Diving and flying

[Sbiriguda]

I know... I should not be asking this to the Doc... But anyways
Flying and diving is always a bad idea, and I also believe that if something goes wrong the DAN insurance will not even cover the hyberbaric chamber expenses
That said...
In Egypt and Jordan say Sharm or Aqaba there are shallow dives that are well worth it. From Europe it takes like 2 hours by plane, so one could go there even for a weekend. The point is, obviously, that once you remove one day after the flight (which is actually only suggested and not mandatory) and 12 hours/one day before the return flight the weekend is already over.
What if one keeps at a very low depth during the dives? Say even 5 or 7 meters let me say almost like freediving or snorkeling? Is there a significant risk of DCI or decompression sickness? If one has good physical fit, good hydration, a dive time of let me say 30 minutes, the safety stop and especially a low dive depth almost close to surface like 5 or 7 meters is the risk of the illness almost negligible or actually that doesn't matter and the risk is still high and not worth it?
Thanks

 

[tursiops]

Why don't you try it and let us know the results?

 

[Raphus]

Diving in 7m is different then freediving in 7m.

I would not try it..
I am sure, someone did it and it was fine, but there will be others where it wasnt fine.
But the rules are there for a reason.

For example. Pressure cabin in the airplane failes.. Then ur not on 8000 ft. But on 33000.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @Sbiriguda

You know the recommendations. Would you blow off a deco stop to find out if you could get away with it? Maybe you would do fine, maybe not. You would be responsible for the outcome.

I frequently fly the day after diving. Sometimes I quit diving after the morning and can travel the next morning. If I dive a full day, I don't depart until the next afternoon. More often than not, I get in a longer surface interval than what is suggested.

 

[tursiops]

Rev 7 of the US Navy Diving Manual (Table 9-6) allows divers in Pressure Groups A-B-C to ascend to 8000 ft (commercial flight pressure altitude) with zero wait time before ascending. Appendix 2A covers diving between 30 and 50 ft. A 30 ft dive for 63 minutes puts you in PG E, and it takes 1h45min to drop to PG C.

You need not wait 24h AFTER flying before diving. That assumes a very long flight, fatigue, and dehydration.

 

[Sbiriguda]

Well let's say so. On Friday afternoon I fly to Aqaba. I sleep there I do 2 dives on Saturday morning and afternoon, whatever the dive depth. Then I wake up on Sunday morning and make 1 shallow dive. No dives in the afternoon. Then I take a flight on the way back late at night, or early Monday morning. 12 hours or 18 hours AFTER the last dive. Moreover, I can do snorkeling all the time I spend there. Freediving I don't know, because I never go freediving alone, so I could do that only if I find a buddy there. Given I am healthy and strong young man (more or less) that should be ok and well within the limits set by PADI and by common sense

From your answers I understand anyway that it is mandatory to follow this rule no exceptions

 

[Sbiriguda]

You know the recommendations. Would you blow off a deco stop to find out if you could get away with it? Maybe you would do fine, maybe not.

That maybe not gives me the shivers... NO WAY!!!!!
Let's stick to the good old PADI rules

 

[Sbiriguda]

Why don't you try it and let us know the results?

I have no suicidal tendencies, I will break it down...
Divers who go to Liguria from other parts of northern Italy usually break the PADI rules. The highway goes through the Turchino mountain pass. It's 591 m (1,939 ft) which is already over the altitude suggested by PADI that should be 300 meters unless I am mistaken. Now, obviously taking a plane is totally different, both in terms of altitude and the flight speed which is not comparable to driving a car on the slopes.
What I wanted to understand is if these rules are just "wise recommendations" that admit possible exceptions or if they are really mandatory. And they are mandatory, no exceptions I guess, based on your answers

 

[stepfen]

My 2c (as always): Skip Aqaba all together I did two dives there last November and I was not impressed at all.
Reefs on the Egyptian side of the Red Sea I did last October were in MUCH better condition.

Nothing to add about your times question other than that: Quite often the plan to stay shallow and not too long for the last day dives is just not feasible. I mean you will be diving with a dive op there with another group presumably and hence you need to follow their profiles. Unless everybody else is flying on the same time (eg group liveaboard) the rest of the divers won't be happy/willing to shorten their dive for you, I guess.

 

[stepfen]

BTW where did you see the guidelines about not diving AFTER flying? I don't mean of course exhausting long haul (eg more than a day long) flights. But I think diving after a 2-3-4 hours flight followed by a couple of hours of commute + some rest, time to unpack etc is fine assuming one keeps hydrated etc (we are talking about easy rec dives of course)...