by
Larry "Harris" Taylor, Ph.D.
This material
is copyrighted and all rights retained by the author. This article is made
available as a service to the diving community by the author and may be
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There are an abundance of
dive tables available to the recreational diver. Each is, of course, the one
truly accurate representation of the decompression obligation incurred by each
individual diver over all diving applications.
My collection of air tables
A number of years ago, at a
Dynamics of Decompression Workshop given by Karl Huggins, participants were
asked to work the following dive scenario for the purpose of comparing time
allowed for no-required stop (No-D) for a number of tables.
The Preliminary Plan:
1. Dive 85 fsw (26
msw) for 20 minutes
2. Stay on surface for 2
hours and forty minutes
3. Dive 65 fsw (19 msw) for
20 minutes
4. Wait on the surface
5. Dive 53 fsw (16 msw)
Below, for the tables
evaluated, are
1. The specific tables
No-D time limit (in minutes) for a dive to
85 fsw.
2. After waiting 2 hours and
40 minutes, the maximum no-D time (in minutes) allowed by this table to dive a
second dive to 65 fsw.
3. Following a 2 nd dive of 30 minutes to 65 fsw, the time needed to wait on the surface before doing a third dive to 53 fsw for 40 minutes
Workshop Results
So, the "correct" time to spend on the surface prior to that third dive varies between 24 minutes and 16 hours. It all depends upon on your choice of dive table/profile planner!
Bottom line: Dive tables, like religions, are chosen on faith …
Choose carefully!
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About The
Author:
Larry "Harris"
Taylor, Ph.D. is a biochemist and Diving Safety Coordinator at the University of
Michigan. He has authored more than 100 scuba related articles. His personal
dive library (See Alert Diver, Mar/Apr, 1997, p. 54) is considered one of the
best recreational sources of information In North America.
All rights reserved.
Use of these articles for personal or organizational profit is specifically denied.
These articles may be used for not-for-profit diving education