parasailing after diving

[dareiman75]

Following a basic training dive that averaged/maxed at 10meters, is it safe to go parasailing at a height of up to 800'? Thanks in advance for your thoughtful advice.

 

[RJP]

Following a basic training dive that averaged/maxed at 10meters, is it safe to go parasailing at a height of up to 800'? Thanks in advance for your thoughtful advice.

At what altitude is the dive? At some point that incremental 800' is going to put you "over the limit" and into "altitude".



But seriously, in ordinary recreational diving at sea level ascending an extra 800ft above the surface of the dive should not be a problem. Now, the larger general question of "is it safe to go parasailing" is another question altogether.

 

[charlesml3]

Funny how often this comes up. But nobody seems to ever worry about staying in the top floor of some high-rise hotel. That could easily exceed 800 feet...

 

[Kingpatzer]

1000 feet is not going to be a significant pressure change. If you've got a reasonable length of time between the dive and going up parasailing (a few hours would be more than enough) I'd imagine you'll be fine.

 

[j.doe]

I would say you should be good to go. 800' of air really will not affect you that much, given that at a min you would likely have a boat ride, time getting changed etc... as a surface interval. You likely would have burned off the large majority of the nitrogen by the time you start crapping your pants in a parasailing harness.

When in doubt where your dive computer everywhere. A good one will automatically calculate your nitrogen loading as the pressures change. I do alot of altitude diving and we have the same problem driving home from the mountains, although in my case I add roughly 2000' of elevation comming back. Usually we just take a couple hours for lunch and another hour or so to pack gear, clean up and have a quick nap, and we are fine.

 

[NC Kelly]

Ok, what about the reverse. Say I fly to a dive in Bonaire, would your bottom time increase because of the lower nitrogen level from the fight.

 

[sabbath999]

Parasailing is no issue whatever if your dive was at sea level.

One thing you DO have to watch though, depending on where you dive, is where you drive after diving (especially on repetitive dives).

For example, on the Big Island of Hawai'i in Kona, you pretty much have to stay on the Kona/Kohala coast, as the belt road and it's offshoots jump right up to 3500 feet not 15 miles from town... that can start to get close to where you don't want to be. Heck, you can go to 5,500 feet and not be 5 miles from the coast there... really got to watch that.

 

[sagibson]

You really don't make it to 800ft while parasailing. The max line length is about 800ft which puts you at an max altitude of about 500ft.

 

[natew]

Ok, what about the reverse. Say I fly to a dive in Bonaire, would your bottom time increase because of the lower nitrogen level from the fight.

Pretty sure it doesn't work that way. And why would you want to push those limits? Even if mathematically it worked out so you managed 5 extra minutes of bottom time those equations and tables are really best guesses or averages and do not apply precisely to everyone in every situation.

If you want to increase your bottom time dive nitrox. I've also heard you can breathe 100% oxygen on the surface for a while but that might only apply to reducing nitrogen loading between dives and not necessarily before.

 

[NC Kelly]

just wondered about it more than anything. With an altitude change after diving increasing the risk DCS. One would be lead to believe flying then diving would decrease the risk. Just hypothetically thinking