Lesson 133

Lesson four: Cold and/or Strenuous Dives

Course Complete

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, I should be able to answer these questions:

1. Why are being cold and/or exerting myself strenuously issues with respect to decompression sickness risk?

2. What should I do if I am cold or exert myself strenuously on a dive?

Cold and/or Strenuous Dives

You’ve already learned that you need to avoid overexertion and hypothermia while diving. If you get cold or exercise a lot during a dive, you may end the dive with more dissolved nitrogen than calculated by your dive computer (or tables). This could increase your DCS risk.

If you are cold or exert yourself strenuously during a dive, be more conservative. Stay well within the no stop limits, being even more conservative than normal, having extra no stop dive time available throughout the dive. Some computers allow you to set them to be more conservative, though you usually have to do this before the dive. See your instructor or the manufacturer literature on how to do this if possible with your unit.

With the RDP Table and the eRDPML, you plan cold/strenuous dives as though they are 4 metres/10 feet deeper than their actual depth. Safety stops are recommended at the end of all dives, but they’re especially wise after a cold and/or strenuous dive.

knowledge review and quiz

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