Calculating Decompression in Naval Special Warfare SEAL Delivery Vehicle Diving Operations Utilizing the Real Time Dive Planner

Abstract

Currently, SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) dry deck sheller (DDS) diving supervisors, in concert with their diving medical officer, have three options in calculating decompression: (1) Volumes 1 and 2 of the U.S. Navy Diving Manual, (2) CSMD procedures, and (3) the Dive Planner. For a given dive, these different methods of calculating the decompression obligation could give three very different answers. Understanding which decompression schedule is the best for a given dive will ultimately be learned through experience, but understanding the reasons for each different decompression schedule is essential. The Dive Planner is the most flexible and yet the least known of the three methods of calculating decompression.