Suunto HelO2 [25/64] Safety stops

Desired tablesCondition

Personal adjust-

ment value

Progressively more conservativeSome risk factors or conditions existP1

Several risk factors or conditions

exist

WARNING

Personal adjustment setting P0 – P-2 causes a high risk of DCI, or

other personal injury, and death.

5.11. Safety Stops

Safety Stops are widely considered good diving practice for recreational and technical

diving, and are an integral part of most dive tables. The reasons for performing a Safety

Stop include: reducing sub-clinical DCI, microbubble reduction, ascent control, and orient-

ation before surfacing.

The Suunto HelO

displays two different types of Safety Stops: Recommended Safety

Stop and Mandatory Safety Stop.

5.11.1. Recommended Safety Stops

With every dive over 10 meters, there is a three minute countdown for the Recommended

Safety Stop, to be taken in the 6 - 3 m/10 ft - 20 ft range. This is shown with the STOP

sign and a three-minute countdown in the center window instead of the no-decompression

time.

WHEN STOP IS DISPLAYED,

MAKE A RECOMMENDED SAFETY

STOP FOR 3 MINUTES.

NOTE

The Recommended Safety Stop, as the name implies, is recommen-

ded. If it is ignored, there is no penalty applied to the following surface

intervals and dives.

5.11.2. Mandatory Safety Stops

When the ascent rate exceeds 10 m/33 ft per minute continuously for more than 5 seconds,

the microbubble build-up is predicted to be more than is allowed for in the decompression

model. The Suunto RGBM calculation model responds to this by adding a Mandatory

Safety Stop to the dive. The time of this Mandatory Safety Stop depends on the severity

of the ascent rate excess.

The STOP sign appears in the display and when you reach the depth zone between 6 m

and 3 m/20 ft and 10 ft, the CEILING label, ceiling depth, and the calculated Safety Stop

time also appear in the display. You should wait until the Mandatory Safety Stop warning

disappears. The total length of the Mandatory Safety Stop time depends on the seriousness

of the ascent rate violation.