During ascent, how should decompression be monitored and managed?

• A. Ignore stop times and rely on intuition.
• B. Recalculate ascent rate every 30 minutes.
• C. Verify stop times, depth, and elapsed time, monitor divers for DCS symptoms, and adjust plan if indicated.
• D. Allow divers to ascend without any slow-down.

Answer: (C)

During ascent, decompression must be managed by following the planned stop depths and times exactly, while continuously watching the diver’s condition and being ready to adjust if anything changes. The best approach is to verify each stop’s depth and elapsed time against the dive plan, and monitor divers for any signs of decompression sickness symptoms. If something doesn’t match the plan or symptoms appear, you adjust the plan accordingly to keep risk as low as possible.

Why this is the right approach: decompression stops are calculated to allow excess inert gas to off-gas safely at specific depths and times. Verifying stop times, depths, and elapsed time ensures you stay on the approved profile, and monitoring for DCS symptoms provides a safety check to act promptly if issues arise. Being ready to adjust the plan keeps you responsive to real-world conditions, computer/tablet readings, or changes in the divers’ status.

Options that ignore stop times or rely on intuition, or that involve a rigid or uninformed ascent without proper slows, fail to manage the decompression profile and dramatically increase the risk of DCS. Recalculating ascent rate at arbitrary intervals isn’t how decompression planning works; the critical steps are following the planned stops, tracking elapsed time, and watching for symptoms to decide on adjustments.