Can You Go Scuba Diving After Flying?

You have just landed for your dive trip and have arrived at your resort. And now you want to go diving but there is the question is it safe to go diving after flying?

There are no time restrictions when you flying in and then going scuba diving unlike having to wait 24 hours after scuba diving before flying.

In this post, we will go through can you go scuba diving after flying. Let’s get started!

Should I Scuba Diving After Flying?

As mentioned there are no time restrictions to scuba diving after flying. There are concerns that after flying and particularly a long haul flight that you may be tired, fatigued, and dehydrated. Dehydration could be made worse if drinking alcohol during the flight.

Generally, to go diving you should be well hydrated and rested. This can cause problems when diving especially if tired you could make a mistake that affects your safety and your dive bubby.

What Is The Problem With Scuba Diving And Then Flying?

The problem with diving and then flying is there is an increased risk of decompression sickness which is caused by a high concentration of nitrogen in the blood from the compressed air in the scuba tanks.

Your body needs time to get it down to a healthy level before going up to altitude. If there is a high level of nitrogen in the body it can form into bubbles at lower pressures with can lead to decompression sickness.

What Does PADI Say About Diving After Flying?

There is no recommendation for diving after flying except for you shouldn’t diving if tired and dehydrated but there is for diving and then flying. PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) recommends regarding flying after diving is to wait for at least 12 hours after flying from low altitudes after one-time diving.

But you are doing multiple dives at once, then, you should wait for at least 18 hours.

The PADI Flying After Diving is not the only association to determine an ideal minimum time of waiting after flying before you can dive or scuba dive.

There is also the U.S. Navy that recommends a more conservative, yet safer approach: Wait for at least 24 hours after flying for single or multiple times diving or scuba diving.

How Do Flying And Diving Affect The Body?

The biggest worry is getting decompression sickness from going to a high altitude immediately after diving increases the risk. This also caused by the cabin of the plane been pressurized.

So the human body has to handle different pressures when flying planes. This can lead to possibilities of other problems, such as bronchitis and common diseases as coughs and flu.

Since there are hardly ever times for the divers to breathe between flying and immediate diving or scuba diving, your risks of getting pulmonary barotrauma will increase. Pulmonary barotrauma happens when the polluted air is trapped inside the lungs and thus ruptures lung tissues.

Can You Fly 24 Hours After Diving?

You should wait at least 24 hours between diving and flying. This gives enough time for the nitrogen to leave the body therefore a reduced risk of decompression sickness(DCS).

Wrapping Up

Finally, there is no restriction on someone diving after flying. In saying that there are concerns that after flying around tiredness, fatigued, and been dehydrated. It is advised to be well-rested and well hydrated before diving.

And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on can you scuba diving after flying has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.