White Mage Buff...am I doing it right?

So, I am not a new lv50, been mooching a round a while. Done SRs in WP, and other end content (but I know I am no hardcore super bad-ass WHM). I know my skills pretty well, and I think I am using my buffs good too...but I'm not sure about one.

The question is:
Stoneskin - this is the one....in fights, when i have no current need to heal, I always SS before considering any DPS. I figure it gives me more time, and in the long run is more mana efficient that heals??!

Maybe I'm wrong with SS...but mostly, my team all have this on, in boss, and also if I'm tarting about with mobs and got the time.

Is it better in the long run? Or is there something more productive I could be doing.
I only ask as some healers I know dont really use it so much (only on tanks), and sometimes been in a party (with my other jobs) where its not used at all?

I guess we all play different - but interested in opinions! :)

I keep stoneskin up on everyone in my group but I don't refresh it when I could be dpsing. AFTER the enemies are dead is the time to refresh it, unless you're feeling lazy and not dpsing. If you're not needed to heal there's little point in standing around when you could be doing dmg to speed things up. I think I spend more time in cleric stance than out of it.

So I SS everyone at the start, refresh it on tank after each pull (start casting so it lands when the last enemy in the current group dies) and I cast it on others as we're moving to the next group of enemies if they need it refreshing. You don't need to drop out of CS to cast SS. During boss battles everyone enters with SS up and I refresh it on everyone when the boss is at ~10% hp so that everyone has it when the boss is dead, then we move to the next trash and repeat.

I personally SS before every fight and, if we're clearing trash, pre-cast it on the tank so it goes off right as the last mob dies so I don't have to waste time before the next pull. For bosses, if it does a lot of constant AoE damage (e.g. Demon Wall, Titan), I don't bother. Otherwise, I'll apply it on the DPS when I have a healing break or Swiftcast+SS on the tank if there's incoming spike damage (e.g. Tonberry's last Grudge).

ill cleric on multiple adds for holy a few times and to drop aero on mobs... then right before fight ends ill refresh it on everyone so we can keep moving forward with no downtime.. most 5 man's u don't need to drop cleric to keep people up on way to bosses. divine seal keeps regen and cure 2 strong enough.. but getting in a comfortable rhythm is up to u

Thanks for the thoughts! :) (and tips!)

I think I kinda do all the things you guys say, but to varying degrees and in certain circumstances....still learning the finer nuances!
But I love my SS....sometimes in hectic group healing I SS then Regen the tank, then see to my DPSers....by the time I'm done, I get back to the tank and they're just about ready for me again....maybe risky?

Anyhoo - good thoughts from all - thanks again!

In clutch moments SS is not effective way to heal the tank. Meaning it's MP vs Reward is very low. SS is fantastic for low dmg instances as mentioned so you can focus on other things. Of course SS before when MP use has no affect because you'll just regen.

SS becomes more important later on in raiding. Coil for instance. T4 fight is great because there are different phases where the MT is going to take BIG hits while you're moving and trying to heal adds. So having stone skin on the tank during these phases can make sure you have time to get them topped off.

I tend to use Swift Cast with Stone Skin depending on fight because its a very fast way to give them the buff and switch back to a different tank and/or dps to top them off.

SS is extremely underrated and I would use it as much as possible if it doesn't deplete mp enough that I can't do my job healing people for the remainder of the fight. Keep in mind MP efficiency only matters on certain dungeons and trials. I tend to keep SS on range classes or key classes (like BLM/SMN for ifrit) or weakened teammates until I don't have time to keep up anymore; in dungeons everyone has SS before every pull. It's a way to noob proof as well and might save time and mp down the road (from rez or opportunity cost of healing dps vs tanks). Essentially, you are expanding the hp pool of the teammate which is why it costs so much more. I would sometimes throw SS on the tank while fighting tonberry boss right before Rancor (which bypasses SS) so he has 20% extra hp after he got hit so it buys me time to top up the tank.

^ I tried this today and it worked a dream in WP. When I knew Ranc was coming I popped SS on the tank and it meant she had 1/3 health after the hit.
Much less hectic for me and I could DD some too in between cos I spent less time sorting out recovery. My first few WP runs I was using Benidiction in the last fight....now I don't need to (albeit I got DL mostly now, but it's not all about gear; skills are important) :)

Thanks for all the comments! I'm feeling better about my SS use now....I like it and I just need to work it into the fight mechanics like you all suggest to be even more effective.

Thanks!

I SS right before dungeon starts and right before boss fights on everyone and once in a while on tank only during boss fights if he/she taking too much damage from certain boss attacks

If A) You can afford it, and B) You have a spare few seconds, then go for it.

As an experienced WHM, I like to make sure everyone has SS up at the beginning of the run. I'll recast SS on DPS if they lose it during the battle and then I swiftcast it on the tank while we're all on the run so people don't have to wait for the cast time. The only bossfight I use it on consistently is on the Ton King. I like to time it so I cast it right before he does his super stabby. It's generally unnecessary for most tanks, but it keeps WP interesting for me.