Scuba diving and air travel are often part of the same holiday. After all, flying is often the most efficient way to get from your hometown to a destination you’ve been dreaming of. While you probably know that you need to plan carefully for flying after diving, you may wonder why this is so important. Here, we’ll take an in-depth look at how the differences in atmospheric pressure affect the human body, including how these differences induce stress. We’ll also help you to determine whether your body is ready to fly, plus we’ll provide you with some parameters to follow next time your travels take you beneath the surface and into the air.
Pressure Gradients: How the Affect the Body
You probably know that atmospheric pressure increases with depth and decreases as your body gains altitude. As a diver, you subject your body to huge amounts of atmospheric pressure each time you dive, and the body must recover once you reach the surface, eliminating the nitrogen that has built up in your blood and organs.
You may also be aware that when you fly at high altitude, the body is subjected to a much lower amount of atmospheric pressure, even though cabin pressure is adjusted for comfort and safety. The average jet cruises at an altitude of 30,000 to 40,000 feet, and while this won’t have an adverse effect on your body if you’ve give your body the opportunity to offgas, it can lead to major problems if you have not allowed enough time to elapse between diving and flying. When your body is subjected to a steep decrease in pressure, any excess nitrogen remaining in your system can form bubbles. If this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same phenomenon that can happen with an uncontrolled ascent.
Essentially, flying too soon after diving can cause decompression sickness. It’s vital that you ensure that all excess nitrogen has left your system before taking to the air. Failing to allow for enough time can cause minor DCS symptoms, and in extreme cases, it can lead to permanent damage that will prevent you from diving ever again.
Safety Parameters for Flying after Diving
To prevent decompression sickness, keep these safety parameters for flying after diving in mind. The following list has been compiled with non-commercial sports diving in mind.
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Allow 12 hours to elapse between returning to the surface and hopping on your flight. This is the absolute minimum.
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Extend your surface interval beyond 12 hours if you have been diving daily during your vacation. In addition, extend your surface interval if you have been diving multiple times daily.
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If you had to make any decompression stops during a recent dive, you may need to extend your surface interval beyond 12 hours.
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Keep in mind that due to the complex nature of decompression illness, there are no fixed rules for flying after diving which can completely eliminate the potential for bubble formation. It is much better to wait longer than you really need to than to push your luck.
Flying after Commercial Dives and Diving after Flights
When flying after diving at commercial levels, different safety rules apply. These rules are somewhat similar to those set forth for recreational diving activities, and recreational divers can certainly follow them. Some of these calculations may also prove to be useful in the event you’ve been traveling via small low-flying aircraft or helicopter.
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For no-stop dives from a cabin altitude of 2000 feet or less, a minimum interval of two hours is required before diving. This applies only if the diver has been subjected to pressure for sixty minutes or less within the 12 hours preceding the flight. If preceding dives were longer, the minimum wait time is 24 hours.
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For no-stop dives from cabin altitudes between 2000 and 8000 feet, the minimum surface interval is four hours. As in the previous case, the total time the diver has been subjected to pressure within the 12 hours preceding the flight should be 60 minutes or less. If preceding dives were longer, the minimum wait time is 48 hours.
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For all other no-stop dives, a minimum of 12 hours must elapse between the flight and the dive. In addition, the total time the diver has been subjected to pressure within the 12 hours preceding the flight must be four hours or less. In cases where preceding dives were longer, the minimum wait time is 48 hours.
When to Stay Grounded
There are some potentially dangerous situations under which you should not fly without previous medical approval. If you have or may have any of the following conditions, seek professional medical advice before flying, diving, or both:
- Have a history of severely high blood pressure or heart disease.
- Suffered a heart attack within the previous 30 days or a stroke within the past 14 days.
- Have cysts in the lung or any other disease of the lung.
- Suffer from extreme sinusitis or ear infections
- Pneumothorax ( air pockets formed around the lungs)
- Had a surgery to the abdomen within the past 14 days
- Suffer from extreme anemia, hemophilia or cell diseases
- Have recently undergone eye surgery
- Are 240 or more days pregnant
- Are epileptic, with the exception of being medically controlled
- Had a recent fracture to the skull
- Suffering from brain tumors
- Suffer from extreme and violent mood swings
The reasons all of these conditions can make flying after diving dangerous are many and include the following:
- Conditions can be exacerbated in the event cabin oxygen levels drop
- Conditions can be exacerbated in case cabin air pressure fluctuates suddenly
- Conditions can be worsened by the movement of the aircraft
- Conditions can be worsened by the simple stress associated with traveling
- Often, medical treatment is not immediately available on flights, particularly on long intercontinental flights that cross long stretches of open ocean. If you have a serious medical emergency on one of these flights, your chances of survival may be slim.
In the end, common sense combined with knowledge of the many ways in which pressure affects the body can go a long way to help you stay safe and healthy. By following these simple parameters, you’ll be able to fly and dive with confidence while enjoying your vacation.