Question What's your safety stop depth?

[rick00001967]

i stop at 15 feet. no shallower.

as long as i stay between 15 and 19 feet my computer keeps the 3 minute countdown going.

i then stay another couple of minutes there. then i ascend as slow as i can to the surface.

many divers bolt to the surface when they hit the 3 minute mark. whats the hurry? not only is smart to ascend the last 15 feet as slow as you can, but you may see other critters.

i am almost always the last onto the boat

 

[Belzelbub]

I didn’t really see any of the poll options that worked for me.

I view Safety Stops as Optional, but do them on just about every dive. I have my computer set to Adaptive Safety Stop, so it will be 3 minutes or 5 minutes depending on the dive. Generally, I target 15’, but don’t correct if it’s between 14-20’.

I also check out my SurfGF during the stop, and would have no problems ending early or omitting the stop if necessary.

 

[Bob DBF]

None of the answers seems to fit my use of the safety stop so I skipped the poll.

I will do a safety stop in deference to my computer, somewhere between 10' and 20' as the computer allows. Depending on the dive, I may skip the stop, unless I'm buddied with someone who does them.

The computer gives a reading of N2 exposure, and if I'm in the red I will however, loiter at the ss until it drops.

 

[tursiops]

if you stayed at safety stop depth for a week, you could still go directly to the surface.

...SLOWLY. Just because the SS is over doesn't mean you can shoot to th esurface.

 

[boulderjohn]

...SLOWLY. Just because the SS is over doesn't mean you can shoot to th esurface.

Of course. When the safety stop is over, the ascent to the surface should be nice and slow. As I said earlier, that last 10 feet has a significant drop in ambient pressure.

 

[tursiops]

The History of the Safety Stop says why it is 15 ft; since that is the only actual research that has been done, that is why it is still 15 ft.

 

[TMHeimer]

The History of the Safety Stop says why it is 15 ft; since that is the only actual research that has been done, that is why it is still 15 ft.

That's what I figured. I did read somewhere is used to be recommended 10 feet until someone figured that may be dangerous for overhead boats. I've also read that you should keep your chest at the 15' level if possible (a PADI manual perhaps?). Then I also read anywhere between 10 and 20 feet is fine. So I take from that that it doesn't really matter which you do because of lack of studies.

 

[dmaziuk]

That's what I figured. I did read somewhere is used to be recommended 10 feet until someone figured that may be dangerous for overhead boats. I've also read that you should keep your chest at the 15' level if possible (a PADI manual perhaps?). Then I also read anywhere between 10 and 20 feet is fine. So I take from that that it doesn't really matter which you do because of lack of studies.

Theoretically 7.8 msw is the no-limit depth, above that you cannot on-gas to "unsafe" level, you can only off-gas. 3 m is the traditional spacing of deco stops, 3 msw can be tricky to hold, and I've no idea who picked 5 instead of 6, or why.

Cressi Leo triggers at 6.5 m and keeps the countdown to 7-ish, maybe even 7.8. Between that and 10 the countdown is suspended but not reset. At the top end it breaks at 1-1.5 msw, I don't remember -- I suspect at that depth, between the swell and the resolution of its depth sensor, it can't be expected to track reliably anyway.

On shore dives we can easily take 10-15 minutes to get from 6.5 msw to the exit point, on boat dives we'd hang for 3 minutes in the SS "zone" before slowly going up or hanging some more.

Edit: didn't vote as there's no fitting option.

 

[tursiops]

I've no idea who picked 5 instead of 6, or why.

See post #16.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I start at 20’, slowly move up to 15’ after a couple of minutes, pause for at least 1 min, then slowly ascend taking typically around 1 min to surface from 15’.

I didn’t vote in the pole because there was no option for that type of safety stop profile.

I dive shearwater computers so I get credit for anything between 10 and 20 feet for my safety stop.