How Long After Scuba Diving Before You Can Fly?

One of the major safety issues of scuba diving is regulating the nitrogen levels in your bloodstream. Every scuba course will spend time teaching you about safety steps that help you avoid getting the "bends" or decompression sickness. 

When you dive, the depth exerts increased pressure on your body and the nitrogen within your bloodstream. Divers are taught to ascend slowly from their dive and take one or more safety stops. These safety stops may last longer the deeper you’ve dived. This is to allow the nitrogen in your blood to dissipate slowly and normally.

Decompression sickness (DCS) is caused by a sudden reduction in the air pressure around you, which happens if you surface too quickly at the end of your dive. The rapid ascent causes the nitrogen in your bloodstream to form bubbles that can become lodged in your joints and tissues, causing intense, debilitating pain. The only cure for DCS is to return your body to the same pressure and then slowly reduce the pressure, allowing the nitrogen bubbles to dissipate naturally. This is the purpose of a decompression chamber. The chamber can be set at the same pressure as you experienced during your dive and then can be slowly brought up to sea level pressure. There are typically decompression chambers in all popular diving areas that are available on an emergency basis to divers. 

Here is a list of flying and other activities that should be avoided soon after scuba diving because they increase the risks of DCS. They include: 

The problem with flying soon after scuba diving is it increases the risk of DCS by subjecting you to a much greater range of differences in air pressure, thereby increasing the risk of bubbles forming in the bloodstream. Airliners normally operate with cabin pressure set at around 1,800 to 2.400 meters or so above sea level. A general rule of diving is to leave a 24-hour surface interval before and after scuba diving and flying.  

Mountain climbing should be avoided after diving, and you should avoid even driving to high altitudes after diving. If you must climb, do it before diving and leave a 24-hour surface interval between the activities.  

While ziplines exist that offer minimal altitude variances and are perfectly safe to ride at sea-level, any ziplining that entails climbing to a high altitude before riding should be avoided within 24 hours after diving. 

While a relaxing massage will probably be fine, deep tissue massages can increase blood flow and lead to bubble formation within 24 hours after a dive. The muscle soreness from a deep tissue massage can also be misdiagnosed as DCS when the activities happen close together.  

The rules about heat and diving are a lot looser. You should simply wait at least a half hour or more before jumping into a hot bath or shower when you've been diving in a cold-water environment. Taking a hot bath too soon after cold-water diving can cause bubbles to form before your circulation can increase and safely remove them.  

Actions that interfere with the process of eliminating nitrogen from the bloodstream should be avoided until well after diving, and this includes drinking. Please wait a few hours after your last dive before celebrating with alcohol.  

The physical exertion of freediving can cause bubbles to form in your body, which can enter arterial circulation from the increased water pressure. Avoid freediving within 24 hours of a scuba dive requiring a decompression safety stop.   

The same reasons for avoiding freediving also apply to any strenuous exercise that entails heavy and rapid repeated use of joints and limbs. Let your body rest for at least 6 hours after diving.  

Diving in a beautiful place that’s rich with marine life may cause you to consider shortening or even skipping your surface interval (the time between dives). However, failure to allow the nitrogen to dissipate naturally can increase your risk of DCS. Stick to your required surface intervals!

Learn the symptoms of DCS and be aware of any changes to your body after diving. Fatigue, rashes, nausea, and headaches can also be symptoms of other illnesses. However, if they occur soon after diving, please notify your dive buddy or dive master. 

Giant Stride offers listings of the best dive courses for beginner and experienced divers in Thailand. Plus, you can browse the best dive sites, liveaboards and day-long scuba diving trips in the country.  

If you’re interested in exploring the underwater beauty of Thailand, book a safe and reputable course through Giant Stride today.