Diveco says fine for me to fly 4-ish hours after a dive

Miss Thang · Sep 14, 2009

This is my first post after some time lurking.

I'm planning a trip to Queensland, Australia soon, and am trying to organize a daytrip out to the Great Barrier Reef by helicopter for a dive or two. The trip goes at first light, and returns at about 11:30 a.m.. The diveco only has availability on the day I leave Queensland (my flight out of Queensland is at about 2:00 p.m.). They are insisting that since the dives are super shallow at only 10 metres, if I do only 1 dive I'll be fine for the 2 p.m. flight the same day. I'm not a very experienced diver, but his sounds very odd to me. Am I missing something?

gcbryan · Sep 14, 2009

My feeling is that you would probably be alright but it's not a super good idea.

I'm sure you could plan a second dive at 8,000 ' elevation 4 hours later but all things considered I'd try real hard to find another company to get you out there on another day.

(It also depends on what else you've been doing all week).

lord.harshil · Sep 15, 2009

why risk it?

it might very well be fine, but its not something i'd like to take a risk on. super shallow dives can accumulate a lot of nitrogen over time. stay underwater for 3 hours at 9m and i wouldnt step on a plane.

besides, australia has brilliant day charters out to good dive sites. why not go for those instead? you can go deeper, dive more and not be worried about getting an embolism.

vladimir · Sep 15, 2009

I have done a few dives out to the ribbon reefs by helicopter--that will be fun (and the helicopters fly at low altitude). If you check an altitude table, at an altitude of 8000 feet a dive to 30 feet is equivalent to a 40 foot dive at sea-level. So you can dive to 30 feet for 80 minutes and immediately ascend to 8000 feet for as long as you'd like. The real issue is the risk of cabin depressurization.

Altitude Dive Table

Diver0001 · Sep 15, 2009

Miss Thang:
This is my first post after some time lurking.

I'm planning a trip to Queensland, Australia soon, and am trying to organize a daytrip out to the Great Barrier Reef by helicopter for a dive or two. The trip goes at first light, and returns at about 11:30 a.m.. The diveco only has availability on the day I leave Queensland (my flight out of Queensland is at about 2:00 p.m.). They are insisting that since the dives are super shallow at only 10 metres, if I do only 1 dive I'll be fine for the 2 p.m. flight the same day. I'm not a very experienced diver, but his sounds very odd to me. Am I missing something?

It's obviously in *their* best interest to convince you that you do this because you give them money. They're *not*, imho, acting in *your* best interest by advising you to ignore the time-to-fly guidelines before making a commerical flight.

R..

Walter · Sep 15, 2009

Vladimir, I don't know who published the table to which you linked us, but
NOAA's table is not the same. I'd trust NOAA's table with gives an equivalent depth of 50 feet for a 30 ft dive at 8000 ft altitude. Another consideration is 10 meters is not 30 ft, but 33 ft or 35 ft on the tables. Luckily, 35 ft still comes out at 50 ft at 8000.

HowardE · Sep 15, 2009

At what altitude does the helicopter fly?

If it's only 2000-3000 feet then diving to 30 feet for an hour should be no problem at all.

At 32.8 feet (10 Meters) or shallower, you're not exceeding a 2:1 pressure gradient. There's very little nitrogen accumulating at those shallow depths, and helicopters aren't the same as commercial airliners.

Even to play it safe... The NOAA table (Navy table) for return to altitude, allows for almost 2 hours at 30 feet before ascending to 3000 feet (1 kilometer give or take)

ScubaRich · Sep 15, 2009

Miss Thang:
This is my first post after some time lurking.

I'm planning a trip to Queensland, Australia soon, and am trying to organize a daytrip out to the Great Barrier Reef by helicopter for a dive or two. The trip goes at first light, and returns at about 11:30 a.m.. The diveco only has availability on the day I leave Queensland (my flight out of Queensland is at about 2:00 p.m.). They are insisting that since the dives are super shallow at only 10 metres, if I do only 1 dive I'll be fine for the 2 p.m. flight the same day. I'm not a very experienced diver, but his sounds very odd to me. Am I missing something?

Just because someone says it's true, Doesn't mean it is!
Don't try to justify their logic by questioning your own wisdom. "Sounds very odd to me" You are right it is odd! GOOD FOR YOU! Now do what's right.

gcbryan · Sep 15, 2009

HowardE:
At what altitude does the helicopter fly?

If it's only 2000-3000 feet then diving to 30 feet for an hour should be no problem at all.

At 32.8 feet (10 Meters) or shallower, you're not exceeding a 2:1 pressure gradient. There's very little nitrogen accumulating at those shallow depths, and helicopters aren't the same as commercial airliners.

Even to play it safe... The NOAA table (Navy table) for return to altitude, allows for almost 2 hours at 30 feet before ascending to 3000 feet (1 kilometer give or take)

I don't think the problem is the helicopter flight...it's the commercial flight out of Queenland 4 hours after she gets off the helicopter flight.

It's probably not a problem anyway but it's not a good idea I don't think.

HowardE · Sep 15, 2009

I missed that part. To play it super safe... I'd think 6 hours of SI for a single 1 hour dive to 30 feet would be more than adequate. (based on the NOAA/Navy Table)

Diveco says fine for me to fly 4-ish hours after a dive

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