Hiking after diving

[howard4113]

Dude do NOT do this. Discounting the elevation gain, you are still offgassing nitrogen and have a reduced capability to supply oxygen to your muscles. Even light exercise can result in sore muscles and maybe worse. I've made this mistake (bike riding several hours after my last - no-deco dive) . I stopped at the first signs of tingling. I had never felt this sensation before, so I rested - but still got a little sore. The symptoms subsided quickly with rest. I'm in great shape, I run a lot - and I'm not prone to soreness on such an easy ride. I had no joint pain or any of the classic signs of DCS - but I was ready to consult a physician if any symptoms developed. Although the odds of developing full blown DCS aren't greatly increased when exercising LIGHTLY after diving (walking...) - there is a real possibility of damaging tissue on a strenuous hike with significant elevation gain! Why take the chance if you don't have to?

Mark

 

[Seuss]

I wouldn't take the risk, if I were you. After diving, I have to drive from sea level to 365m (1200 feet) and back down in order to get home. I always wait at least an hour, if not more, before making the drive. (The apartment that I rent is owned by my dive doctor... he wouldn't rent to me unless I agree'd to wait before driving home after diving.)

Add the exertion of the hike, the altitude of the hike, the nitrogen in your system, and possible dehydration and you are seriously tempting fate.

 

[BarryNL]

Would there be DCS any risk in making a 3 mile hike up a small mountain to an elevation of 2,300 feet after two morning air nondeco dives of 45 ft for about 50 minutes and 115ft for no more than 30 minutes?

I'm assuming about 2 hours between end of last dive and start of the hike.

The simplest way is to treat the dives as altitude dives for the altitude you're planning to hike to. If you're using a computer which can handle altitude dives you should be OK to just set that and use its altitude no-deco limits.

I do have some altitude tables but was never trained properly in them, so don't take my word for this, but I think that if you're using normal tables you need to plan the 45' dive using 60' and 115' as 130'. Maybe someone can comment on whether I'm reading these tables right.

The table is here: http://www.mermaidscuba.com/altitude.shtml

 

[drbill]

Personally, I wouldn't do it but given my "mature" age I try to take better care of my "temple" than I really need to... just in case!

 

[chrisch]

I would be very cautious of this. The exercise after diving is not recommended. The USN tables give the required data for ascent to altitute after diving (table 9-5) if you want to refer to that.

Just the second dive on a EAN36 should be alright, but 115fsw is quite deep for the fisrt dive. Any way you could do the second site for both dives??

Your body will tell you if you are overdoing it and if it does stop and rest then go down - slowly!!!

 

[AXL72]

ahhh, u all are more smarty pants than me!!

I totally forgot about the dehydration factor.

Very good point against hiking afterward.

 

[NYC-Diver]

The rain cancelled everything. Thanks for everybody's advice. Next trip we'll save the hike for the next day.