

I am also of the opinion that gas permitting they should have immediately gone back down and done a 5 minute safety stop. Just my opinion, What does everyone else think?

Assuming I didn't make the stop, I'd let anyone on the surface know what I was doing, and join you for the stop.


Bob

 

[boat sju]

I am also of the opinion that gas permitting they should have immediately gone back down and done a 5 minute safety stop. Just my opinion, What does everyone else think?

That's a debate unto itself. Personally, I wouldn't do it because I don't recall ever reading that it's proven to do any good.

247365, Most of us have probably had a runaway ascent at some point. An air embolism scares me more than the bends. Remember to exhale if it happens again - which I'm sure it won't. And no you don't have an embolism - you would known it if you did.

If I would have called DAN every time I thought I had the bends in my first 25 or so dives I would have been on a first name basis with their techs. Not that I'm trying to talk you out of calling if you're that worried, just you're not alone in worrying. It doesn't hurt to read up on symptoms.

boat

 

[yle]

Thanks for posting that. I have no explanation for why an optional safety stop would be "required" and don't ever recall seeing that the last time I used tables. That much being said, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the "required safety stop" as presented in the tables is still optional, and don't believe everything you read even if it's printed on a PADI dive table.

I think PADI changed the rules to be more conservative. The physics haven't changed of course.

Those grey zones on your RDP are recommended Safety Stops, not required Safety Stops. A Safety Stop is never required when using the RDP - only Emergency Deco stops are required, if you ever exceed your NDL.

You're both right. Unfortunately, most OW training is designed to give new divers simple rules to follow so they have some framework through which to plan their dives. When it comes to "recommended" or "required" safety stops, what we really want to know is "what are the consequences if we skip it?"

Because the fact is that nothing in diving is "required", and anything anyone claims is "required' is really just "recommended" by someone. Which means it's just someone's opinion, which might or might not be based on relevant experience. Some people will claim a drysuit is "required" to go ice diving... but there's nothing physically stopping someone from gearing up and jumping into freezing water in their swimtrunks. (Okay, the absence of a willing buddy might be a problem...)

I looked up the meaning of the "required" statement on the PADI RDP a while ago, so I could give my students full disclosure. On the RDP, the white boxes are those for which making a safety stop vs skipping the safety stop made absolutely no statistical difference in the incidence of DCS. So why do a safety stop on these dives? Well, ummm... uhhh... because it's a good habit! is what most divers are told.

The grey boxes... for dives close to the NDL or deeper than 100 feet... were those for which a small statistical difference was found in the incidence of DCS. So PADI states that for these a safety stop is "required". But what if it's skipped? I'd be willing to bet the statistical difference is too small to cause concern, but just large enough to be measurable. Which means even skipping a "required" safety stop (as the OP admits to) for a recreational dive will very rarely cause DCS complications.

Ironically, it seems most new divers remember the "safety stop rule": ALWAYS MAKE A SAFETY STOP (so you won't get DCS)!! And yet, many of them seem to be unaware that ascent rates pose a much greater DCS risk than a missed safety stop. It would seem new OW divers would be better served if the importance of a slow ascent rate was stressed more than the "requirement" of a safety stop.

 

[jlcnuke]

Thanks for ur reply! During my first dive, I forgotten to deflate my bcd and only inflate on the way up so I ascend really quickly. During my second dive, I went up more slowly but unable to stop for the safety stop. (both dives were about an hour apart)

Honestly, this post concerns me more than anything else you have posted in this thread. You should not be inflating your BCD "on the way up" and you shouldn't be ascending "really quickly".

If you don't mind, would you please describe how you use your BCD for buoyancy control during a dive, as I think you may have a misunderstanding regarding how it should be used?