"no fly" time

[DocVikingo]

Hi lowwall,

Here is a much more useful table than DAN's blanket recommendations:

NOAA's flying after diving table (pages 11-12; go to the menu bar to increase the size of page 12 if having trouble reading it):

Flying After Diving-2
http://www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/USNDeco3.pdf

Be aware that the Group Designators are those of NOAA, not PADI.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[Gene_Hobbs]

More references on the topic are here: The Rubicon Foundation: FAD Tables

Wayne Gerth et. al. did a nice job on that table for the Navy (later NOAA) and the calibration tests* for that model are going on now. There is always a need for subjects so if you are close to Duke in Durham, NC, please give the lab a call 919/684.6727. Ask for Mike or Eric.

*calibration involves wet vs dry dives and exercise vs resting dives. All initial dives were dry, resting.

 

[Walter]

What altitude is considered a "flight"?

Anything over 800 ft.

Be aware that the Group Designators are those of NOAA, not PADI.

Which is any US Navy based table - YMCA, NAUI, etc.

And what rule would that be? Since 2002, DAN's recommendation has been:

* A Single No-Decompression Dive: A minimum preflight surface interval of 12 hours is suggested.
* Multiple Dives per Day or Multiple Days of Diving: A minimum preflight surface interval of 18 hours is suggested.

Lots of folks use the more conservative 24 hour rule. When I started diving, the rule was be a D diver on the tables (RDP didn't exist), then it was C diver, then 12 hours, then 24 hours. When DAN when to a more liberal rule, some of us ignored the change and stayed with the more conservative (and safer) rule.

 

[limeyx]

Lots of folks use the more conservative 24 hour rule. When I started diving, the rule was be a D diver on the tables (RDP didn't exist), then it was C diver, then 12 hours, then 24 hours. When DAN when to a more liberal rule, some of us ignored the change and stayed with the more conservative (and safer) rule.

I think it also depends what kind of diving you were doing, how much, what gases you were using and the ascent profiles you did.

This is an area I would really like to see some real research with modern ascent profiles on.

Sometimes for me, it's completely impractical to wait 18 or even 12 hours before flying.

Take this Jan for instance, I went to Seattle for a weekend of diving. I cannot practically take the monday off of work, so we dove sat and sun.

Both were 2 dive days, with a dive to 120-140 average depth, followed by a dive to probably 60 feet.

We finished diving on sunday at around 3pm and had to fly at 7:30 pm (with no ill effects.) I've done similar before with no ill effects, by using what I consider a good ascent profile, and proper decompression, and I intend to do it again.

 

[Walter]

Use the NOAA altitude tables for 8000 feet.

 

[Teamcasa]

I think it also depends what kind of diving you were doing, how much, what gases you were using and the ascent profiles you did.

This is an area I would really like to see some real research with modern ascent profiles on.

Sometimes for me, it's completely impractical to wait 18 or even 12 hours before flying.

Take this Jan for instance, I went to Seattle for a weekend of diving. I cannot practically take the monday off of work, so we dove sat and sun.

Both were 2 dive days, with a dive to 120-140 average depth, followed by a dive to probably 60 feet.

We finished diving on sunday at around 3pm and had to fly at 7:30 pm (with no ill effects.) I've done similar before with no ill effects, by using what I consider a good ascent profile, and proper decompression, and I intend to do it again.

Simply stated. This practice is very dangerous.

Just because you suffered no ill effects does not mean no one else will. The tables, research and warnings from virtually every reputable diving resource says to wait x hours before flying. There is a real reason and real science behind stating it.

 

[nereas]

Use the NOAA altitude tables for 8000 feet.

That would represent cabin pressure in a jet liner.

Not particularly applicable to an island hopper though.

You would need to call the air service and ask them at what altitude their island hoppers fly between the various islands. Then look this altitude up in the NOAA diving manual, referenced above by Doc Vikingo.

If they fly above 8000 then sure, the cabin would be pressurized to 8000. However if they fly lower, then the exercise would be different, as I said.

 

[Bismark]

Yep, like lymex said, more study needed with proper ascent protocols etc. Currently, the "lowest common denominator" is pretty bloody low..... what is 8000' in FSW? maybe 6-10 feet? I would have to screw something up pretty badly if my deco was so bad that that 6-10 ft made the difference in whether I got bent 12 hours later on an airplane flight...... Again, levels of conservativism added on top of levels of conservatism to cover the very lowest denominator...... IMO, education is far better than protection.....

 

[Bismark]

Simply stated. This practice is very dangerous.

Just because you suffered no ill effects does not mean no one else will. The tables, research and warnings from virtually every reputable diving resource says to wait x hours before flying. There is a real reason and real science behind stating it.

Yep, and this science is based on protecting the 400 pound, obese, alcoholic, smoking, dehydrated, holiday diver who does bounce dives once a year with no real idea of deep stops, tissue loadings, ascent rates or anything other than pressing the "up" button to go up and the "down" button to go down. I don't believe I fall into any of those categories, do you?

 

[nereas]

Simply stated. This practice is very dangerous.

Just because you suffered no ill effects does not mean no one else will. The tables, research and warnings from virtually every reputable diving resource says to wait x hours before flying. There is a real reason and real science behind stating it.

Exactly right!

The X is 12 hours in some cases, 18 in others, 24 in yet others, and 48 for deco diving.

The safest is to wait 24 hours for any NDL (non-deco) diving and 48 hours for deco diving.

But anyone who wants to push the limits should refer to the NOAA table referred to above by Doc Vikingo, and then cross your fingers.