Who should I listen to?

[maniago]

Do yourself a favor... right now. Take a look at nearby clock with a second hand and watch 30 seconds go by. That's a "30ft/min" rate, and it's a relatively l-o-n-g time. Certainly longer than it would take to "swim up to the ladder" from 15ft.

I'm guessing you're going too fast, and don't even realize it.

(We can save the can-of-worms discussion about doing a 60ft "deep stop" on a 100' recreational dive within NDLs for another time.

Haha, yes, lets not rehash discussions on this thread that come around at least once a quarter. That said, relax. It takes 30secs to travel the 15' at a constant rate. At ~6 sec a breath (just using normal above water breathing times), that's 5 breaths. I'd guess that I take a whole lot more than that just trying to judge the ladder's up and down motion so I don't get bonked in the head when I surface. I'll bet it takes me 2 mins to move up, position and go for it.

Really, though, I don't share your extra attention with surfacing from 15' vs the rest of the dive.

 

[RJP]

Really, though, I don't share your extra attention with surfacing from 15' vs the rest of the dive.

To be clear, I'm not saying give it "extra attention" but rather give it "the same attention" as the rest of the dive.

 

[maniago]

To be clear, I'm not saying give it "extra attention" but rather give it "the same attention" as the rest of the dive.

And with that, they both raised their glasses of half filled beer, clinked them together and drained them.....

 

[DCBC]

...Experienced divers in this thread... tell the truth, do you spend 30sec or more surfacing after completing your safety stop? Whether you do or not... do you see many other people take 30 seconds or longer to surface?

I do; especially now that I'm getting on in years, but I've always been cautious when it comes to DCS. As most of my diving is technical (on Heliox) and decompression takes-up much of the dive, it's natural to be focused on doing it properly.

I liken ascent to driving on a slippery road; I don't feel the need to drive at the speed limit. If it takes a bit longer to get there safely, that's ok. Some drive fast and get there without realizing the risks that they have taken. There's no hurry; slow down.

Some people I've known drink and drive. Because they haven't been in an accident, they feel somehow justified that it's ok; it's not.

Having lost a few friends because of DCS/AGE (one in-particular that is physically impaired because of DCS) and having suffered DCS in the form of Type I hit myself (likely due to superficial isobaric counter diffusion or ICD) I know that it's real. It's odd that it sometimes takes near tragedy to drive it home.