That dive supervisor in the Gulf told me my deco stops were too fast

I was working a 90-foot job near Port Fourchon last month, and the supervisor pulled me aside after a dive. He said I was rushing the 10-foot stops and to add 3 extra minutes per stop no matter how cold the water was. I thought he was being overly cautious until I saw his logbook showing 12 years without a hit. Has anyone else run into supervisors who are dead set on specific deco habits?

2 comments

2 Comments

grayt463d ago

Wait, you're saying he told you 3 extra minutes per stop no matter how cold it was? That part doesn't sit right with me, cause water temp actually changes how fast your body offgasses. Colder water means more blood flow to your core, so your tissues load up faster and need longer deco. Warm water is the opposite. A good supervisor should adjust stops based on temperature, not use a blanket rule. I've seen guys get bent in warm water because they followed cold water tables and didn't slow down enough. You might wanna double check his logbook too, 12 years without a hit could mean he's just been lucky or not pushing deep enough dives.

nathan_thompson623d ago

Ngl, I see it different. Cold water shunts blood to your core yeah, but it also slows offgassing in the extremities which a smart sup accounts for by adding time on shallow stops, not just blanket rules.

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