More About Flying After Diving - Oceanic DATA PLUS Owner's Manual

®
Be a -
RESPONSIBLE DIVER
at all times.
76

MORE ABOUT FLYING AFTER DIVING

In 1990 the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) published a set of
guidelines aimed at minimizing the possibility of decompression sickness due to
flying too soon after diving. The UHMS suggests* divers using standard air
cylinders and exhibiting no symptoms of decompression sickness wait 24 hours
after their last dive to fly in aircraft with cabin pressures up to 8,000 feet. (2,440
meters).
The two exceptions to this recommendation are:
• If a diver had less than 2 hours total accumulated dive time in the last 48
hours, then a 12 hour surface interval before flying is recommended.
• Following any dive that required a decompression stop, flying should be
delayed for at least 24 hours, and if possible, for 48 hours.
Since the 1990 UHMS guidelines were introduced, data from the Diver's Alert
Network (DAN) was introduced that resulted in DAN's position** that "A
minimum surface interval of only 12 hours would be required in order to be
reasonably assured a diver will remain symptom free upon ascent to altitude in a
commercial jet airliner (altitude up to 8,000 ft/2440 m). Divers who plan to make
daily, multiple dives for several days, or make dives that require decompression
stops, should take special precautions and wait for an extended surface interval
beyond 12 hours before flight".
** excerpted from "DAN's Current Position on Recreational Flying After Diving"
* excerpted from "The UHMS Flying After Diving Workshop"