Diving then Flying

ChemGuy

ChemGuy

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ChemGuy
I am new OW diver. I have airplane. I live within reasonable flying distance of Gulf Coast, FL, Bahamas. I know the 'rule' is 18-24hrs before flying. I also know my computer does calculations and provides altitude zones to avoid after diving, ie if you were driving over mountains and such.

Do any of you diver/flyers ever fly yourself at 3-6K 6-10 hours after a SHALLOW dive. I am thinking about a scenario where I fly down to coast on Friday evening, dive Sat, 2-3 tanks and a shallow(30') tank Sunday am and fly home that evening. This assumes the computer says I'm good to be at that altitude.

The 5+ hour drive each way vs flying 1.5-2.5 hrs is the motivation for this. Not wanting to loose a whole travel day.

Anyone have some first hand experience with shorter term surface interval before flying at low altitude?

Thanks,
 
I keep my after dive flying to below 1000'. Look where you are in the Repetitive table. One thing we learned with the Doppler Stethescope is everyone off gasses a bit differently. If you are staying up on the Bahamas Bank in <15' of water and only dive a single 80, you aren't at much risk. Actually, on a single 80, it's almost impossible regardless your profile to get bent. Conversely, if you need to clean up, regardless how loaded you are, 2 hours on pure O2 will clean you up unless you are saturated at depths below 100', and then you're on a deco schedule coming up anyway.
 
I dive frequently and don't follow the RDP table advice... I obey my computer 100%, though.

You probably will be fine, given the profile you mention, IF those three dives on Saturday aren't crazy deep. On days when I'm teaching open water (no deeper than 25-30), I've done 4 dives a day and only been in 3 hour no fly. Since you're new OW, I'm assuming you intend to stay shallower than 60' anyway.

Just be sure you know what your specific computer is saying... on mine, I get a no-fly time and a desat time. In the example above, I can be in no fly for 3ish hours but desat for 24 hours. Since the computers assume pressurized airline flying, I never exceed 8k when in desat, and I never, ever fly when actually in no fly.
 
Dumb question... If you have your dive computer with you in an airplane, could it warn you of any impeding problems?

Full disclosure: I don't know shlt about dive computers.
 
Anymouse said:
Dumb question... If you have your dive computer with you in an airplane, could it warn you of any impeding problems?

Full disclosure: I don't know shlt about dive computers.
Click to expand...

Mine won't. I'm not aware of any that will.
 
Anymouse said:
Dumb question... If you have your dive computer with you in an airplane, could it warn you of any impeding problems?

Full disclosure: I don't know shlt about dive computers.
Click to expand...

Depends on the computer and also which algorithm it uses. Most of them need to be immersed to do a calculating function and basically just function as a timer once dry. Mind you the computer does not track reality, just one of many differing algorithms. If you want real information you get a Doppler Stethescope and listen to the bubbling in your own body.
 
BTW - the two most useful certifications are AOW (Advanced) and Nitrox. Nitrox doesn't make DCS go away, but it helps a great deal. If you think your profile might be cutting the surface interval close, go on Nitrox.
If you ever do a live aboard or a lot of repetitive diving, you'll need Nitrox anyway.
 
Most useful one I found is TriMix, it gets you on the good dives.
 
What if you dive in the mountain lakes? How does that change the game?
 
Henning said:
Most useful one I found is TriMix, it gets you on the good dives.
Click to expand...

Nitrox to trimix is like moving from a 152 to the Concorde. Nitrox is easily within the reach of a new diver.
 
Subsea said:
What if you dive in the mountain lakes? How does that change the game?
Click to expand...

It complicates it a bit, but not greatly. There are "altitude diving tables" as well as most all computers I have seen which compensate for the difference. As far as flying goes, the difference will be minimal except for the fact that if you fly down the mountain, you'll be better off by a small margin.

One thing to remember, decompression is NOT an exact science, it is just a modeling. Your personal physiology and even condition at the time of the dive can change things greatly. What will be fine one dive can get you bent the next depending on what you ate and drank (or more critically didn't drink and got yourself dehydrated) in the predive period.

If you really want to know what is up, get yourself something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...lcbvBCd5MS7NenpT_nDvUaAklD8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

It will let you listen to the bubbling. (Good God these things have gotten cheap!)
 
Thanks jr. That is the kind of info I was hoping for, only 3-4 hrs no fly.

I expect to not be going to deep on these types of dives, just building some experience that doesn't involve a quarry or lake. And nitrox will be up next to help with SI.

I will have to keep an eye on the computer and see what she says.
 
pilotjlr said:
Nitrox to trimix is like moving from a 152 to the Concorde. Nitrox is easily within the reach of a new diver.
Click to expand...

Actually you need to know the same things, they just work different ends of the depth spectrum.
 
Henning said:
Actually you need to know the same things, they just work different ends of the depth spectrum.
Click to expand...

Yes, they are the same, in the sense that the diver is underwater and breathing a non-air mix.

This is not even close to the same ballpark as nitrox. I have no idea why we're even discussing it.
 
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