Flying after diving guidelines: a review

Abstract

Recreational divers face a difficult choice when trying to select the appropriate surface interval between diving and flying. Differences in diving techniques and lack of readily available hyperbaric treatment make guidelines for commercial and military divers inappropriate for recreational divers. A literature review revealed that proposed surface intervals ranged from zero to 24 h, but few were human-tested. On 24 February 1989, the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) Workshop formalized guidelines for recreational divers. Do not push the tables, i.e., do not go to the maximum exposures allowed by the tables. For no-decompression dives: (1) With less than 2 h total dive time (surface to surface) during the previous 48 h, divers should wait 12 h before flying; (2) With multiday, unlimited diving, wait 24 h before flying. Recreational divers should not make dives that require decompression stops, but if such dives should occur, delay flying for at least 24 h and, if possible, for 48 h. Divers with DCS symptoms should not fly, unless it is required to obtain hyperbaric treatment. The UHMS guideline is based on current scientific information and expert opinion, and is anticipated to be conservative, safe surface intervals for the vast majority of divers.