Decompression Sickness likely?

[Mulepadre]

I am a newbie and my new job has me placed in a beautiful part of the world for which I am 'eternally' grateful.

One of the first things I have done is to try and get my PADI Open Water Certification. I just had my first dive yesterday.

I am located in Belize City, Belize and travel by turbo prop every week for two days to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye where I will be able to dive.
I will be diving for at least part of any one of those days whether the fly-in day or fly-out day and, I hope, sometimes both days. I did fly back to Belize City (the mainland) yesterday within and hour of diving, having been assured by the pilot that there would be no problem. He was right, I was fine.

The planes fly at about 1500 ft and the flight is not much more than a quarter hour. Here are the facts about my first dive yesterday. I was underwater for more than an hour (used about 2800 lbs of compressed air... it was my beginner's nerves) but we did not go any deeper than about 18-20'.

Here is my concern. As I will be developing my diving proficiency I should be doing 60' dives.
At what point does risidual nitrogen begin to cause DCS at an altitude of about 1.5 to 2k with 15 minutes of flytime? The pilot said that upwards of 8000' feet is the threshold. And if I stay with standard recreational, no decompression dive plans? Can anyone refer me to any online published studies?

Listen to this however. I had dinner with a local friend who knew of someone who dived, I am not sure how deep, but in this same area where I am now diving on Ambergris Caye. He apparently took the same flight as I do and he did get the bends. They put him in a decompression chamber on the mainland to save his life. Could that have been health related complications or something else that caused that? I have no other facts about it...

Looking forward to getting to know some of you 'seals'

Mulepadre

 

[String]

1500ft is fine. I drive home from the sea and live at 1500ft so its no different to a flight there. Be careful weather and so on doesnt force them higher though.

For standard no stop diving with no rapid ascents, good 5 min safety stop etc the time taken to get changed and get to the plane is enough for the small altitude not to have an effect.

If you are flying then use common sense, use very conservative, shallow no stop profiles, make long safety stops and watch that ascent rate. Ideally use nitrox as well.

As for the story about a diver requiring recompression - its not unheard of. Deco tables in the main are a bell curve. Most people fit onto that nicely, some people are outside it. They only way to guarantee you dont get bent from diving is not to dive.

 

[battles2a5]

If you live in Belize City, why not just take the water taxi? When you look at the time it takes to get to the airport, check in, claim your bags once you land, you aren't looking at that big of a time difference. It leaves pretty much hourly from San Pedro and Caye Caulker. Not to mention its a beautiful ride. They will drop you off right by the swing bridge in BZE. Might be an option. But flying at that altitude should not be an issue. If you are doing deep dives and get on a plane immediately, you are increasing the risk, but I

 

[scubajcf]

Make sure you let the Pilot know about your altitude limitations and diving issues.
Water taxi is really good advice.


//

 

[Blackwood]

It's difficult to say whether anything relating to DCS is likely or not.

Personally, I don't think that a couple of thousand feet is damaging. That equates to what, a few feet or water pressure? My suspicion is that if someone gets bent flying after diving, it's not the flight's fault, at least not entirely.

Be conservative, ascend slowly (I'd recommend 10FPM up from half your average depth). But I won't say whether you'll likely be fine or not...

 

[robint]

I disagree with the others...... take the water taxi or at least stay on the island 3-4 hours after diving to be safe.

Here is why I say that:
We live at high altitude, 5300' and dive often at a local spring. The spring is at 4500', however, on our drive back home we have to drive through a mountain pass at 8000'. We do not allow anyone, especially our OW students to drive home after diving until they have sat out 1 hour per 1000' gain to off-gas. We usually make everyone go to the local McDonalds and sit and sign dive logs, talk about next dive trips, etc. Altitude diving is actually a course which we teach here to discuss the affects of air pressure and scuba.... it matters for going down into the water (depth equivalents are for example a 40' dive at our spring is equivalent to a 48' depth from sealevel location). We have to figure all our dives according to our altitude (most new dive computers will have a setting for this now thankfully). Pressure is pressure, don't push it.

Yes, people have gotten bends after diving at our spring area then driving home through the mountains without stopping to off-gas. Everyone who dives here is aware of the issue but some people don't think it is an issue and then they end up in the chamber in ABQ.

Just my 2 cents.

robin

 

[SlowRain]

Have to agree with the thoughts around being conservative about this. Remember diving tables (regardless of which one you chose to favor) are MODELS...not hard and fast fact that is constant on each dive. I would error on the side of caution.

 

[String]

8000' is a far cry from 1500'.

 

[DwayneJ]

8000' is a far cry from 1500'.

4500' to 8000' = 3500' which is an easy altitude a small aircraft could climb to and beyond to avoid weather or traffic.

 

[BanditDJB]

Yeah, depending on the weather and obsitcles there is no guarantee that the plane will stay at the same altitude the whole flight.