Help in understanding an alert on the Suunto Vyper Air

[ohecht]

Hi,

I had an alert on my Vyper Air yesterday that I didn't understand. I could not find any explanation for it in the manual and would like to know if anyone knows the reason for it.

My dive was to 24 meters, once we finished we started to surface but did not do it vertically but diagonally towards the surface. At some point I noticed my buddy was a bit shallower than me by 2-3 meters then I swam towards him. While doing that my ascent rate was too quick and the computer's ascent rate indicator went to the top, blinked twice and then a "stop" sign came up. When I noticed it I maintained my depth which was at 9 meters.
The display was exactly the same as a normal dive display except for the "stop" sign, it had no timer for how long I should maintain this depth. I held my depth for about 4-5 minutes and nothing changed, therefore I decided to continue my ascent at the slowest pace possible (I was starting to worry for air pressure in my tank, which I wanted for the safety stop) until I reached 6 meters for my safety stop.
Once I reached the safety stop I had a "ceiling" sign that showed me that I should remain for 1 minute below 3 meters, and once I cleared that I had the mandatory safety stop of 3 minutes. After that all went back to normal.

My question is regarding the "stop" sign that appeared after I had a fast ascent. Why did it only show me the stop sign with no timer? Did it mean I should advance to the safety stop depth and then have the additional safety stop, or should I stop at my current depth and maintain it (Although it had no timer running).

I could not find this in the manual, it only says that in case of a rapid ascent I will have the additional safety stop time.
My settings are deepstop disabled and RGBM 100%.

Thanks,

Oren.

 

[melanie.]

Sounds to me like you had a deco obligation (ceiling of 3 meters and then the safety stop)

Is it possible that it just displays 'STOP' when you have a mandatory stop needed? Meaning it has nothing to do with your current depth, but making you aware you cannot surface without making a stop

Why would you disable deep stops?

 

[Hatul]

I have the Vyper which is similar. When you exceed the max allowed ascent rate the stop appears and the depth starts to blink. You're penalized with a mandatory safety stop between 6 and 3 m.

You're supposed to slow your ascent and ascend to between 6 and 3 meters. I think the computer was waiting for you to do that. When you reach 6 meters the computer will show Ceiling and the 3 meter ceiling and how long you're supposed to stay there. The wait includes the 3 min safety stop. You're supposed to stay there until that clears.

Adam

 

[reefduffer]

I'm in agreement with Hatul. I'm just chiming in to suggest you read your Vyper Air manual section 5.10.2 on pages 27-28. Much better to get it straight from Suunto for your model of computer than rely on internet advice, even when that is correct. I'd also recommend at least the related section 6.1.6 Decompression Dives.

I learn something every time I reread my Cobra manual, even if its something I once knew from a previous reading. It's too late to refresh your understanding when you're at 10 meters.

 

[tstormdiver]

I've had that happen a few times. The Suunto's are VERY conservative on bottom time & ascent rates (not necessarily a bad thing). What it is,... is a mandatory safety stop, caused by ascending too quickly. If you ignore this stop, it will not lock you out (as in a missed deco obligation), but it will heavily penalize your dive time on the next dive & give you an extended surface interval.

 

[Hatul]

It's unfortunate the computers are so cryptic. You'd think they could program it so when you press a button the display would give you an explanation in English what's going on and what it expects you to do.

Adam

 

[muzikbiz22]

Why would you disable deep stops?

I have a D4i and I do NOT have this feature enabled, (Deep Stops), as they are an optional function/feature, not mandatory. That's what Deco Stops (if necessary) and Safety Stops are for. If you are ascending at a proper rate and have not gone in to Deco, what's the point. Besides, as you are ascending (and descending), your Suunto (or dive computer) is constantly adjusting your NDL display "on the fly". I'm not saying it's a bad feature, function or idea. I just think it's a little too redundant, and is something that is not really "taught" anyways. The manual says every time you cut your ceiling in half, (with this function enabled), you will be alarmed to make a Deep Stop. Well, wouldn't you be spend a third to half of your dive at a Deep Stop ? Think about it Everyone I know with a Suunto does NOT have this function enabled, as well.

 

[ohecht]

Thanks guys,

Now I see that on section 5.10.2 "Mandatory Safety Stops" it says exactly as all of you stated, that I should advance to the safety stop depth and clear both my usual safety stop plus my penalty safety stop.
I was looking for it under ascent rate therefore couldn't find it.

Regarding the deepstops, on my SSI training we never spoke about deepstops therefore I never heard of it. Once I got my computer, same as muzikbiz22 said, none of my buddies nor dive masters that I ever dove with used this feature. Even when I asked them about it they said they just don't use it.

The question is how much safer is it? If it has been proven that deepstops are safer than normal diving, why don't they teach it in OW training? I can only relate to SSI's OW training since I never did anything else. Is there a diving organization that teaches deepstops?

 

[tstormdiver]

All decompression theory is just that,... theory, there are no absolutes. Everyone's physical make up is different, so how we each react to these physiological changes is different. Computers operate off of common formulas, depth & time readings to give the diver a represnetation of the amount of nitrogen that may be stored in various tissues. There are some that subscribe to the thought that doing a stop at 1/2 the deepest depth for 1 to 2 minutes, is safer because gives the body time to catch up when it comes to lessening of pressure & the release of disolved nitrogen from the tissues, instead of going all the way up to 15 ft then letting the body catch up, there. The deep stop can not be very long, however. If it is more than a minute or two, then ongasing of nitrogen starts again & the reason for a deep stop is lost. Obviously there is much more to this theory & there is much controversey over the practice. Some see it as an additional safety measure,.... kind of like when it was originally suggested to make a safety stop, would make a dive safer. Conversely there are those that see no practical reason to make a deep stop.

 

[ajduplessis]

The problem is that the typical users don’t understand the various algorithms or techniques like deep stops. RGBM takes a view that you have bubbles and want to get rid of them, thus the stop giving your lungs time to get rid of bubbles while they are still small/compressed.

Deep stop are also not long stops like you indicated (1/3 or half of dive time) and should not exceed 2min depending on you profile. During a 100 ft dive with a very gradual ascent with deep stops enabled a Suunto will most likely not even trigger deep stops because of the slow/gradual ascent (off-gassing the bubbles).

Generally recreational diving does not require deep stops unless you dive to 100ft plus and then you should only have one deep stop and the recommended safety stop.

I have a D4i and I do NOT have this feature enabled, (Deep Stops), as they are an optional function/feature, not mandatory. That's what Deco Stops (if necessary) and Safety Stops are for. If you are ascending at a proper rate and have not gone in to Deco, what's the point. Besides, as you are ascending (and descending), your Suunto (or dive computer) is constantly adjusting your NDL display "on the fly". I'm not saying it's a bad feature, function or idea. I just think it's a little too redundant, and is something that is not really "taught" anyways. The manual says every time you cut your ceiling in half, (with this function enabled), you will be alarmed to make a Deep Stop. Well, wouldn't you be spend a third to half of your dive at a Deep Stop ? Think about it Everyone I know with a Suunto does NOT have this function enabled, as well.