Flying and Diving

[UniformGuy]

Everything I have been able to read about flying after diving is based on flying in a pressurized plane. What are the time factors if you are flying on a non-pressurized plane. I have gotten mixed answers from a lot of dive instructors.

 

[pasley]

Everything I have been able to read about flying after diving is based on flying in a pressurized plane. What are the time factors if you are flying on a non-pressurized plane. I have gotten mixed answers from a lot of dive instructors.

Logic would dictate that since presurized planes normally presurize to between 5,000 and 8,000 feet (I am told), flying in an unpresurized plane above those altitudes would be worse.

Now of course we come to the question of flying at say 4000 feet after diving that is the same as going from 1 atmosphere of pressure at sea level or about 14.7 PSI to 12.6 PSI or to about 8/10 atomosphers (rough calculation). Obviously this is not the desired situation if you still have bubbles in your system from diving.

So bottom line, flying in any type of aircraft immediatly after diving may not be the best move (depending upon a whold bunch of stuff).

http://www.mermaidscuba.com/altitude.html#pressure
http://www.blowinbubbles.com/scubalti.htm

Disclaimer. I am not a physician, science teacher or other expert, in short, I don't know 'nothin' about anyting so don't take my word for it. The above is just my humble oponion and only reflects what I have read.

 

[BigJetDriver]

Mel is correct about pressurized aircraft, althought the range is more like 6000 to 8000 feet msl cabin altitude. Obviously, for an un-pressurized aircraft, aircraft altitude IS cabin altitude. Apply your intended flight altitude to the NOAA table, for instance, to obtain a recommendation.

BJD

 

[BigJetDriver]

correction: first sentence...although

 

[crispos]

The flight to altitude should then be considered a repetitive dive. If you were a math wiz, you could use the conversion factors inherent in altitude tables to calculate Haldanian gradients and figure out what your "surface interval" must be between the last water dive and the "air" dive. Note that air ambulances cannot take DCI emergency patients I think it is above 1000 feet in the Province of Ontario for the same reason. Any paramedics please correct me on the details.

My guess is you should be out of the water for 24 hours before flying in a nonpressurized plane, and perhaps longer if doing multiple repetitive dives, to completely offgas.

 

[d33ps1x]

Snowboard Saturday and dive on Sunday.