How much time to wait after doing an air-sport?

[Kimusubi]

I'm going to San Diego next week and I wanted to get some diving done out there, but I also wanted to do a bit of hang gliding while I'm there as well. I'm trying to figure out my rest period in between them because I'm only going to be there for about 3.5 days. I know that it's definitely not okay to go higher in altitude after scuba diving because of the nitrogen levels, but is it necessarily bad the other way around? For example, if I went and did hang gliding first and then did scuba diving because then there would be no risk of nitrogen exposure. On top of all that, hang gliding is not going as high as, lets say sky diving, so that seems to be a bit more safe as well. Can anyone correct me on any of these points? I've only been diving for about 7 months or so and I'm still new to all of it, so any help would be really useful. I just know that the best way to ruin a perfectly good vacation is to end it with deco sickness, so I'm trying to get all my facts straight so I can prevent that! =D Thanks to everyone in advance!

- Ali

 

[Solly]

IMHO doing the hang gliding first then scuba diving few minutes after you are on land will cause no harm, as you pointed the other way around is what needs to be studied as altitude will cause the minute nitrogen bubbles in your tisshes and blood stream to enlarge and might cause problems. If you have the chance to glide first then dive just go for it.
my 2cents.

 

[Supershark]

Hi, I have done a bit of research and came up with this about diving after flying, sorry it does not answer the specific question but maybe you can use the link to check with DAN.

https://www.daneurope.org/eng/faq46.htm

Hope this helps

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Remember James Bond's Halo dive straight to deep wreck dive with doubles, no worries mate!

 

[Tigerman]

Remember James Bond's Halo dive straight to deep wreck dive with doubles, no worries mate!

Hahaha yeah.. Good scene that.
If 007 can do it, so can I!

 

[knotical]

DocVikingo quoting Scubadoc:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/19518-post2.html

Since hang gliding is unlikely to case dehydration like flying in a commercial aircraft, you should be good to go.

 

[tstalcup]

I second the hang gliding before diving. Otherwise, use the NOAA tables with their ascent to altitude chart based on what altitude you're going to. Remember, driving up from the coast counts even if you stay on the ground.

http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/AscentToAltitudeTable.pdf

Don't forget to use the NOAA dive tables to go with that - NOAA's letters don't necessarily match PADI or whoever you use.

http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/NoDecoAirTable.pdf

I live about 20 minutes from good shore diving, but I'm at 2500 feet so I make sure I have appropriate SI before I go home.

 

[Kellykins]

Hahaha yeah.. Good scene that.
If 007 can do it, so can I!

Haha I like it! (Y)

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Going to a lower altitude and diving is not a problem as you will actually have to on-gas to reach the same nitrogen level as someone who has been at sea level for awhile.

I potentially disagree about the dehydration comment. Yes...you get dehydrated just sitting in the dry air of an airliner cabin, but that is not the only way divers get dehydrated even if the research did not specifically point that out.

You will get a lot more dehydrated hauling a 30-35 pound hang glider up a hill setting it up and then launching yourself for an extended flight if you are going to be doing slope soaring - especially if you skimp on hydration before hand since the hang glider does not have a chemical toilet on board.

Hydrate well the night before and maintain that level of hydration throughout your diving day and you should be fine. It's just common sense.

----

Back in the day, they taught altitude diving using theoretical depths. It is a simple theory - if the atmospheric pressure at the surface is lower than standard sea level pressure, it takes less depth to equal 1 atmosphere so your equivalent depths at altitude are deeper. For example if you dove to 150 ft at 4000 ft, it woudl require the same deco schedule as a 180 ft dive. The deco stops are slightly shallower as well, but most divers did not quibble about making a 7' stop versus a 10' stop and just did the standard 10 ft stop.

The point being that the theoretical depths at altitude work with any tables.

A better approach now is to use the buhlman tables that were actually developed for high altitude diving.

 

[knotical]

You will get a lot more dehydrated hauling a 30-35 pound hang glider up a hill setting it up and then launching yourself for an extended flight if you are going to be doing slope soaring - especially if you skimp on hydration before hand since the hang glider does not have a chemical toilet on board.

Excellent point.