Volcano National Park

[knotical]

I realize this is an old thread, but wanted to expand on my earlier answers.

Heading to Hilo via route 19, you’ll get to about 2900 feet East of Waimea.

Heading to Hilo via Saddle Road (Route 200), you’ll rise above 6600 feet near the Mauna Kea access road entrance.

To visit Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park head South from Kona on Route 11, but you should be aware that you’ll experience two dips. You will:
- climb to above 1500 feet near Captain Cook, but
- dip to 800 feet around Kalahiki near the turn to Hoʻokena, then
- climb to nearly 2100 feet in Ocean View, but then
- really drop down to essentially sea level (30 feet) at Whittington Beach, past Naʻalehu before a
- climb to a bit over 4000 feet near the Park entrance.


source: USGS maps

 

[RDRINK25]

I realize this is an old thread, but wanted to expand on my earlier answers.

Heading to Hilo via route 19, you’ll get to about 2900 feet East of Waimea.

Heading to Hilo via Saddle Road (Route 200), you’ll rise above 6600 feet near the Mauna Kea access road entrance.

To visit Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park head South from Kona on Route 11, but you should be aware that you’ll experience two dips. You will:
- climb to above 1500 feet near Captain Cook, but
- dip to 800 feet around Kalahiki near the turn to Hoʻokena, then
- climb to nearly 2100 feet in Ocean View, but then
- really drop down to essentially sea level (30 feet) at Whittington Beach, past Naʻalehu before a
- climb to a bit over 4000 feet near the Park entrance.


source: USGS maps

I know I will have to do tables for the week when I am there. I am planning a week of diving in Kona. After a morning 2 tank dive getting back around 1 as the op states. I am trying to plan a drive from Kona to the Volcanoes National Park for the day. What time would be safe to start the drive over? Isn't DAN's recommandation 18hrs?

 

[knotical]

Leadturn_SD’s posts above give valuable recommendations that are relevant to your questions. Additionally:

The DAN guidelines vary with whether you did multiple dives and/or had required decompression stops: What is Decompression: Flying after Diving ? Medical Dive Article ? DAN | Divers Alert Network

You might want to track your dives using NOAA&#8217;s air tables: http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/forms/New_NOAA_Air_Deco_Tables_2008.pdf < NOTE: the pressure group letters are not the same as PADI&#8217;s. >--
And then apply the recommendations from their Ascent to Altitude table: http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/AscentToAltitudeTable.pdf

I no longer find their Nitrox tables online, so if you&#8217;re diving nitrox you might want to be conservative and use their air tables.
(Or download the USN dive manual - http://www.supsalv.org/00c3_publications.asp - caution, it's huge.)

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I know I will have to do tables for the week when I am there. I am planning a week of diving in Kona. After a morning 2 tank dive getting back around 1 as the op states. I am trying to plan a drive from Kona to the Volcanoes National Park for the day. What time would be safe to start the drive over? Isn't DAN's recommandation 18hrs?

One of the things to keep in mind is that long, relatively shallow dives can result in a higher nitrogen load than a single deep dive, even though you stay well within NDL's. Make multiple long, shallow dives in the same day, and you may find that your Group Designator from the Navy tables gets surprisingly high, resulting in a long mandatory surface interval before ascending to significant elevation.

The reason I mention (repeat!) this is that I've heard even experienced divers say "I plan to stay shallow on my morning dives, then drive to Volcano; I know it will be just fine because I am staying shallow!".

No. You cannot automatically assume that.

You need to check to make sure it really is ok, and the only way to do that is to record your depth, time and surface intervals, then do the calculations, and not push the limits of the Navy (or NOAA) tables.

If you follow DAN's recommendations you will certainly be safe, but you will not be driving to Volcano on the same day you dive. Most of the dive Op's will urge you not to drive to Volcano (or even to Hilo via Waimea) after diving in Kona. This is not bad advise, but in many cases is a bit conservative.

It is possible to drive to altitude after diving, but only if you know exactly what you are doing.

My recommendation is usually to save Volcano for a non-dive day, so you can:

(1) Spend more time in the Park and
(2) Avoid the whole DCS issue.

If you do choose to "dive and drive" the same day, you must do the calculations for yourself.

Best wishes.

 

[RDRINK25]

I am not looking to do the park in the same day. This is my schedule I am planing. Dive Mon,Tue, Wed then leave for the park on Thur from Kona about 9am. I am looking to do the whole volcano so I dont know the elevation you can actually get? I am not planning on any decompression diving so the 18 hr surface interval should be into play?

 

[knotical]

Assuming you do the normal thing of entering by the visitor center, you will not reach as high as 4100 feet. i.e. if you turn South (right as you are coming from Kona) from Highway 11, you&#8217;ll generally be going downhill. If instead you turn North on Mauna Loa Road, it&#8217;s a different story. If you drive very far, you&#8217;ll be climbing Mauna Loa and the road rises accordingly.

Parenthetically, it can be worth driving partway on Mauna Loa Road to a place called Bird Park (AKA K&#299;pukapuaulu). If you take the pleasant walk through K&#299;pukapuaulu you&#8217;ll crest just above 4100 feet. I wouldn&#8217;t suggest driving much past that park though, if you are carrying any significant residual nitrogen load.

To see where I got the elevation info, go to: The USGS Store - One stop shop for all your maps, world, United States, state, wall decor, historic, planetary, topographic, trail, hiking, foreign, satellite, digital
Enter the search term Kilauea Crater, and on the second page of results open the 2013 version of the map. <caution, it's a big file>

A simpler overview, without the elevation info: http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/upload/summit_20111018_final.pdf

A final note, if you can arrange it, be at the lookout by Jaggar Museum after dark. You'll be able to see the glow from the lava. The museum closes at 7 PM, but the park doesn't.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I am not looking to do the park in the same day. This is my schedule I am planing. Dive Mon,Tue, Wed then leave for the park on Thur from Kona about 9am. I am looking to do the whole volcano so I dont know the elevation you can actually get? I am not planning on any decompression diving so the 18 hr surface interval should be into play?

Sorry, I misunderstood what you were asking.

Table 9.6 (the Navy Ascent to Altitude Table) maxes out for an ascent to 4,000 feet at 11 hours and 3 minutes of surface interval. What this means is short of an extreme exposure, you should be "ok" to ascend to 4,000 feet about 11 hours after your last dive of the day, or sooner.

So if you are doing a couple of "typical" reef dives in the morning, are out of the water by early afternoon, and do not plan to drive up to Volcano until the following morning? Should be fine. But pay attention to the altitudes, as mentioned by knotical. If you are going to the main entrance of the park and not much higher, fine. If you plan to go much higher, all bets are off. For example, 7,000 feet maxes out at about 18 hours surface interval in Table 9.6 (which conforms to the DAN time to fly recommendation).

Have fun!!

 

[RDRINK25]

On a similar note... If on the last day of dive before our flight leaves KOA(10pm) we wanted to drive from Kona to Hilo via the N(not saddle rd). What elevation would we be at the highest point?

 

[knotical]

... Heading to Hilo via route 19, you&#8217;ll get to about 2900 feet East of Waimea. ...

Route 19 is the North route. As LeadTurn_SD mentioned, it makes sense to round it up a bit to 3000 ft.