A decompression stop (also called a deco-stop, stop-time and deco-time) is important when diving at great depths. During such a stop you remain at a determined depth. This helps your body to get used to the changed ambient pressure. By doing so, you desaturate your body from the gases released in your body during the dive. These migrate back to the lungs so that the so-called decompression sickness can be avoided.
How long does a decompression stop last?
How long a decompression stop lasts depends on the depth that you are diving in. You can infer the duration from a decompression table (old variant). Or have it calculated for you by a diving computer (today’s standard). It is important that you plan these stops correspondingly before your dive. The reason is that sometimes they can be longer than the bottom time. Only by doing so can you divide your air supply in such a way that it is sufficient for the whole dive in any case.
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