Pro tip: Learned that 16 Fathoms is the magic depth for decompression stops

I was reading through the NOAA dive tables last week and it hit me that 16 fathoms (96 feet) is where a lot of the real nitrogen loading starts to kick in for standard air mixes. Found this buried in a 2018 training manual from a buddy who does inland work. It surprised me because I always thought it was 100 feet exactly that changed things. Now I adjust my bottom time planning for jobs in the 90-110 foot range around that specific depth. Has anyone else noticed a difference pushing past that 16 fathom mark on long bottom times?

2 comments

2 Comments

cooper.taylor21d ago

Did you run a gas switch at 16 fathoms or just adjust your stops? I found using a leaner mix around 90 feet made a big difference for my longer dives in that range.

perez.thea20d ago

Used to be dead set against switching that early, figured it was just extra hassle for no real gain. Then tried a 50% mix around 90 feet on a couple deeper wrecks and the difference in deco time was hard to ignore. Definitely changed my mind on running a leaner bottle earlier than I used to.