During a recent trip to the Florida Keys to do some dives on the wrecks and reefs in the area it came to my attention that not everyone knows what their dive computer is telling them. Do you know the difference between a Safety Stop and a Decompression Stop warning on your dive computer? A Safety Stop should display beginning @ 20′ reminding you to make precautionary stop. The safety stop should be completed with your body in a horizontal attitude between 20′ and 10′ of depth, the average depth being 15′. It is not necessary for everyone on a safety stop to be exactly at 15′, somewhere between 20′ & 10′ will do just fine.  A Decompression Stop is mandatory in nature and will display when your tissue bar loading graph is in the red. These stops must be made for the indicated time at the indicated depth, exactly. For sport divers who stay a bit too long on a dive this depth is usually 10′. If you violate a mandatory decompression stop you run the risk of injury and you will lock your computer out for further diving for at least 24 hours. Want to know more, sign up for a Deep Diver class.