Bus from Eilat North causing DCI problems?

[Disclaimer: I have searched for this answer, futilely, if you can steer me towards a thread discussing this, I would appreciate it.)
I am living in Israel (North of Tel Aviv) for three months, and know that I need to take at least one trip to Eilat for what I understand to be the best diving in the world.
I am planning on spending an extended weekend there, flying down Thursday afternoon (I found a ~$90 flight), then busing back Saturday afternoon/night (I have to be in TA at 6AM on Sunday).
I am choosing to bus back rather then fly because I would like to get as much diving in as possible (theoretically I can dive Saturday morning), but just heard from a reputable source that the busses, when they travel through the Negev may travel at altitude, and that can cause problems with decompression.
I know the negev fairly well, and dont know of any areas of altitude, but want to be sure. Does the bus exceed 5000' above sea level? Does anyone know of injuries related to this? I get the idea plenty of tourists dive then bus north, but want to be sure. I am thinking of calling DAN's office in Israel to be sure...

On a related note: I am a PADI Master Scuba Diver/Rescue Diver, and made dives over the summer (within six months), as well as having my logbook as proof. I hold DAN international insurance, and have a clean bill of health. Should I have any problems diving on the Israel side of the Red Sea? I try not to be a tourist, but will look and act like one in Eilat. Are there tourist traps? Are any dive shops not reputable?

Thanks again for your help

DES

dsaxe01:

I am living in Israel (North of Tel Aviv) for three months, and know that I need to take at least one trip to Eilat for what I understand to be the best diving in the world.

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I don't have an answer to your question, sorry. But I have a comment here.

It's true that a lot of people consider the Red Sea to be the best diving ever. Some of those prefer the northern Egyptian Red Sea and Sinai (Dahab and Sharm), some others prefer the southern Egyptian Red Sea (Marsa Alam. Brothers, Elphinstone, St. Johns, etc...), and another portion prefer the Soudanese Red Sea. But to my knowledge no one listed Eilat as a best diving destination.

Try searching "driving through mountains after diving". Yes it may cause DCS. In the airplane you have a pressure of around 2000 meters above the sea level. So if you go through the mountains it would be more or less the same like flying. I don't know how high are the mountains there, but in Egypt going by bus from Dahab to Taba would not be a good idea.

Mania

I've read/been told that driving to altitude after diving does not have the same effect as flying after diving.

The reasoning is that planes rapidly pressurize/depressurize which causes the problems with flying after diving.

Driving *can* be a much more gradual ascent to altitude, so it *may* not cause any issues. It would still be a good idea to wait as long as possible, and to limit the altitude travelled to.

I'll see if I can find a specific reference in one of my books and post it later, I'm a bit pressed for time before work right now.

it's not the rapid changes of pressure, it's altitude by itself.
Here you can find some info:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ask-dr-decompression/116168-drive-5000ft-after-diving.html

and here:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ask-dr-decompression/114913-rapid-decompression.html

and NOAA table
http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/AscentToAltitudeTable.pdf

Hi Dsaxe01,
when take the bus back via the Negev there will be no problems with altitude at they going up only after 3 hours and very easy so no prob's at all.

RSS - Eilat, as part of the red sea, is one of the best dive sites, and the best part in Eilat that most of the dives are from the shore and you do not need any DM to lead you...unless you choose so.

There are many tourists these days in Eilat for diving, if you look at this link for example you will see an underwater photo competition just finished last week with "some" tourists...Sandiskredsea
For dive clubs... there are many of them, I like Coral sea divers Coral Sea Divers

Have fun and come back to share with us how it was....

mania:

it's not the rapid changes of pressure, it's altitude by itself.
Here you can find some info:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ask-dr-decompression/116168-drive-5000ft-after-diving.html

and here:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ask-dr-decompression/114913-rapid-decompression.html

and NOAA table
http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/AscentToAltitudeTable.pdf

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I have to respectfully disagree. The altitude by itself is not the factor, rather the time it takes to attain the altitude.

A leisurely ascent to a nominal altitude would be akin to following a normal ascent rate to the surface.

A rapid ascent to a higher altitude would be more like a rapid ascent from depth. In both instances, there will be a rapid change in the surface tension and likely to cause bubbling from the change in m-values between compartments.

It's possible to do very deep dives as long as you make the appropriate stops and ascent times. It's not the depth that gets you, it's the speed of ascent that becomes crucial.

All of the links posted support this.

Jerusalem is about 3000-5000ft above sea level. Tel Aviv is about at sea level. The bus to TA takes a different route, going through Dimona instead of the Judean Hills.

I'm going there in two weeks. Arkia has one-way flights for about $70 from Sde Dov/Tel Aviv.

Asser is right that Southern Egypt is better than Eilat. However, Eilat will give you a nice taste of the Red Sea. And from Eilat you can spend an afternoon diving in Taba or Aqaba.

ofleisher:

RSS - Eilat, as part of the red sea, is one of the best dive sites, and the best part in Eilat that most of the dives are from the shore and you do not need any DM to lead you...unless you choose so.

Click to expand...

Yes Eilat is a part of the Red Sea but not all Red Sea parts are equal

IMHO, Eilat is not to be compared to Sinai or the southern Red Sea.

I like shore diving as well. That's why I like Dahab.

Buses from Eilat take different routes.
The bus that goes to Beer Sheva through Mitzpe Ramon climbs to an altitude of about 800meters about 2 hours after leaving Eilat.

The bus that goes to Tel Aviv through the Arava valley and Dimona does not reach any high altitudes whatsoever.

I think that I have posted here several times in the past links to several reports from Jordan of DCS cases in divers who drove after diving from Aqaba to Aman and got to 1600meters (or higher- don't remember).

So, there is some difference- the mountains in Israel are not that high, and if you get there it may be after at least 2-3 hours from Eilat.

As many other divers here in Israel, I drive the Mitzpe Ramon (the "High" route) every second weekend after extensive diving. Only once I felt some tickling in the skin of my face, and after closing the window it went away

I wouldn't bother about driving-after-diving in Israel and DCS risks.