About the "no flying" period...

[brtlmj]

As we all know, we are not supposed to fly after diving, and the "no flying" period depends on the type of diving we do. What I am wondering about is: where do those numbers come from, and what type of flying is assumed? Is it "normal commercial flight with cabin pressure altitude of 7,000 feet or so"? Or does it include the possibility of "unlikely event of loss of cabin pressure"?

You see, I am a glider pilot. Getting to 10,000-14,000 feet in a glider is not unusual where I fly, and I could conceivably get much higher than this.

Any comments?

Thanks!
Bart

 

[tursiops]

Here are several DAN publications based on research and/or workshops.
Scuba Diving Medical Safety Advice.
The flying-after-diving guidelines are not arbitrary.
They DO assume cabin pressure is maintained at about 8000 ft.
What you are doing IMHO sounds crazy extreme to do after diving....and I doubt a 24-h wait is sufficient.
Best advice? Call DAN.

 

[Zeagle Eagle]

My understanding is that it is for Commercial flying with cabin pressure around 8,000-7,000 feet. I have a friend that had a seaplane and he used to fly divers from site to site. Do a one tank on this reef load everyone and then go another one tank on reef two. He rarely got above 50 feet doing this. His problem was when he came back to his home airport. They didn't like him tree hopping and wanted him at pattern altitude usually 800 ft MSL.

 

[ev780]

As we all know, we are not supposed to fly after diving, and the "no flying" period depends on the type of diving we do. What I am wondering about is: where do those numbers come from, and what type of flying is assumed? Is it "normal commercial flight with cabin pressure altitude of 7,000 feet or so"? Or does it include the possibility of "unlikely event of loss of cabin pressure"?

You see, I am a glider pilot. Getting to 10,000-14,000 feet in a glider is not unusual where I fly, and I could conceivably get much higher than this.

Any comments?

Thanks!
Bart

I doubt there have been any double blind random clinical trials on the as I can't see getting IRB approval. More likely the data was extrapolated from bad outcomes and refined with some lab/chamber work and good science. DAN recommendations seem to be consistent over a number of years, so my guess is that is pretty solid set of recommendations.

 

[brtlmj]

Ok, so basically when my computer tells me I can fly, it means that I can fly commercial. If I want to fly unpressurised aircraft, I am on my own and should wait longer - possibly much longer.

Fortunately, I am unlikely to dive and fly on the same weekend

Thanks everyone!
Bart

 

[Zeagle Eagle]

Ok, so basically when my computer tells me I can fly, it means that I can fly commercial. If I want to fly unpressurised aircraft, I am on my own and should wait longer - possibly much longer.

Fortunately, I am unlikely to dive and fly on the same weekend

Thanks everyone!
Bart

Not necessarily. If the unpressurized airplane you are flying in doesn't go above 7,000 or 8,000 feet it's about the same as flying in a pressurized airliner. The rate of climb and descent of the pressurized airplane should be taken into account as well.

 

[brtlmj]

I had the kind of flying I described in my first post in mind. But sure, if I stay below 8000 feet I should be as safe as I am in an airliner.

Thanks again!

 

[tursiops]

Ok, so basically when my computer tells me I can fly, it means that I can fly commercial.

Some computers track the limiting compartment, and say you are "desaturated" when it is clear.
Some computers just start a 24h countdown.
If you have both, use the one that has the longest time before flying.
Or, use the 12h/18h rule from DAN.
In general, the 24h wait seems to have the fewest uncertainties....see the DAN reports on this.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

The Navy's flying after diving table was derived mathematically and verified experimentally, partly in our lab. It's pasted below and downloadable from the Navy Supervisor of Salvage website, SEA 00C3 Diving Publications and Technical Documentation. Note that the RGDs are from the U.S. Navy tables.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[brtlmj]

DDM, that was very helpful. Thank you!