Flying after Diving Recommendations

Below is a reprint of the current guidelines that were announced in the Fourth Quarter, 2002 PADI Training Bulletin :

General Comments . Recent experimental trials indicate the risk of decompression sickness (DCS) decreases as the preflight surface interval increases. Based on these studies, the Workshop reached the following consensus recommendations. These recommendations apply to flights at cabin altitudes between 600 meters/2000 feet and 2400 meters/8000 feet and to divers who are without DCS symptoms. Work by Buehlmann, which was used by the US Navy Diving manual, suggests that immediate ascent to 600 metres/2000 feet altitude is possible with low DCS risk. In 1999, the US Navy adopted more flexible procedures based, in part on Buehlmann and Vann eta l. Following these recommendations reduces DCS risk but does not guarantee that a diver will avoid DCS.

  For Dives within the No-Decompression Limits

• Single Dives. A minimum preflight surface interval of 12 hours is suggested.
• Repetitive Dives and/or Multiday Dives. A minimum preflight surface interval of 18 hours is suggested.

  For Dives Requiring Decompression Stops

• A minimum preflight surface interval greater than 18 hours is suggested.