Drive Back To Sf Bay Area After Truth Trip - Route Recommendations?

[elgoog]

Hi all -

I'm doing a 3 day trip with Truth Aquatics next week and had some changes recently that may impact the overall trip plan.

The original plan - Wifebuddy and I were going to dive together on this trip. We board on Wednesday night and back on Saturday afternoon-ish. Since I figured we would be both exhausted after 3 days of diving, I had a hotel booked in Goleta for that night and then drive back home to the bay area on Sunday morning. Since we've off gassed enough by then, don't really care what route we drive back on - go where Google Maps tells us to go.

Due to some family obligations my wife is not able to make the trip any more. She will be dropping me off at the boat on Wednesday and picking me up on Saturday. This opens up the option of driving back home on Saturday evening itself with her able to drive the entire trip back. In this case, the route we choose becomes a little more important to avoid reaching any elevation that's inadvisable after 3 days of diving for me.

Bay area people who have done this before - how do you normally get back home after the multi-day trips?
I still have the option to keep the hotel booking and spend the night in Santa Barbara but if the same day drive can be safely done, I would prefer to do that. I will be diving EAN32 for the entire trip and have no issues limiting my diving on the last day to 1 dive in the morning.

Thanks in advance,
elgoog

 

[lexvil]

Just hit 101 and head home, you won't hit any elevation even if you take the pass (154). I've driven back to the foothills without stopping after one of those channel island trips.

 

[eelnoraa]

I can't tell you it is OK for you to go over Grapevine or 152 pass. I can only tell you that I have done 4 day live aboard a few time in So Cal. Our boat were from bay areas, so most of everyone drove back via I-5 & 152. I don't remember any of us had issues.

 

[marcus8]

I've driven up 101 a dozen times after such trips. I just go big at Starbucks and manage to get home without much issue driving myself all the way....about 4.5 hours. If it's a rough few days on the water and you don't sleep much, I could see this being a problem. But I haven't experienced that yet....knock wood. There isn't enough elevation increase to worry about your nitrogen.

 

[elgoog]

Thanks for the replies, it's good to know elevation is not a major concern heading back after a multi-day trip.

 

[elgoog]

Closing this thread out with what I recorded, just in case someone happens upon it in the future.

Max elevations recorded (GPS error +/- 20ft) between the SF Bay area and Santa Barbara -
Going over CA154 pass - 2130ft
US101 only - 1460ft (just north of San Luis Obispo)
It's about a 3hr boat ride back to the harbor (at minimum, depending on where your last dive was) and 90min drive up the US101 till you hit anything close to 1000ft.