What is the purpose of a safety stop during a dive?

The purpose of a safety stop during a dive is to allow excess nitrogen to be released from the body before surfacing. When divers descend to depths greater than a few meters, their bodies absorb nitrogen from the air they breathe. As they ascend, this nitrogen needs to be released to avoid decompression sickness, commonly known as "the bends." A safety stop is typically performed at a depth of around 3 to 5 meters (10 to 15 feet) for a few minutes. This allows the body to off-gas, or eliminate excess nitrogen, reducing the potential for nitrogen bubbles to form in the tissues and bloodstream, thereby enhancing diver safety.

The other options pertain to different aspects of diving but do not reflect the primary purpose of a safety stop. Checking equipment functionality is an important practice that should be done before and during the dive but does not relate specifically to the concept of a safety stop. Increasing dive time is not a goal of the safety stop; rather, the stop is intended to ensure safe ascension from the dive. Additionally, preventing loss of direction is more about navigation and dive planning, which are important, but they do not involve the physiological safety measures that the safety stop addresses.