Warning on travel from Santa Rosa

[boulderjohn]

Everyone knows that there is an elevation gain between Santa Rosa and Colorado, but perhaps people have not paid sufficient attention to it. Here is some food for thought.

My buddy and I completed a pretty aggressive dive Sunday around noon (avg. 131 feet; 44 minutes of BT), and we packed quickly because a storm was coming in. In an attempt to be safe, we breathed down the rest of our O2, including our safety bottle, while we were driving, finishing off our supplies by Raton Pass.

The doctor who supervised my buddy's subsequent table 6 treatment really laid into him about taking that trip too soon, O2 or not. He felt that the altitude of the dive and the drive was a critical factor in his DCS. He suggested no aggressive dives on Sunday.

Just something to think about the next time you are preparing to leave.

 

[robint]

I have to agree with the doctor. Let's all be safe.

 

[drbill]

Years ago we had an instructor do a series of dives with very conservative profiles here in our dive park (at sea level). She drove over our island roads to return to her boyfriend's home, exceeding an elevation of 1,600 ft on the drive. She got bent and that was the only obvious possibility to explain it.

I even used to worry about dragging my dive gear on my handcart up to my home at 200 ft since I was pulling a heavy load (up to 200+ pounds) up a steep hill. Of course now that I have the Dr. Bill Mobile to transport my gear, I don't worry about that minor elevation gain.

 

[boulderjohn]

My buddy had an additional issue because he even lives several thousand feet up in the mountains above Boulder.

Of course, everything is so individual. I am perfectly fine, myself.

 

[knotical]

Another consideration:

Although Raton Pass (~7834 ft) is the highest point before entering Colorado, not everyone is aware how much of the elevation increase occurs how early. Just the trip from Santa Rosa (~4615 ft) to Las Vegas (~6450 ft) is over half the elevation gain experienced on the way to Raton Pass. But we don't notice it so much because it is pretty gradual.

Las Vegas and the City of Raton (~6350 ft) are at essentially the same elevation, and then you get the rapid increase.

 

[RonFrank]

So the moral of the story is don't do a long deco dive to 131' for 44min on Sunday before driving to 9000' (guessing, but about where I live).... gottcha!

I've been diving the Hole for a while, diving on Sunday standard BH profiles and then driving to 9000' for years without issue (well unless you consider a blown head gasket an issue!).

I think most of us not doing advanced deco profiles are relatively safe even if I generally spend several hours at BH after my last dive before getting on the road. There is a reasonable elevation gain to Las Vagas from Santa Rosa, and then Raton pass what they said!

This discussion comes up now and again on RMO, but this is the first time I've heard of anyone getting bent. Guess deco diving does come with a bit more risk.

 

[drbill]

Your buddy didn't take a dip in a hot tub after the dives, did he?

 

[boulderjohn]

Your buddy didn't take a dip in a hot tub after the dives, did he?

No. We just packed up and left, hoping to beat a storm.

 

[robint]

So the moral of the story is don't do a long deco dive to 131' for 44min on Sunday before driving to 9000' (guessing, but about where I live).... gottcha!

I've been diving the Hole for a while, diving on Sunday standard BH profiles and then driving to 9000' for years without issue (well unless you consider a blown head gasket an issue!).

I think most of us not doing advanced deco profiles are relatively safe even if I generally spend several hours at BH after my last dive before getting on the road. There is a reasonable elevation gain to Las Vagas from Santa Rosa, and then Raton pass what they said!

This discussion comes up now and again on RMO, but this is the first time I've heard of anyone getting bent. Guess deco diving does come with a bit more risk.

Ron, when we lived in Colorado and made the Blue HOle trip regularly from there, we were informed several times about other local divers getting bent. They had only done dives at Blue Hole, none were deco. It does happen. That is why our LDS always had everyone spend at least an hour in Santa Rosa before starting the drive home, then we all met at the Pizza Hut in Las Vegas for lunch for another one hour sit. Then we drove to Raton and met up at Dairy Queen for another sit of 30 minutes or so. That was our LDS safe ascent plan, making for a long drive home but safer for sure. Not everyone followed this, but we always did. The times we heard about divers ending up at the chamber, they had not followed this, one was even an instructor who drove her little sports car from BH right over the pass without any stops!

Now that we live here in ABQ, we only have a 2 hour drive home but we have a 7000' ridge at about the halfway point. For that reason, we always tell all students they must sit out at least 1-2 hours before starting the drive home... we usually stall by doing paperwork there at BH or McDonald's. Most people sit and understand the guideline, others do not... they have just gotta get home. At least they are warned.

robin

 

[longk14]

it wasn't 131 for 44 min, it was an average depth of 131... so a much deeper overall dive.