Pilots!! How do you plan your diving???

[johnnyseko]

So as I sit here on one of the nicest days of summer thus far....I am pretty bummed I cant dive - I've got a training flight booked for tonight. Same thing for tomorrow night. Therefore no diving this weekend!

Got me wondering what the rest of the pilot/divers do to plan this out. Do you not dive? Is there some formula to use as far as depth and altitude? Do you just dive and do what the computer tells you?(I know my computer usually says NO FLY for 4hrs - I've never seen 12 or 24hrs)

In the near future I hope to be an instructor which would mean flying most days of the week. Is scuba going to have to stop? Would nitrox help? The thing that bugs me is I usually fly in the 2000' range, and only once have been to 4000' on an IFR flight.

OTOH...I am really psyched for such near perfect weather for my night solo xcountries!

 

[webhead]

JS, nice to see/meet another diver/pilot.

I haven't flown after a dive... yet. Heard that if do a no deco dive and wait 4 or 8 hours, you're generally safe to fly. The info should be on the DAN web site. If I can find some accepted standards, I'll let you know.

Keep the rubber side down.

 

[o2deep4o2long]

Being a flight and dive instructor I have the need for getting post dive ceilings above mean sea level. Get Nautilus. Enter a dive, then hit the surface interval a few times (90 minutes is the default surface interval time) and watch your ceiling climb from 0 feet msl up to 10,000 feet msl.

 

[Oriskany Divemaster]

Most times I try to get 24 hours in. Just last weekend I dove the Oriskany twice Sat and Sunday, (each below 100ft) finishing my last dive at 1030. On Monday at 0800 I jumped into the Archer and got to 8500 for a X/C VFR to LWC. Other than a few twitches, itchy skin and my shoulder falling off, I was okay.

I checked the DAN site and found some interesting info. Also check this one:
http://faculty.washington.edu/ekay/altitude.html

Hope it helps.

 

[Nautical Dreamer]

My computer (Aladin Prime) sets altitude zones. As the nitrogen load decreases it clears you for differernt altitudes.

 

[johnnyseko]

My computer (Aladin Prime) sets altitude zones. As the nitrogen load decreases it clears you for differernt altitudes.

Really?? I have the Aladin Tech.....I'd better pull out that manual.

 

[johnnyseko]

I jumped into the Archer and got to 8500 for a X/C VFR to LWC. Other than a few twitches, itchy skin and my shoulder falling off, I was okay.

:lol: :lol:

Well, I'm planning on waiting the 12-24hours. Just curious how others handled it. I've seen the DAN charts and I dont want to cut it close and take any chances. But the info in that link is interesting, thanks.

 

[SharkDZ]

I fly and jump 6 days a week with a few dives on my day off. I always wait 24 hrs., and I'm doing 14,000' msl several times during each day that I'm working.

 

[Derek2382]

I usually dive every sunday 2 dives 100 + feet, I recently got a new job where I will be flying, low altitudes but flying none the less. Will it be safe to dive Sundays last dive probably at 300 pm then fly as early as 700 am the next morning? So less than a 12 hr wait.

 

[Falco]

Here in canada, the CARs (aviation law) state that to be a flight crew member, one has to wait 12 hours after a non deco dive if the flight is conduted at 8000 ASL or lower, 24 hours for a deco dive if the flight is conduted at 8000 ASL or lower, or 24 hours if the flight is conducted above 8000ASL. So it's really simple, just don't dive and fly, plan you flying before your diving and leave the required amount of time inbetween the two activities.