Flight vs diving restrictions

[monica.kraj]

Hello to all the divers!

My name is Monika. I'm a quite "fresh" diver as I have got only 20 dives logged.

While doing my OWD course I remember the instructor warning me not to dive 24 hours BEFORE any flight. Now, does it also work the other way around - is it said that one should not be diving for 24 hours AFTER a flight?

Sorry if this seems to be a silly question, but my mind just went blank.

Thanks in advance!

Monika

 

[turtle_guy]

I am interested too but i cant think of a reason not to
Dr. Deco?

 

[alcina]

Nope, get off the plane, change and dive

 

[Jimmer]

There should be no reason why you can't dive after flying at all.

 

[diversteve]

No, I've dove the same day I arrived lots of times. On Bonaire for example, if you're on the red-eye flight, it's not unheard of to arrive early morning, have breakfast, go through an orientation and be in the water by 10am.

The 24hrs. is to allow the residual nitrogen to equalize in your body. So it only is necessary post-dive.

The 24 hr. no-fly rule also applies to significant elevation changes. So no big climbs after diving...

 

[johnnyseko]

You can dive right away coming off the plane. (I've changed into my bathing suit more than once at Tampa airport upon arriving. )

I thought the rule is wait 12 hours to fly after diving if you did non-decompression dives but if you did decompression dives you wait 24 hours.

 

[Gene_Hobbs]

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=167730

 

[spectrum]

There should be no reason why you can't dive after flying at all.

That is not entirely true in many cases. The conditions in an aircraft and typical fluid intake while flying make it very likely that the diver arrives dehydrated. This causes an elevated risk of DCS and a host of other dive and non dive maladies.

So drink ample fluids en route, don't worry about being the one getting up to go to the lavatory and if you arrive rested you should be able to hit the ground running, or the water kicking.

Pete

 

[ronbeau]

Hello to all the divers!

My name is Monika. I'm a quite "fresh" diver as I have got only 20 dives logged.

While doing my OWD course I remember the instructor warning me not to dive 24 hours BEFORE any flight. Now, does it also work the other way around - is it said that one should not be diving for 24 hours AFTER a flight?

Sorry if this seems to be a silly question, but my mind just went blank.

Thanks in advance!

Monika

The short answer is no.

When you get off the plane you are going from a lower pressure environment (less than 1 atmosphere (commercial aircraft are usually pressurized equivalent to an elevation of between 2000 and 8000 feet above sea level) to a higher pressure environment of approximately 1 atmosphere (assuming you are landing at some location less than 1000 feet above sea level as opposed to landing in Denver or Mexico City).

The problem with flying after diving is that the nitrogen that is in solution in your body tends to migrate to bubble form when going to a low pressure environment (for example an aircraft pressurized equivalent to an altitude of between 2000 and 8000 fest above sea level) before it can be fully exhaust though normal respiration.


Let me know if this explanation makes sense (I am writing it at 10:00 PM after a long day ).

 

[RonFrank]

Hi Monica,

Welcome to SB!

If you have no Nitrogen in your system, than flying is not an issue. Going from a lower pressure environment to a higher pressure environment is also never an issue even if you are Nitrogen loaded. So jump off the plane, and go diving!

PADI has changed the no dive fly time to 12 hours. But they then say 18 hours on a multi-day repetitive dive schedule, and a lot of folks like and practice the 24 hour rule.

Your computer also will make a FLY Time recommendation based on your profiles, and whatever algorithm it happens to use. This assumes you have a puter!