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The PADI Recreational Dive Planner 101: Planning a Single Dive in 5-Steps

February 20, 2025
Jay F.

For entry level divers, the RDP appears intimidating. Instructors rarely teach it completely because it’s time consuming. Believe me … it’s very easy and the benefits extend far beyond the scope of planning. In this post, we’ll learn to plan a single dive in five easy steps.

When introduced to the PADI Recreational Dive Planner (RDP), most entry level students look at it like it’s a spaceship. Not to mention, instructors rarely teach the tables in entirety because it’s time consuming. Believe me, it’s not a spaceship! It’s actually very easy to use and the benefits of learning to plan dives with tables reach far beyond the scope of planning. With this simple 5-step method, you’ll be planning single-dives with your RDP in no time.

In this post, we’ll demystify the PADI RDP and learn to plan a ‘single dive’ in five easy steps. We’ll start by establishing a basic definition for the RDP, then look at the benefits of learning to plan dives with tables. We’ll also look at the RDP’s role in basic dive planning and review some critical terms. Finally, we’ll get a brief orientation to the RDP, then plan a single dive using an easy 5-step process.

What is the Recreational Dive Planner (RDP)

The RDP is a table-based planning tool used by recreational scuba divers to safely plan dive profiles and ensure the plans stay within recreational dive limits. Essentially, the tables help calculate ‘No Decompression Limits’ at various depths based on bottom time, surface intervals and theoretical nitrogen absorbed by the body during dives.

PADI Recreational Dive Planner (front view)

(PADI Recreational Dive Planner: Front Side)

PADI Recreational Dive Planner (back view)

(PADI Recreational Dive Planner: Back Side)

Why Should I Learn to Plan Dives on Tables?

This is a fair question, especially in the age of hi-tech dive computers and mobile applications. In fact, I would argue that computers hold a significant advantage over tables, and everyone should utilize dive computers. BUT…learning to plan with dive tables have a significant educational value.

Conceptual Understanding and Dive Theory: Learning the dive tables help with conceptual understanding by introducing concepts like nitrogen absorption, pressure groups and relationships between depth, bottom time and surface intervals. These concepts help us grasp the principles of basic dive theory.

Computer Data Interpretation: Learning the dive tables help us interpret the information and data provided by our computers. As matter of fact, at Coastal Pro Divers, we supplement learning the computer with the PADI RDP.

Backup Planning Device: Tables serve as a legitimate form of backup when it comes to dive planning. If your dive computer fails before, during or after a dive, then the PADI RDP can be utilized to plan a single or repetitive dive profile.

Go Pro: PADI professionals (Divemaster and above) are required to know the tables forward and backwards (Literally!). They are required to pass an extensive exam prior to being certified in their respective rating. Understanding the tables prior to attending a professional course will save you money and make life much easier.

Foundation for Complex Planning: Outside the realm of recreational diving, more technical dives involve extensive training to manage complex dive profiles and gas management, for which the RDP provides a good foundation.

Trust me! Learning to plan dives with tables are worth your time and effort. They are easy to learn and kind of fun if you’re a “dive nerd” like myself.

The interface of a Suunto dive computer.

Two Nitrox planning tables

The electronic RDP for multi-level planning (eRDPml).

What is the RDP's Role in Dive Planning?

Image-A: Sample Dive Profile Plan

(Dive Profile Plan for a single dive to 60 feet for 52-minutes)

That’s a good question and the answer deserves a dedicated blog post of its own.

First, let’s look at what goes into a dive plan? At a minimum, we believe dive plans should entail an objective, entry and exit plan, planned route, dive profile plan, pressure plan, emergency action plan, and buddy separation procedures. Today, we are only creating the dive profile portion.

The dive profile is only one portion of an overarching plan, but perhaps one of the most important portions. We can utilize tables, a dive computer or other application to get the required data. Regardless of the method, the purpose of planning our dive profile is to ensure the dive plan is safe and within recreational dive limits. Basically, we’re mitigating the risk of decompression sickness (Yep, the bends!) by not having to do a decompression stop.

Most log books have a diagram similar to image A for recording your data, or you can simply list it out. Regardless, when planning a single dive, the goal is to find the following information:

Planned Max Depth (Depth)
Planned Max Time (Time)
No Decompression Limit (NDL)
Pressure Group (PG)
Safety Stop Requirements (Safety Stop)

Key Terms

Before we dive into the RDP, let’s review a few terms that you should already be familiar with:

Bottom Time: The total amount of time a diver spends underwater, measured in minutes from the moment they begin the descent to the moment they start the ascent back to the surface.

Dive Profile: A description and/or depiction of a diver’s pressure exposure over time.

Residual Nitrogen: The amount of dissolved nitrogen that remains in a diver’s body tissues after a dive.

