Why do we (here in Australia) have a 5 minute safety stop as opposed to the
3 minutes that other countries have ?

bc

"Hi-Soft" spam.com> wrote in message
news:9bCVj.153$IK1.28@news-server.bigpond.net.au...

When I first started diving it used to be 2-3min at 3ms for dives over 10
ms. I believe the change to 5m on the SS stop was that it was an easier
depth to maintain don't know why the time was changed maybe to compensate
for the slightly extra depth although a lot of the articles you can read
suggest 3-5 minutes. Maybe the 5min came around because boat and tour
operators where being on the conservative side. PADI I believe recommends 15
foot and a 3min+. I always do 5 at 5 except if it is a shore with a gradual
slope up to the egress point.

Hi-Soft wrote:

The short answer is, "if 3 minutes is good the 5 minutes is better."

The longer answer is:

1) A 3 minute stop probably is "good enough" provided that you
actually hold a depth of 5-6 metres and don't get above 4.5
metres at any time on the stop

2) A lot of beginners that I have observed really don't hold
their depth on the stop very well

"Don Gingrich" gmail.com> wrote in message
news:q6ednUOQM7xAE7rVnZ2dnUVZ_rjinZ2d@posted.internode...

O.K. that all makes sense..so thanks..

on a slightly different note...If I do a sure dive (Portsea Pier) is all
that erelevant...seeing that it's only a max depth of around 5 meters(
correct me if I'm wrong )..? My dive tables tell me it's a ND limit of about
4.5 hours at that shallow...

Also, what about if I surface a few times during this dive..? I plan on
doing a pier dive with a few buddies, just to get our new gear / weight all
sorted...

bc

cheers,
Hi-Soft
"dechucka" vomithotmail.com> wrote in message
news:482793d5$0$22120$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...

"Hi-Soft" hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4827ccc3$0$22173$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...

Hi-Soft wrote:

No worries, glad to assist. And if aus.sport.scuba can avoid
some of the acrimony I see in rec.scuba, the it's all to the good.

My suggestion, take it for what it's worth is to get under the pier
with a nearly empty cylinder, and empty your BCD. Then start removing
weight in small increments until you can fin pivot with no gas...

Thanks again Don ( and all ), for your invaluable advice ;)

cheers,
Hi-Soft
"Don Gingrich" gmail.com> wrote in message
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