How to read dive tables and calculate safe limits
Practical explanation of dive tables and electronic calculator to plan your dives and avoid entrapment disease.
Dive tables are an essential tool for every recreational diver to help them safely plan multiple dives per day.
Why do you need diving tables
Compressed air carries nitrogen that accumulates in tissues during diving, and if you ascend too quickly or dive too much in one day, you may suffer from entrapment disease.
Components of diving tables
Residual Nitrogen Pressure
It is expressed in letters A through Z and tells you how much nitrogen is left in your body after the dive.
Surface break time
The time to wait between two dives to remove excess nitrogen.
No-stop limit
The maximum time that can be maintained at a given depth without the need for clearance stops.
Electronic diving calculator
Most divers today use a digital dive calculator that you wear on your wrist and automatically calculates everything with alerts for safe limits.
Clearance stops
- Stop at a depth of 5 meters for 3 minutes during any dive
- Stop for a longer period when approaching the permissible limit
- A complete rest of one hour between each two dives
Tables and calculators are not just numbers, but rather protection for your health and life underwater.