Pressure Group (PG): A letter designation that theoretically indicates the amount of nitrogen remaining in a diver’s body after a specific dive profile (residual nitrogen). The higher the letter, the more residual nitrogen is present in the body.

No Decompression Limit (NDL): The maximum amount of time a diver can spend at a specific depth without needing to make a decompression stop.

Safety Stop: (Recreational Definition) A 3-minute pause at 15 ft at the end of a dive to allow the body to slowly release excess nitrogen accumulated during a dive.

Decompression Stop: (Recreational Definition) A mandatory 8- or 12-minute pause at 15 ft at the end of a dive to allow the body to safely release absorbed nitrogen gas from the tissues.

RDP Components

Let’s dive into the components of the RDP. The RDP is two-sided and depicts three tables and general rules.

Three Tables & Rules

Front of RDP with Table 1 and Table 2 highlighted

On the front, Table #1 (highlighted in red) occupies the left side and Table #2 (highlighted in yellow) occupies the right side.

Back of RDP with Table 3 and Rules highlighted.

On the back, Table #3 (highlighted in green) occupies the top and General Rules (highlighted in gray) are depicted on the bottom.

Table #1: Details

When planning a ‘single dive,’ we only need table Table #1: No Decompression Limits and Group Designation Table. The four major components of Table #1 are broken down in the images below.

Starting Point: When using the tables to plan a dive, we always start here.

RDP with starting point marked

Depth Chart (Row): Increments of specific depths are listed across the top.

RDP table-1 with depth chart row marked

70 ft Depth (Column): Each depth increment is associated with a column. In this example, we’ve outlined the 70 ft column in red.

RDP table-1 with 70 foot depth column marked

Pressure Group (Column): Labeled A – Z, the pressure group column runs vertically along the left side of Table #1.

RDP table-1 with pressure group column marked

The numbers inside the boxes (white, blue, gray and black) represent time. The black boxes represent the no decompression limit for the specific depth of each column. The gray boxes represent safety stop requirements for each depth column. (More on this later)

With all that information, we’re ready to actually plan a single dive. Let’s go planning!

5-Step Process

Step-1: Make a Preliminary Plan

Method: We start by using dive site research to create a preliminary plan. We only need three pieces of information; where, how deep and how long do we want to dive? That’s it! Take note of those three things and you can put a check in the box.

Scenario: We are diving the jetties in St. Andrews State Park near Panama City Beach, FL. Based on our dive site research and our agreed upon objective, we’ve decided to conduct a single dive to 55 ft for 40-min.

Importance: The preliminary plan serves as a starting point for our overall plan. Since we’re planning with tables, it’s likely the preliminary data will slightly change. In the next steps, we’ll use the RDP to confirm our preliminary depth, preliminary time and find our NDL.

Step-2: Confirm the Preliminary Depth

Method:

1. From the starting point (green) move across the depth chart row until you find the preliminary depth [55 ft].

2. Notice our preliminary depth [55 ft] is not listed, but falls between the listed depths of [50 ft] and [60 ft] (Image-1).

3. Round our preliminary depth up to the next deeper depth listed [60 ft] (Image-2).

4. Record our planned depth [60 ft] onto the dive profile chart (Image-3).

RDP with starting point highlighted and arrow point across the depth table.

Image-1: Planned depth NOT listed

RDP with starting point and planned depth highlighted.

Image-2: Round Up to next deeper depth.

Importance: Our preliminary depth provides the foundation for completing our dive profile. If the planned depth is not listed, then we always choose the most conservative option by rounding up to the next deeper depth. This process ensures our dive plan remains as safe as possible.

This is a significant drawback to planning with dive tables. When planning with the eRDPml, the NDL for a 55 ft dive is 65-min. When using the tables, we’re forced to use the 60 ft depth column and our NDL is 55-min. Essentially, we lose 10-min of potential bottom time.

Image-3: Dive Profile Chart

Step-3: Confirm the Preliminary Time

Method:

1. Starting in the 60 ft depth column, move down until you find our preliminary dive time [40 min].

2. Notice our preliminary time [40 min] is not listed, but falls between the listed times of [39 min] and [42 min] (Image-4).

3. Round our preliminary time [40 min] up to the next higher time listed [42 min] (Image-5).

4. Record our planned time onto the dive profile chart (Image-6).

RDP with the 60 ft depth column highlighted

Image-4: Planned time NOT listed

RDP with the 60 ft depth column and 43-minute box highlighted

Image-5: Round Up to next higher time.

Image-6: Dive Profile Chart

Importance: We use our planned dive time to determine if our dive profile plan is within recreational dive limits and to establish what our pressure group will be after diving. Again, if not listed, we always choose the most conservative option by rounding up.

