Question Diving before flight

[milehighdivers]

Hello! My 12-yr-old and I are newly certified OW divers and are booking our first dive trip to the FL Keys. We’re getting our nitrox certification in a few weeks so that will be complete before our trip. I have questions on what dives we should be able to do safely without violating no fly limits. Would this be safe?

Day 1: afternoon shallow (< 60 ft) 2-tank dive with 30% EANx
Day 2: no dives planned
Day 3: evening shallow 1-tank dive with 30% EANx (done before 6:30 pm)
Day 4: Fly home at noon, and if it matters we live at 5300 ft (arriving 8 hours after takeoff as there’s a layover)

We'd be right at that 18-hour mark between the last dive and flying out with a full day off from the previous dives. I just don’t want to push it! Does this seem safe?

 

[inquis]

I would have no issue with that schedule. The day off resets things very well.

 

[tursiops]

You are flying to Denver. The 18h recommendation does not apply. Check with DAN.

 

[Brett Hatch]

DAN recommends a 12-hour surface interval after a single no-deco dive, like the one you are considering on day 3. I'm no doctor, but personally, I would go with their recommendation. You can always give them a call or an email to ask, whether you are a DAN member or not.

 

[Dan G]

As a Colorado resident, I wouldn't mind if @Duke Dive Medicine chimed in. Thanks.

 

[tursiops]

As a Colorado resident, I wouldn't mind if @Duke Dive Medicine chimed in. Thanks.

All the research presumes the diver is returning to sea level at the end of the altitude excursion.
You are playing with fire if you fly to Denver instead of sea level.
Wait 24h, at least.

 

[Lorenzoid]

The OP states they have a layover (presumably at a low-altitude airport) and arrive in Denver 8 hours after takeoff from Florida. By the time they land in Denver it could be 24 hours or more after their last dive.

 

[CWC]

All the research presumes the diver is returning to sea level at the end of the altitude excursion.
You are playing with fire if you fly to Denver instead of sea level.
Wait 24h, at least.

There’s no problem with flying to Denver. If it’s safe for them to get on a plane and spend hours at a cabin altitude in excess of 6,000’, it will be safe for them to get off the plane in Denver at the end of the flight.

 

[tursiops]

There’s no problem with flying to Denver. If it’s safe for them to get on a plane and spend hours at a cabin altitude in excess of 6,000’, it will be safe for them to get off the plane in Denver at the end of the flight.

Thanks, but I'll wait for an answer from DAN. A few years ago they advised a friend of mine (who got DCS in Denver) that he should have waited longer than 24h before flying. He had done some light deco, but did wait 24h; they said, not long enough...that the research (and therefore recommendations) did not cover anything other than returning to sea level. Duke University's original research -- upon which much of the Flying-After-Diving recommendations were based -- had the test subjects spend only 4h at 8000 ft altitude, then descended to sea level.

 

[inquis]

You are playing with fire if you fly to Denver instead of sea level.

I suspect the majority of airports in the world are not at sea level. If their guidance did not apply to these cases, don't you think DAN would have a caveat or footnote to that effect? Perhaps added to the 24+ hr category as "mandatory deco or landing above sea level"?