Hello,

I am not a diver so forgive the question. Can you dive in the AM and then fly to CUR on a prop plane a few hours later?

Check your dive tables and/or computer. Err on the side of caution.

Ann,
To my honest opinion there are too many different opinions (!!) about this to take the risk. There are many factors which all together eventually lead to the susceptibility of DCS. when flying, in-flight pressure is just one of them. Personal fitness, the length and depth of the dive, if one is sufficiently hydrated, etc, etc all are part of the equation. I personally would not take the risk.

Grtz,

Michael

Small addition: With not taking the risk I mean: Maintain the standard Surface Interval periods as recommended: i.e. at least 12 hrs after a single dive.

(Message edited by scuby98 on April 13, 2006)

Ann for your info. 1 dive to depth 12 hours before flying. Safety Safety is the smart way to go.

Yes, it can be done. But there are factors to consider.

If the flight remains at or below 1000' (either actual altitude or cabin pressurized to 1000') then there shouldn't be a problem. With a charter flight and the short distance you need to travel that might be possible.

Otherwise here are the recommendations from Divers Alert Network:

Revised Flying After Diving Guidelines for Recreational Diving - May 2002

The following guidelines are the consensus of attendees at the 2002 Flying After Diving Workshop. They apply to air dives followed by flights at cabin altitudes of 2,000 to 8,000 feet (610 to 2,438 meters) for divers who do not have symptoms of decompression sickness (DCS). The recommended preflight surface intervals do not guarantee avoidance of DCS. Longer surface intervals will reduce DCS risk further.

For a single no-decompression dive, a minimum preflight surface interval of 12 hours is suggested.

For multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, a minimum preflight surface interval of 18 hours is suggested.

For dives requiring decompression stops, there is little evidence on which to base a recommendation and a preflight surface interval substantially longer than 18 hours appears prudent.

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/faq/faq.asp?faqid=54

ain't that what i said in less words

Duplicate post.

(Message edited by jim_peters on April 13, 2006)

Ann's question was not specific in if it's a nitrox or air dive or if it's a deep dive or not and therefore it's not a simple answer. That's why I posted DAN's recommendation which covers various different situations.

In Ann's particular situation however she is going from BON to CUR which is a 15 minute flight via the DAE turboprop. The problem with that flight is that it flies too high and there's no way to be sure what the cabin is pressurized to. So if that's how she were intending to travel it would be best to wait the 12 hours, or more. The other option is something along the lines of Divi Divi, a smaller operation which may be able to do a low (1000') altitude flight. If that's the case she could fly within a few hours of diving. I know of one operator on Aruba that will fly you over to Bonaire for a couple of days and then fly you back, at 1000' msl if necessary.

Jim if you noticed what ann asked, it was not for her but I would guess one of her clients. No diver is going diving unless going to depth so waiting period is 12 hours unless you don't care about DCS. Most dive instructors are going to tell you that for safety. So that brings us to the real question do you feel lucky well do yeh!!!!!!!!

I don't. I'd surface interval for 12 hours.

Patrick,

No, I don't feel lucky. I do however feel confident in the recommendations made by DAN (which come from doctors with experience in dive physiology) when they say that the recommendations "...apply to air dives followed by flights at cabin altitudes of 2,000 to 8,000 feet (610 to 2,438 meters) for divers who do not have symptoms of decompression sickness (DCS)."

Very simply put it means that if you stay at or below 1000' and you can fly all you want. Where a small charter aircraft is available between BON and CUR that can do a low level flight like that it means that in this particular case the 12 hour no fly time may not be necessary.

The world is not digital, 1's and 0's, it's actually analog with only the appearance of being digital. So if we want to boil down Ann's question to only one single answer it would have to be, it depends. :-)

Jim you can quote Dan all you like. If you ask one of the dive doctors that same question from Dan he will tell you it is not an exact science and you can still get bent by obeying the rules. I know because i asked the same question years ago to Dan. So don't fly after diving. I teach people how to dive and be responsible divers. Been there done that. When you give advise be sure it is the correct advise. Yes you can do it but is it advisable NO!!!!!! Now start factoring in all the variables into the equation and ask the question again different answer every time. The flying rule has change at least 4/5 time in the last 18 years i think, but don't take that as law because i would have check that myself to make sure. As Jerry would say can i have my check now.

Would you really want to risk a DCS hit? You can check tables and your computer all you want, the bottom line is you are responsible for your own safety, I have over 2000 dives and have never flown less than 24 hrs after a dive. I also have never been hit with DCS, I guess what I am saying is go what feels right for you, remember only you can prevent DCS.

Patrick I think the problem here is that you're not taking into account the difference between a regular commercial airline flight and a puddle jumper charter flight.

I also think you're also overlooking the fact that people that dive locally to where they live go out on the weekend, do a couple of dives, and then drive home without even the slightest idea of what altitude they live at or what they had to drive over in order to get there.

If you can drive in your car up at up to 1000' msl without problems after diving what makes an airplane at the same altitude different?

Here's something else to think about. If you're getting bent (pun intended) over someone flying an airplane at 1000' msl or less a few hours after diving then shouldn't you also be concerned for people that live in places like NH or other hilly, mountainous areas that drive home after a day of diving at the coast? Shouldn't they too have to wait 12 hours, or more, before driving home? If not, why?

Btw, Ann never said if the flight was to be after a single dive or after repetitive dives or after multiple days of diving. She also didn't say whether it was a decompression dive or not either. One would me mean a 12 hour wait, the other 18 hours, and the last 18+ hours if we're talking about flying on a regular commercial airline flight.

There's great snorkeling on Bonaire. Why not do that the last morning?

A responsable diver calculates his Altitude whether in a car or a plane, or get bent!! Ron

And then there were the 'old days', when, after a week of repetitive diving, we did a 'moon drop' (free fall) to 150' and back up the reef early the morning of flying to the States with never a bit of DCS.

Now, don't jump all over me for relating historical truth! I am not advocating that anyone do morning-of-flying moon drops; I am simply pointing out that recommendations today are more conservative than 20 years ago, another truth. Perhaps better. I suspect our bodies haven't changed all that much in those years, though. :–)

I would be concerned about the safety procedures followed by a charter company that would agree to fly at that altitude (below 1000' msl) on an extended overwater flight. (Would be illegal over land in the states.) We always give a 24 hour break (after multiple repetitive dive days.) and enjoy something above water.

This year I think we will try the "land sailing" looks like a blast.

LOL.....

Reread my first post:

As there are too many OPINIONS.....


Q.E.D.

Hi Glen

Remember the Old “D” Diver rule? You can fly as soon as you reach the de-saturation point of becoming a “D” Diver. I still have tables (PADI & SSI) somewhere with that printed on them. You know hundreds of thousands if not millions of divers used that rule for years with few? problems.

Do I do this any more? No. I usually wait 12 to 24 hours.

The only way to assure you wont get bent is to not dive or fly.

I do remember that. Conservatism is a good thing, in measure. Which 'measure' is the sticking point.

The only decompression algorithm that has been widely tested was the Buhlmann-Hahn formulas in the '90s for the Decobrain and it's successors.

Over 150k sport dives were logged in Europe and the algorithm changed until there were not even 'skin hits'. Later Bret Gilliam tracked over 90k sport dives on a cruise ship using rental deco computers without a DCS case.

This didn't explore the edges of the algorithm envelope but did what is needed: checked sport dives. :–)