Deep stop hand signal?

[EFX]

Some dive computers for recreational diving incorporate deep stops when dives get near the NDL. Before I got my Perdix I dove with a Mares Puck which used the RGBM algorithm which does use deep stops. You could set the deep stop to either 1 or 2 minutes. I remember a dive to about 100 ft to within 5 minutes of NDL. The computer told me to do a 49 ft stop for 1 minute. I ascended following a gently sloping reef at a fairly slow ascent speed and when I got to about 55 ft the deep stop was gone. Presumably, there was enough off-gassing on the ascent to not require the deep stop. I'm with others that say unless your DC uses deep stops do not plan them for recreational dives within the NDL.

 

[BlueTrin]

I’m probably repeating somebody here but I think it bears repeating.

Deep stops are outside the scope of recreational diving, they are in the realm of technical diving. Deep stops are not part of recreational courses (that I’m aware of) so you’re not missing a key skill. I would continue following your recreational computer’s management of your recreational diving profile.

Deep stops are an unproven technique that has undergone much debate lately so trying to integrate them into a recreational dive profile is not going to be met with much support or endorsement by dive educators and leaders.

Out of curiosity, how did you come under the impression that you need to incorporate deep stops in your recreational dive profile?

Like @EFX said, I had a Suunto d4i, which sometimes asked me to do deepstops. Somehow I had the deepstop setting activated.

Sometimes it asked me to do a stop at depth and would display deepstop on screen (if I remember correctly). I assumed that the OP had the same issue rather than trying to incorporate his deepstops in a dive plan.

 

[NothingClever]

Some dive computers for recreational diving incorporate deep stops when dives get near the NDL. Before I got my Perdix I dove with a Mares Puck which used the RGBM algorithm which does use deep stops.

Thanks for getting me caught up...I obviously did not know deep stops had made it into recreational PDCs.

 

[Bierstadt]

Skipping over whether to do deep stops at all to address OP's question, don't forget to be sure that your stop is part of the dive plan and understood by all. Just because a signal is standardized doesn't mean your buddy knows it, in which case we are back to underwater charades. "Oh look, buddy is signalling. I wonder what it means. Umm, hmm, not up, not cold, not need air, I just signal okay?" Personally the only signal I use on deep and safety stops is fingers for the time, because my buddies know the plan.

 

[shurite7]

Thanks for getting me caught up...I obviously did not know deep stops had made it into recreational PDCs.

Deep Stops in the recreational community have been around since at least 2003. When I worked in the tropics the stops were used as part of the dive plan when we made the guided deep dive. The main debate among staff on the island was the deep stop at half the depth or half the pressure; the latter is the accurate answer, but we noticed the vast majority of the customers could not figure out what the depth was for half the pressure of 100 feet. The deep stop wasn't mandatory, just practiced during the guided deep dive.

 

[racerx_]

this is actually something i've been curious about as it the issue of deep stops comes up pretty regularly. when i started diving it seemed like people were a little more 'pro' deep stop, and i activated it on my dive come. basically a stop at half the max depth. I see that most are now 'against' the recreational deep stop for the reasons mentioned already in the thread.. i have to say though, i tend to feel better after a deep dive when i've done a deep stop

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

this is actually something i've been curious about as it the issue of deep stops comes up pretty regularly. when i started diving it seemed like people were a little more 'pro' deep stop, and i activated it on my dive come. basically a stop at half the max depth. I see that most are now 'against' the recreational deep stop for the reasons mentioned already in the thread.. i have to say though, i tend to feel better after a deep dive when i've done a deep stop

I am not sure what a recreational deep stop is. Deep stops are something used (or not used) in decompression dives. Those against deep stops, including me, are speaking about deco dives and not a recreational dive.

On a recreational dive (a dive to a MOD of 40 meters within NDL) all one needs is a proper ascent rate and a safety stop. For what it is worth, I use 9m/min as my ascent rate.

 

[racerx_]

I am not sure what a recreational deep stop is. Deep stops are something used (or not used) in decompression dives. Those against deep stops, including me, are speaking about deco dives and not a recreational dive.

On a recreational dive (a dive to a MOD of 40 meters within NDL) all one needs is a proper ascent rate and a safety stop. For what it is worth, I use 9m/min as my ascent rate.

yeah i understand and have followed the reasoning here. I'm not arguing what is NEEDED (i would hope we're all aware of recreational limits, ascent rates, and what these imply since this is the advanced forum). i'm just saying the 'deep stop' recommended by my computer (oceanic geo 2.0) is a stop for 2 or 3 minutes at half max depth for a 'deep dive'. i can't remember off hand what qualifies as a deep dive for the computer but i think its something like 25 meters+. i guess this is something like what was popularized by Richard Pyle's experience, and perhaps i'm feeling the same thing as him. I didn't start trying the deep stop cause of some setting on my computer, but had read a fair amount about it in the forums and elsewhere and tried it out as sometimes i did feel 'funky' after a dive early on. I wonder if individual physiology plays a large part in how you end up feeling after a dive, including the element of the 'deep stop'.

I'm not saying it's a good idea, but this type of deep stop (for rec, not decompression diving) would presume that you ascend to the depth of the deep stop relatively quickly after hitting max depth. if you're taking your time all the way up i would guess there's little to no benefit (if there is any to begin with). all i know is i feel markedly better when i do them on deeper dives.

 

[BlueTrin]

yeah i understand and have followed the reasoning here. I'm not arguing what is NEEDED (i would hope we're all aware of recreational limits, ascent rates, and what these imply since this is the advanced forum). i'm just saying the 'deep stop' recommended by my computer (oceanic geo 2.0) is a stop for 2 or 3 minutes at half max depth for a 'deep dive'. i can't remember off hand what qualifies as a deep dive for the computer but i think its something like 25 meters+. i guess this is something like what was popularized by Richard Pyle's experience, and perhaps i'm feeling the same thing as him. I didn't start trying the deep stop cause of some setting on my computer, but had read a fair amount about it in the forums and elsewhere and tried it out as sometimes i did feel 'funky' after a dive early on. I wonder if individual physiology plays a large part in how you end up feeling after a dive, including the element of the 'deep stop'.

I'm not saying it's a good idea, but this type of deep stop (for rec, not decompression diving) would presume that you ascend to the depth of the deep stop relatively quickly after hitting max depth. if you're taking your time all the way up i would guess there's little to no benefit (if there is any to begin with). all i know is i feel markedly better when i do them on deeper dives.

So if you went to do a half depth stop for a 25m dive, would you stay 3mins at 12m in addition to a stop at 6m ?

Are you feeling better because you just did a longer stop or because you did a deeper stop ?

I.e. would you feel even better if you doubled the time you stopped at 6m and didn’t stop at 12m ?

 

[flymolo]

perhaps just slowing your ascent rate from 30fpm to 10fpm starting at roughly half your average depth (but still doing a 3m stop at 10ft) would yield similar results