Changes in Flying after Diving Guidelines

The Flying After Diving Workshop held in North Carolina, USA in May 2002 produced the following recommendations.

For scuba diving within the no-decompression limits
Single dives: a minimum preflight surface internal of 12 hours is suggested.
Repetitive dives and/or multi-day diving: a minimum preflight surface interval of 18 hours is suggested.

For scuba diving requiring decompression stops
A minimum preflight surface interval greater than 18 hours is suggested.

These recommendations apply to flights at altitudes between 600 meters (2,000 feet) and 2,400 meters (8,000 feet) and to divers without symptoms of decompression sickness. Following these recommendations does not guarantee that a diver will avoid DCS.

These changes are based on work by Buehlmann and Vann et al that suggests that immediate ascent to 600 meters (2,000 feet) altitude is possible with low risk of DCS. In light of this research, the US Navy in 1999 adopted more flexible guidelines. PADI is incoporating these revised guidelines in its training programs.

This is good news for guests of Miguel?s Diving who wish to get in two morning dives the day prior to boarding the morning jet to Manado. Our ?Jet Set Get Wet? dive and hotel package reflects the changes in these guidelines.