The recent publication of the large DAN analysis attracted considerable attention within the diving medicine community. The study analyzed more than 127,000 dives to identify risk factors for decompression sickness (DCS). Based on the results, the authors even propose an algorithm designed to calculate a diver’s individual DCS risk. Some of the identified factors seem quite plausible: higher decompression stress, longer dive times, or greater depths are, as expected, associat

Neulich wurde ich von einem sehr erfahrenen Tauchinstruktor gefragt, wie sinnvoll denn aus heutiger Sicht der klassische 3-Minuten-Safety-Stopp eigentlich noch sei. Eine spannende Frage – denn der 3-Minuten-Safety-Stopp auf 5 m gehört heute praktisch zum Standardrepertoire des Sporttauchens. Millionenfach wird er jedes Jahr durchgeführt. Kaum ein Sporttauchgang in den Ferien endet ohne die einprägsame Regel: „Am Ende jedes Tauchgangs drei Minuten auf fünf Metern.“ Viele Tauch

Recently, a very experienced diving instructor asked me how useful the classic 3-minute safety stop actually still is from today’s perspective. It’s an intriguing question—because the 3-minute safety stop at 5 meters is practically standard practice in recreational diving today. It’s performed millions of times every year. Hardly any recreational dive during the holidays ends without the memorable rule: “Three minutes at five meters at the end of every dive.” Many dive comput