Helicopter diving

[ZapDiver]

I've just read one article about diving from an helicopter, Aparently you get in the helicopter fully prepared (all but the fins) and fly to the dive site, one ther you drop, ajust your gear and do your dive. When you get out there's a Zodiac boat waiting for you to take you to the shore.

Doing a quick search on the internet, I found some helicopter dives that offer to take you back in the helicopter after the dive.

It's the first time I heard of this so I've got curious and can't find information on some questions theat i have, and hopefully someone around here have done this kind of dive and can clarify me some things.

So, you get there on helicopter and the boat arrives while you are diving? And as I see it it´s a small boat, so, what preparations are made for emergencies, what happens if you need to abort 5 minutes into the dive , is the helicopter wasting fuel hovering around until the boat arrives, or are you alone until then, Or is the boar deployed from the helicopter? What kind of emergency equipoment can be fitted into this boats?

If you get back on the helicopter, how is this done?

I can see the big advantage of shortening the traveling time to the dive site, but I'm kind of worried with all that one seems to sacrifice to do that.

I Hope that some one can drop some light on this.

Thanks

 

[OldNSalty]

So...if they can get a boat to the site why do they need the helicopter? This sounds like a gimmic to me. Granted, the copter is faster then the boat but those things burn a lot of fuel and is a long boat ride really that bad?

 

[Garrobo]

How about a helicopter with pontoons negating the boat altogether? If you've got the money we got the time.

 

[ZapDiver]

I Found one video here:

Curacao Scuba Diving - Dive Charter Curacao the best boat dive adventure in the Caribbean.

It seems like the boat is already on site when the divers hit the water.

 

[RJP]

I Hope that some one can drop some light on this.

A fool and his money were lucky to get together in the first place!

 

[chazrich]

Hmmm. This sounds kind of like a military style adventure tour to me. I would hope they drop you in the area of a pre-positioned boat, though. It does sound like a lot of fun that I probably can't afford.

 

[ScubaMarc]

So...if they can get a boat to the site why do they need the helicopter? This sounds like a gimmic to me. Granted, the copter is faster then the boat but those things burn a lot of fuel and is a long boat ride really that bad?

this dive is a 5 minute boat ride.

 

[ZapDiver]

How about a helicopter with pontoons negating the boat altogether? If you've got the money we got the time.

On that topic, wouldn't it be risky to fly directly after diving? I don't know how low can an helicopter fly to avoid Decompression simptoms, or how high can one get without getting sick..

 

[OldNSalty]

On that topic, wouldn't it be risky to fly directly after diving? I don't know how low can an helicopter fly to avoid Decompression simptoms, or how high can one get without getting sick..

In the Army we use to fly just a few feet off the ground in between trees so I am sure out on the open water the pilot can keep low enough to where this isn't even remotely a problem.

 

[RJP]

On that topic, wouldn't it be risky to fly directly after diving? I don't know how low can an helicopter fly to avoid Decompression simptoms, or how high can one get without getting sick..

Considering that a CG helicopter is the usual form of evac for DCS victims, I'm guessing it's not a problem.