This is another drawback of planning with dive tables. Unfortunately, the tables are not designed for planning multi-level diving. Essentially, the tables assume that we’re staying at 60 ft for the entirety of our dive, which is unlikely. It’s more likely that we’d spend portions of our dive at shallower depths, even if by only a few feet, which means we’re loosing minutes of potential bottom time.

Step-4: Find the NDL and Safety Stop Requirement

Method:

No Decompression Limit (NDL):

1. Staying in the 60 ft depth column, move down until you find the black box at the bottom of the column.

2. The number [55] inside the box represents our NDL in minutes, which is how long we can stay at 60 ft without having to do a decompression stop.

3. Compare our planned dive time [42 min] to the NDL [55 min]. If the dive time is less than the NDL, then we have a safe plan (Image-7).

*NOTE* The general rules located on the back of the PADI Recreational Dive Planner provides instructions on what to do if you exceed a NDL.

Safety Stop Requirement:

1. Look at our planned dive time [42 min] in the 60 ft depth column. If the box is gray or black, then a safety stop is “required.” If the box is blue or white, then a safety stop is only “recommended.”

2. Record our safety stop requirement [N/A] on the dive profile chart (Image-8).

Image-7: Compare Dive Time and NDL

RDP with the 60 ft NDL and 43-minute box highlighted

Image-8: Dive Profile Chart

Importance:

Finding our NDL is the primary purpose of planning our dive profile. The goal is to avoid having to conduct a decompression stop, thus mitigating the risk of decompression sickness. If we exceed a NDL, then we have to conduct a decompression stop. Recreational divers are not trained to conduct decompression stops (See General Rules). Basically, since our planned dive time [42 min] is less than or equal to our NDL [80 min], our dive is within recreational dive limits and a decompression stop is not required.

As for safety stop requirements, if our planned dive time falls in a gray or black box, then a safety stop is “required.” Since our planned dive time is inside a blue box (or white), then a safety stop is not required on our dive. The only time a safety stop is required is when we conduct a 100 ft or deeper dive (i.e. all the boxes are gray on those depth columns), or our pressure group after diving falls within three pressure groups of our NDL. We’ll dive deeper into pressure groups in the next section.

Step-5: Find the Pressure Group

Method:

1. Start at our planned dive time [42 min] in the 60 ft depth column.

2. Move left across the row until you come to a letter (Image-9) or move right across the row until you come to a letter (Image-10). Either way, we get the same answer.

3. The letter [Q] represents our pressure group after diving.

4. Record our pressure group [Q] onto the dive profile chart (Image-11).

RDP with the 43-minute box highlighted and arrow pointing to pressure group on the left

Image-9: Move LEFT to find pressure group.

RDP with the 43-minute box highlighted and arrow pointing to pressure group on the right

Image-10: Move RIGHT to find pressure group.

Image-11: Dive Profile Chart

Importance:

Pressure groups are used extensively in repetitive dive planning. Since we’re planning a “single dive,” pressure groups primarily serve to determine if a safety stop is required. We made that determination in the previous step. Since our dive is less than 100 ft AND our pressure group [Q] is more than three above above our NDL’s pressure group [W], then a safety stop is only “recommended.”

We ALWAYS recommend doing a safety stop.

Review

Image-A: Sample Dive Profile Plan

(Dive Profile Plan for a single dive to 60 feet for 42-minutes)

Congratulations! That’s all that’s to it. We can now use tables to plan a single dive. At this point, I hope the PADI Recreational Dive Planner (RDP) looks more like a table-based planning tool than it does a spaceship for you.

In the next post, we’ll continue to deepen our understanding of planning with the RDP as we learn to plan repetitive dives.

In review, we covered an easy 5-step process to plan a single dive.

Make a preliminary plan that includes where, how deep and how long you want to dive.
From the starting point, move across the depth chart row until you find your planned depth. If it’s not listed, ROUND UP to the next deeper depth listed.
Move down your depth column until you find your planned time. If it’s not listed, ROUND UP to the next higher time listed.
If your planned time lands in a gray or black box, then a safety stop is required. Also, make sure your planned time is within the NDL (black box) for your planned depth.
From the planned time, move left or right until you find your pressure group (letter designation).

If you haven’t already, go practice, leave a comment and/or follow us on facebook. When you’re done with that, plan a dive and dive the plan. The bottom line is, “Go diving!”

Disclaimer:

This blog post provides basic instructions of using the PADI RDP to plan a single dive. It is not a substitute for proper dive training. Always consult with a certified dive instructor for comprehensive training and guidance. Safe diving practices are your responsibility.

Practice Problems

Ready to put this into practice? Grab your dive tables and give it a try!

Click the button below to practice your skills.

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