How High Can I Fly After Scuba Diving?

[GCullen94]

Now, here's a question. If you need to dive prior to flying (within 12 hours), why cannot you program your computers or use the altitude dive tables as if you were diving at 10,000 feet? Commercial flights will always be pressurized below 10,000 feet, as above that number people need to be on oxygen. The same applies to light planes, which don't carry oxygen on board. These planes usually fly VFR (visual flight rules), and FAA rules may require that a VFR plane climb to avoid instrument rules when encountering weather. 'Just a thought.

SeaRat

The problem is bubble size rather than carrying oxygen. At 8,000 feet the PPO2 is 117mmHg compared to 160 at altitude, meaning an atmospheric pressure of 73% of sea level. Yes you can plan your dives for 10,000 feet however the problem would happen if there was a depressurization. At 36,000 feet, PPO2 is all the way down to 36mmHg and total atmospheric pressure of 175mmHg, or 23% the pressure of sea level. the nitrogen bubble size would rapidly expand due to the drop in pressure and would be the equivalent of going straight from 60 to the surface instantly, skipping deco stops.

after 18-24 hours your tissues are mostly off-gassed, allowing the margin of safety if there is a decompression emergency aboard the plane. Just wondering if you pressurized the cargo area of the C130's and what the altitude was

GC

 

[certifiedsnorkermaster]

All this talk of having two engines. Wouldn't that be nice.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

GCullen94,

Yes, the HC-130 could be pressurized. We did have a 12 hour period before we could fly after diving (from memory) in the 1970s.

FUSELAGE: The fuselage is a semimonocoque design and divided into a flight station and a cargo compartment. Seating is provided for each flight station. The cargo compartment is approximately 41 feet long, 9 feet high, and 10 feet wide. Loading is from the rear of the fuselage. Both the flight station and the cargo compartment can be pressurized to maintain a cabin pressure-altitude of 5000 feet at an aircraft altitude of 28,000 feet.
http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/c-130.htm

SeaRat