Deep stops, Pyle stops, Gradient Factor

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As you teach the classroom portion of deep diving and deco, make sure you point out NAUI's 5 to 7 min stops at 15 ft protocols, for accidental deco. These are shown on all the old USN-based NAUI dive tables.

Unfortunately the newest NAUI RGBM NDL tables do not have anything like that anymore, and so it will become a lost art for NDL divers, if it ever was an art.

I teach all divers to stop at 1/2 their max dive depth for 1 minute, remembering to ascend at the very slow rate of 1 ft every 2 seconds. After 1 min there, I teach them to ascend slowly again to 1/2 of that for the second 1 minute safety stop. Finally, then, after a further slow ascent, I teach that they should stop at 15 ft for 3 mins.

For a 100 ft dive, this gives stops at 50 ft, 25 ft, and 15 ft for a total of 5 mins. I was teaching that way long before NAUI adopted it subsequent to Dr. Weinke's research. It always made sense to me, thanks to Pyle's writings on it.

For a 75 ft dive, the first stop is 40 ft, the second stop is 20 ft, and the final stop is 15 ft.

For a 50 ft dive, the first stop is 25 ft, and the second and final stop is 15 ft.

For a 30 ft dive or less, you proceed directly to 15 ft.

NDL diving, per se, allows you to proceed directly to the surface without a safety stop, as long as your ascent rate is 1 ft every 2 seconds, and as long as you are well hydrated and you did not push the limits of the NDL tables. The limited bottom time and the slow ascent become the major recreational decompression mechanisms.

The safety stops are simply an added measure of safety.

The deep stops evolved into practice as a result of better undertanding the effect of higher gradients during ascents. They are not written in stone, like the 10 Commandments were.
 
DepartureDiver:
Agreed ... thanks for digging yourself out of work for a little while to chime in.


I didn't want you having all the fun ;-)

BTW, I spoke to AG about your PM and after 4/15th I'll call you and we'll move forward from there..

Thanks
 
neophytediver:
MHK that helps a lot. Even more for me to consider. Like I said, I like the "idea" of deep stops, but feel that the way they're being executed is odd. I've always felt that ascent rate was just as important as making a safety stop, but it's something that isn't stressed as much. These are all things I will have to consider once my ITC starts and after I've taken my first students. Thanks!
Like others have said, the stops can help teach people to slow their ascent rates. Think of the deep stops "as" being a slow ascent. A 1 minute stop every 10' is really just slowing the ascent rate to 10'/minute. And then you can add some time to 10 or 15'. This concept only helps divers grasp the importance of a 20' to 30'/min. ascent rate to the first safety stop. There are reasons for the benefits behind the slow ascents/stops, but it is beyond the scope of this thread, plus Mike did a good job touching on it.
 
pipedope:
If you make an extra stop it does a few good things.

It slows your overall ascent rate.
It gives you extra practice at bouyancy control and at being able to stop at a desired depth.

Plus you get to watch the fish and the sand dabs longer, and think about what you are going to order at the restaurant after you are done diving for the day.

Those sand dabs with lemon are really delicious!
 
Not only can the students work on bouyancy and such but it will give them the tools they will use when out of class, besides it dosent hurt. My (O/W) instr naver had us do saftey stops (shallow or deep) sure we read about them but in the water he said "following the reef is like a saftey stop"...Yes it was for that dive site but nott for my future ones (out of class). So if you teach your students the right way from the begging they will thank you down the road.
 
IndigoBlue:
Plus you get to watch the fish and the sand dabs longer, and think about what you are going to order at the restaurant after you are done diving for the day.

That's what I'm saying.

For the most part I just try to keep nice, stepped profiles anway... but if it's one of those "down the anchor line then back up the anchor line" dives I'ma do half my depth, then maybe about half that (depending on just how deep we've been), then the 15 foot stop... each for 3 to 5 minutes. The 15 foot stop I'll hang around for ... well ... for just about as long as air will allow; then take at least a minute to get from 15 feet to the surface.

I don't understand why everyone is always in such a hurry to get out of the water for.
 
IndigoBlue:
As you teach the classroom portion of deep diving and deco, make sure you point out NAUI's 5 to 7 min stops at 15 ft protocols, for accidental deco. These are shown on all the old USN-based NAUI dive tables.

For a 75 ft dive, the first stop is 40 ft, the second stop is 20 ft, and the final stop is 15 ft.

For a 50 ft dive, the first stop is 25 ft, and the second and final stop is 15 ft.

For a 30 ft dive or less, you proceed directly to 15 ft.
.

I agree with your concept and practice just about the same thing. But, is there really any difference between 20 feet and 15 feet (besides 5 feet)? I honestly don't think most divers could hang that precisely if they tried, including me.
 
I am interested in any information regarding the theory on deep stops. Let me know if you have any input.
 
for a basic discusison, check out this month's edition of DAN's Alert Diver.

also, looks like some recreational agencies (NAUI chief amongst them) are going to start suggesting a 1-minute stop at half the dive depth followed by a 1-2 minute stop at 15-20 feet.

also, check out this article from Diver Magazine (UK):

http://www.divernet.com/news/stories/bends261003.shtml
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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