Donating Blood & Diving

[seadog]

All this theory is nice but- my wife has donated over 100 pints of blood and uses a 24 hr. wait before diving.

 

[large_diver]

Wow -- now that is an impressive donation record. Your wife belongs in the donation hall of fame!

 

[Walter]

blood donar longer than I've been a diver. When I first started diving, I never gave it a thought. I never have any side effects from donating. I never kept track of when I donated with relation to when I went diving. As I became more interested in decompression theory, the possibility of a DCS hit after a donation was something that came to mind. In 1989 (possibly '88) at a YMCA Convention, I asked a DAN representitive, Joel Dovenbarger, this same question. He advised me to wait 48 hours after donating. Apparently, they are now recommending a 72 hour wait. I've followed this practice of waiting 48 hours from that time until recently with no ill effects. For the past couple of years scheduling has prevented me from following a 48 hour rule, it's usually closer to 34 - 36 hours when I make my first dive.

WWW™

 

[large_diver]

Thanks Walter -- I appreciate your response.