Scuba Diving...

[350DRIVER]

A lot of the above is common sense but decent information. PM TDTURBO if you want to hear some first hand experiences, advice, etc, he can pretty much answer any questions that you may have since he is quite an avid diver that frequently travels to the better places for this.

3 5 0

watch them mean lookin sharks that are out there.

 

[minitour]

...since he is quite an avid diver ...

for some reason, I thought at first that said "anal diver"....wow...time to hit the bottle eh?

-mini

 

[TDTURBO]

All the above advice is pretty good but get a dive computer, dive tables are way conservative and everybody has different physiology. I have seen the bens on a 30 foot dive, I go to 200 on mixed gases while a freind of mine who is also a dive instructor does it with plain air. My point is every one is different, don't find out you are on the conservative side without a plan B and get in trouble. I dive and fly regularly, if you fly low, below 3k, no prob, it depends on YOUR body. Dive tables are for the safest approach, but by all means not written in stone. Dive for awhile and slowly push your limits with an experienced diver.

 

[Fury220]

SCUBA diving for an Air Force pilot means an automatic 24 hour DNIF.

I'll trust my friendly flight docs on this one.

 

[TDTURBO]

SCUBA diving for an Air Force pilot means an automatic 24 hour DNIF.

I'll trust my friendly flight docs on this one.

Good advice when you are strapped to an F-18 going vertical to FL410

 

[jknight8907]

ok, 8000 feet, sure but the issue is depressurization, 18,000 feet is close to the same as 33 feet of sea water, the change at 8000 feet is very little, the only symptom occuring at flying in an aircraft at your cabin altitude of 8000 feet would only be type 2(pain) AGE may occur but most AGE symptoms occur in the first ten minutes after surfacing.

Maybe, maybe not.

Wanna risk it?

 

[Fury220]

Good advice when you are strapped to an F-18 going vertical to FL410

Except that very few USAF pilots will be strapped into an F/A-18


But you have a great point. Think "explosive decompression" and the how nasty "the bends" would be in that scenario ugh.

 

[LewisU_Pilot]

This was the answer I was looking for
AIM 8-1-2

A pilot or passenger who intends to fly after scuba diving should allow the body sufficient time to rid itself of excess nitrogen absorbed during diving. If not, decompression sickness due to evolved gas can occur during exposure to higher altitudes and create a serious in-flight emergency.

The recommended waiting time before flight to cabin pressure altitudes of 8,000 feet or less is at least 12 hours after diving which has not required controlled ascent (non-decompression diving) and at least 24 hours after diving which has required controlled ascent (decompression diving). The waiting time before flight to cabin pressure altitudes above 8,000 feet should be at least 24 hours after any scuba diving.

 

[jumppilot]

When you SCUBA dive, your body absorbes Nitrogen at an increased rate. When you surface from a dive, your body has a higher content of Nitrogen, due to the increased metabolism of the gas due to an increase in partial pressure.


Partial pressure of Nitrogen at sea level is .79 (79% Nitrogen in the air we breathe). At 33 feet, where the atmospheric pressure is twice that at sea level, the partial pressure of N is 1.58. At this pressure, the body has a higher absorbed Nitrogen in the blood steam.

If you decrease altitude without time to 'off gas' this increase Nitrogen, it can come out of solution in the form of bubbles....Which can hurt.

That is why you need to wait before you expose your body to increase altitude.

You can get the bends even if you haven't been SCUBA diving. Reference the astronauts who must breathe pure Oxygen for a few hours before an EVA. Their suites are at a pressure of about 5 psi. At that pressure, even atmospheric Nitrogen can come out of solution.

The Bends suck. I did an 8 hour chamber ride about 7 years ago. Not fun.