Rule of Halves?

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Curly

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Location
Pennsylvania and New Hampshire
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200 - 499
While traveling this week, I had lots of time to read on planes, and came across an article that detailed some new thinking from NAUI regarding safety stops.

Simply stated, the new guidelines say that for any dive 40 ft. or deeper, you should take a one-minute stop at half the deepest depth, and then another two-three minute stop at the regular 15 ft.

Sounds easy enough to make a habit out of. Has anyone else read about this?

g
 
I've tried to make a 1 minute stop at about 40' for years. It cuts way down the CO2 headache, and can't hurt the bubble trouble.

Seems the Deco Gods have found out now that it decreases silent bubbles a bunch.

FT
 
I know that when I do a wall dive I lose the little headache if I take a couple of little stops along the way. For example tomorrow I'm diving the backwall of molokini. I'll drop down to 120 or so. Cruise for a couple of minutes then go up to a shelf that's about 90 feet and hang there for awhile and gradually work my way up. When I do this I honestly never get a headache. But if I go deep, then head on up to 40 or so without stopping I usually get the headache. This stopping at 1/2 the distance makes sense to me. Tomorrow I'll give it a shot.

I've also been doing my safety stops for a bit longer. Instead of 3 minutes I've been doing 5. I believe it was DAN that said the 5 minute stop really cuts back on DCI.
 
These guidelines may be something new for NAUI, but GUE has been advocating deep stops for quite a while now. It's actually quite different than the "rule of halves" that you mentioned here.



Curly once bubbled...
While traveling this week, I had lots of time to read on planes, and came across an article that detailed some new thinking from NAUI regarding safety stops.

Simply stated, the new guidelines say that for any dive 40 ft. or deeper, you should take a one-minute stop at half the deepest depth, and then another two-three minute stop at the regular 15 ft.

Sounds easy enough to make a habit out of. Has anyone else read about this?

g
 
Curly once bubbled...
While traveling this week, I had lots of time to read on planes, and came across an article that detailed some new thinking from NAUI regarding safety stops.

Simply stated, the new guidelines say that for any dive 40 ft. or deeper, you should take a one-minute stop at half the deepest depth, and then another two-three minute stop at the regular 15 ft.

Sounds easy enough to make a habit out of. Has anyone else read about this?

g

I understand from NetDoc that this is a new Naui standard. It makes a lot of sense and I wouldn't be surprised to see some other agencies follow suit.

R..
 
detroit diver once bubbled...
These guidelines may be something new for NAUI, but GUE has been advocating deep stops for quite a while now. It's actually quite different than the "rule of halves" that you mentioned here.
Whats the big difference?
 
Blue Space once bubbled...

Whats the big difference?

If my Scubaboard DIR training is correct, the rule of halves is thus: After subtracting your rock bottom gas, use 1/2 of the gas for going and 1/2 for coming. This is only for dives where going time = coming time and you have access to the surface at all times.
 
Here is something I do that I would like the experts to comment on. It is along the same lines as the rule of halves and I think it may be benificial in this thread. I due a one minute stop at half the depth but from there I slowly ascend ten foot then I stop for the remainder of that minute, then I ascend ten foot and stop for the ramainder of that minute. I continue that till I reach my safety stop and due a minimum of 3 minutes there. This helps me keep my ascents slow and I feel it has been benificial to me. Any comments? Is this good/bad?
 
jonnythan once bubbled...


If my Scubaboard DIR training is correct, the rule of halves is thus: After subtracting your rock bottom gas, use 1/2 of the gas for going and 1/2 for coming. This is only for dives where going time = coming time and you have access to the surface at all times.

I thought that too when I read the title but what the original poster is refering to is a new NAUI recommendation to make a 1 min stop in your ascent 1/2 way between your maximum depth and the surface.

R..
 
double it sounds like a very safe plan to me. It's tougher to do if you are doing a dive over a wreck or something like that and easy to do on a wall. At least the wall gives you something to look at.

slow be good
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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