Planning an inter-island trip to Hawaii in April. Looking for places to stay, a few we like are in the Captain Cook area. Any issues with altitude between Kona and that area we need to keep in mind on our dive days?
Altitude issues if staying in Captain Cook area
- Thread starter lonebrave
- Start date
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smellzlikefish
Contributor
I don't think there are any "official" rules that apply, but my friend who lives at the tippy top of Captain Cook like to hang out for a bit at the dive spot for maybe half an hour to an hour depending on nitrogen loading.
Thanks for the info. Any idea what the elevation along the drive down to Captain Cook is?
Playing with the maps at:
Kealakekua Topographic Map | Lat 19.6172°N Long -155.8983°W Elevation 3,451 Feet | Zoom 15 S Size
(you’ll have to zoom out and navigate around)
it appears that on the highway, Captain Cook is around 1400 Feet. Shortly before you get there you’ll go through Kealakekua which is around 1600 feet. If you go inland from the highway, you will get to higher elevations quickly.
topozone.com is a neat resource.
Kealakekua Topographic Map | Lat 19.6172°N Long -155.8983°W Elevation 3,451 Feet | Zoom 15 S Size
(you’ll have to zoom out and navigate around)
it appears that on the highway, Captain Cook is around 1400 Feet. Shortly before you get there you’ll go through Kealakekua which is around 1600 feet. If you go inland from the highway, you will get to higher elevations quickly.
topozone.com is a neat resource.
Where are you staying? I live in Captain Cook below the highway, have to get to about 1400 feet to get home. 2 tanks from Kailua hasn't been an issue for me, anything more I'll try to waste some time first. If going to the Place of Refuge, I'll avoid the upper highway and go to Kealakekua Bay and up Napoopoo rd to my place, if you're above the highway you're kind of stuck. Even diving at the Place of Refuge, I'm only at 900', I'll go straght home after one dive, will waste some time first after 2 tanks.
If you talk to a DAN rep (I have in the past) they'll be very vague when it comes to altitudes. If in doubt, go to NOAA's website, they have dive tables and altitude after diving tables. You work through the dive tables, get your group letter, then the altitude tables will give you a sit time before driving to various elevations based on your group letter. It may surprise a lot of people. If you work even two basic shallow dives with an hour surface interval, going to the other side of the island can be off for 6-10 hours or more, I've not worked the tables for 1500/2000 feet.
If you talk to a DAN rep (I have in the past) they'll be very vague when it comes to altitudes. If in doubt, go to NOAA's website, they have dive tables and altitude after diving tables. You work through the dive tables, get your group letter, then the altitude tables will give you a sit time before driving to various elevations based on your group letter. It may surprise a lot of people. If you work even two basic shallow dives with an hour surface interval, going to the other side of the island can be off for 6-10 hours or more, I've not worked the tables for 1500/2000 feet.
Our top couple VRBO picks right now are in down in Kona Paradise, below the highway. So it seems like best bet is to chill for a bit after a 2-tank morning. I'll take a look at the NOAA tables and work out some scenarios based on my Oahu profiles for the 1500' range.
If you read through the DAN articles on altitude (flying after diving), they only consider it to be an issue if you are gaining more than 2,000 feet of elevation.
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