Light deco?

[tursiops]

This past May I did 3 months of recreational diving in Palau.

Wow, you must have been really busy!

 

[RyanT]

For all my deep recreational dives (e.g. two tank charters on wrecks in the 100-130' range) I always carry a 40 cf bottle of 50%. I consider any deco obligation of 5 min or less on my 50% as light deco. As others have mentioned, its a rather loose term, but this is how I normally think about it.

 

[boulderjohn]

Wow, you must have been really busy!

My typing has been spectacularly bad in the last 24 hours. I am getting all sorts of ribbing for mistakes like that.

 

[rjack321]

I sometimes do what I would consider lite deco. I.e. bumping up or slightly exceeding a conservative NDL that other Navy or 100/100 Gfs wouldn't even consider a deco dive that then clears well before the safety stop (via multi leveling usually).

But I said "no" because I don't use the term. If I had to make up a term I would call it "modestly aggressive multilevel NDL diving."

 

[lowviz]

Yes, I use the term regularly. My definition of 'light deco' is both deliberate and in direct opposition to those who shun 'overly conservative' DCs.

I'll set my DC conservatively and happily do the (up to 15 minutes of) deco. If I had to blow that much deco off, it would only be a few minutes per the aggressive Navy Tables.

 

[RyanT]

I prefer the term "aggressively modest multilevel on-the-edge-of-deco diving"

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

When I was diving in the 70s 80s and 90s we were using the navy tables and considered "lite" deco to be mandatory deco stops of 15 minutes or less (i.e. a 3 min stop at 20' and 10 at 10'). This was planned in advance and done on backgas, usually with single tanks. Also, when I was certified in the 70s, there was only one level (unless you went instructor) and deco from the navy tables was taught as part of the course, and lite deco dives were done regularly to the 130' to 140' wrecks in my area.

Computers now change the equation because they have added conservatism over the navy tables even in "no conservatism" mode. So, I would consider "lite" deco nowadays as less than 15 minutes deco on my backgas following my computer algorithm.

I will say that, in recent years (now that I have reached 60) I am more cautious and have not done a "lite" deco dive in quite some time, and probably will try to avoid them in the future. But, if I go into deco on my computer it will not be any sort of anxiety-provoking event.

 

[broncobowsher]

I don't have a hard definition, but I do use the phrase. Pretty much a dive that may have a few minutes of deco. No deco gas needed, probably not even a true deco dive except the computer is set conservative enough that it gives me a stop. A little past the no deco limits, but not enough to haul a deco bottle with me.

 

[Jack Hammer]

I use and understand the term to mean relatively brief deco, maybe 10-15 minutes at most, and often does not 'require' the use of a dedicated deco gas. It in no way decreases the seriousness of deco diving or minimizes the potential associated risks.

 

[dmaziuk]

I think it is called "optional stop will be required" deco and The One True Algorithm has grey cells on its table for it.