How Long Should I Wait Before Driving Up To 6000ft?

[Tuby]

Thanks guys for all the fantastic inputs. Definately a great insight to driving up to high altitudes. Something which is a very difficult subject to give a straight answer. Anyways, my initial plan was to drive across the range (reaching the highest point @ 6000ft) about 15-17 hours after my last dive, this after doing dive for the last 3 days, 3-4 dives / day. From what I gathered by the replies, I think that should be more than enough time to avoid risking DCS. I could even take a flight back at that rate as it'll be more than 18 hours after my last dive! I just need to be conservative on dives, I think?

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Thanks guys for all the fantastic inputs. Definately a great insight to driving up to high altitudes. Something which is a very difficult subject to give a straight answer. Anyways, my initial plan was to drive across the range (reaching the highest point @ 6000ft) about 15-17 hours after my last dive, this after doing dive for the last 3 days, 3-4 dives / day. From what I gathered by the replies, I think that should be more than enough time to avoid risking DCS. I could even take a flight back at that rate as it'll be more than 18 hours after my last dive! I just need to be conservative on dives, I think?

Sorry, I did not post this link before.

http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/AscentToAltitudeTable.pdf

NOAA spells it out for you. Even at Z, you are clear at 18:17 to ascend to 6000ft.

FYI: To use this table, you need to to use NOAA tables, not PADI. They work similar, but are different.

 

[bleeb]

Sorry, I did not post this link before.

http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/AscentToAltitudeTable.pdf

NOAA spells it out for you. Even at Z, you are clear at 18:17 to ascend to 6000ft.

FYI: To use this table, you need to to use NOAA tables, not PADI. They work similar, but are different.

NOAA tables can be found here: Dive Planning forms, tables & formulas
(i.e. If diving on air, you want the NOAA No-Deco Air Table.)

 

[knotical]

As GOG mentioned, the pressure groups are NOAA/USN groups, so the ascent table should be used in conjunction with the appropriate table(s) below:

For air:
http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/NoDecoAirTable.pdf
or
http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/NoDecoAirDiveTable.pdf and
http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/ResidNitroTable.pdf

Or for Nitrox 32 or 36:
http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/nitrox32.pdf
or
http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/nitrox36.pdf

edit: drat, bleeb typed faster than I.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Thanks for posting the links, guys. I have the tables, but had lost the link.

Tuby: The tables are very straight forward, but as others have said, you do need to use the Repetitve Group Designator from the USN tables, NOT the PADI tables (obviously). What I've done in the past is plan my dive profiles, and maybe a couple more "aggressive" profiles just in case, then look at where that leaves me on the table, and plan my surface interval before driving to altitude accordingly.

Best wishes.

 

[Tuby]

Thanks guys! This is fantastic! Very good references indeed. Will keep the pdf files for future references.

 

[Seaduced]

This is funny, I read the title and thought this was diving, not driving, to 6,000 feet. This would have been a one upsmanship to the piddling 85 meter dive discussed in this forum. There's a lot of humor on SB, some of it you just have to create for yourself.

Good diving, Craig

Yeah... you would want to wait a while to do anything, after diving to 6000'...