Altitude Diving

[ScubaRob0311]

I would be driving probably no sooner than 12 hours after the fact. I went to Google maps and put in my two points for directions and switched to bicycling and it showed me elevations. The tallest point along trip route is 2116 feet.
So it sounds like as long as my computer is set up properly and I follow it then I shouldn't have any issues with driving.

 

[Esprise Me]

Great tip on Google Maps bicycling. Sounds like your plan is plenty conservative.

 

[J-Vo]

Good info on altitude diving:

Deep Adventure Scuba Colorado Technical Diving - For Those Looking to Take Diving to a New Level

 

[mcohen1021]

LIke I said, with a PC you should be good. My dive class always taught me the tables were only good to 1000 ft... My dive pc manual says otherwise... I have a very basic pc, the oceanic veo 100, which has been discontinued.

According to this table, the VEO would NOT cover a commute back to albuquerque from santa rosa, but my original US Divers PC did

 

[Scuba Lawyer]

I've been following the discussion with interest. I've only done one altitude dive in my life - Lake Tahoe (6200 ft) in 1986. Even though I was an active teaching NAUI Instructor at the time, and was fairly competent in deco theory, I had still never put that knowledge into practice in an altitude dive. My buddy knew less about it than I did. My local sea-level dive shop was useless. I read up on everything the local library had on altitude diving theory and practice and we did the dive. Amazing dive AND we survived it! Thanks for bringing back those memories.

 

[Scuba Lawyer]

@rjack321

Unrelated to topic, but that formation in your profile post looks familiar - kinda like Fang in the Hall of Giants in Cenote Esqueleto (Temple of Doom). Where was it taken?

 

[rjack321]

@rjack321

Unrelated to topic, but that formation in your profile post looks familiar - kinda like Fang in the Hall of Giants in Cenote Esqueleto (Temple of Doom). Where was it taken?

Close!
It is "Xich Ha Tunich" in Mayan. Translates to the "great rock that drips"

Somewhat famously the world's longest underwater stalactite about 1700ft p. on the downstream passage of Chac Mool up in Puerto Aventuras. It doesn't get as much attention as it used to since the 'center' of Riviera Maya cave diving has shifted south to Tulum. And I have heard that visibility and water quality in Chac Mool is terrible now. That picture of me was taken in about 2006.

 

[Scuba Lawyer]

Close!
It is "Xich Ha Tunich" in Mayan. Translates to the "great rock that drips"

Somewhat famously the world's longest underwater stalactite about 1700ft p. on the downstream passage of Chac Mool up in Puerto Aventuras. It doesn't get as much attention as it used to since the 'center' of Riviera Maya cave diving has shifted south to Tulum. And I have heard that visibility and water quality in Chac Mool is terrible now. That picture of me was taken in about 2006.

I love that whole Mayan Riveria area for cave diving. I'm still diving old school twin 80's back mount with the occasional stage bottle(s). Looking to update to side-mount one of these days.

 

[ScubaRob0311]

So I heard something today at LDS that I don't think is true. So I was talking about the 2000 foot diving elevation and was told that it's also a good idea to not drive down rapidly to lower elevation after dive? Is that true? I thought the whole thing with altitude diving is that when you surface you have less atmosphere above you so gas would expand more then at sea level increasing risk. But if you drive right after to a lower elevation that should help reduce gas expansion correct and reduce risk?

 

[loosenit2]

I have never heard that as a practical recommendation but you could draw a comparison the making another dive as you descend, although you would have to descend pretty far and pretty fast for it to be a factor.