PADI Recreational Dive Planner (RDP) 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: On the RDP, what does 'Residual Nitrogen Time' (RNT) represent?
- The time nitrogen takes to leave your body completely
- The equivalent time you would need to spend at a depth to have the same nitrogen as you currently carry (Correct answer)
- The surface interval required before a repetitive dive
- The maximum allowable bottom time for the next dive
Correct answer: The equivalent time you would need to spend at a depth to have the same nitrogen as you currently carry
RNT is the time you must add to your actual bottom time to account for nitrogen already in your body from a previous dive.
Question 2: When planning a repetitive dive using the RDP, what is the Total Bottom Time (TBT)?
- The ABT minus the RNT
- The RNT plus the ABT (Correct answer)
- The surface interval plus the ABT
- The NDL for the new depth minus the RNT
Correct answer: The RNT plus the ABT
Total Bottom Time equals Residual Nitrogen Time plus Actual Bottom Time, and it must not exceed the no-decompression limit for that depth.
Question 3: After a dive to 60 feet for 40 minutes, you surface as pressure group 'N'. What is the MINIMUM surface interval before your next dive?
- 10 minutes (Correct answer)
- The RDP does not specify a minimum surface interval
- At least 48 hours
- 1 hour
Correct answer: 10 minutes
PADI's RDP requires a minimum surface interval of 10 minutes before any repetitive dive regardless of pressure group.
Question 4: Which RDP table is used to find your pressure group AFTER a surface interval?
- Table 1 – The Recreational Dive Planner
- Table 2 – The Surface Interval Credit Table (Correct answer)
- Table 3 – The Repetitive Dive Table
- The Dive Flag Table
Correct answer: Table 2 – The Surface Interval Credit Table
Table 2, the Surface Interval Credit Table, shows how your pressure group decreases during a surface interval.
Question 5: On Table 3 of the RDP, what two values does a diver need to look up their Residual Nitrogen Time?
- Starting pressure group and planned depth (Correct answer)
- Ending pressure group and surface interval
- Surface interval time and planned depth
- Starting pressure group and total bottom time
Correct answer: Starting pressure group and planned depth
Table 3 requires the diver's starting pressure group (after surface interval) and the planned depth to find the RNT.
Question 6: A diver finishes a dive as pressure group 'J'. After a 1-hour surface interval, their new pressure group is 'F'. What does pressure group 'F' represent?
- The diver has completely off-gassed and is nitrogen-free
- The diver still carries residual nitrogen equivalent to the 'F' level (Correct answer)
- The diver must wait another hour before diving
- The diver reached decompression status
Correct answer: The diver still carries residual nitrogen equivalent to the 'F' level
Each pressure group letter represents a specific level of residual nitrogen still dissolved in the diver's tissues.
Question 7: If the RDP New Group Designation after a repetitive dive is shown as a dagger symbol (†), what does this mean?
- The dive is within safe limits and can be repeated
- The dive exceeds the no-decompression limit and would require decompression stops (Correct answer)
- The diver must surface slowly at 30 ft/min
- The depth is too shallow to calculate a pressure group
Correct answer: The dive exceeds the no-decompression limit and would require decompression stops
A dagger (†) on the RDP indicates that the planned dive time exceeds the no-decompression limit and is not allowed for recreational diving.
PADI Recreational Dive Planner (RDP) 2
On the RDP, what does 'Residual Nitrogen Time' (RNT) represent?