Which of the following represents the minimum wait time after a scuba dive without a controlled ascent before flying to 8000 ft cabin altitude?

Which of the following represents the minimum wait time after a scuba dive without a controlled ascent before flying to 8000 ft cabin altitude?

• A. 12 hours
• B. 2 hours
• C. 18 hours
• D. 30 hours

Answer: (A)

After a dive, nitrogen absorbed in body tissues must off-gas safely. Flying to a cabin altitude of about 8,000 ft lowers the ambient pressure, which can cause dissolved nitrogen to form bubbles if off-gassing isn’t complete. For a simple scuba dive with no decompression stops (no controlled ascent), the body has typically off-gassed enough within 12 hours to reduce the risk of decompression sickness when you fly. That’s why the minimum wait time is 12 hours. If the dive involved deeper depths, multiple dives, or required decompression stops, the waiting period would be longer (often around 24 hours) before flying.

After a dive, nitrogen absorbed in body tissues must off-gas safely. Flying to a cabin altitude of about 8,000 ft lowers the ambient pressure, which can cause dissolved nitrogen to form bubbles if off-gassing isn’t complete. For a simple scuba dive with no decompression stops (no controlled ascent), the body has typically off-gassed enough within 12 hours to reduce the risk of decompression sickness when you fly. That’s why the minimum wait time is 12 hours. If the dive involved deeper depths, multiple dives, or required decompression stops, the waiting period would be longer (often around 24 hours) before flying.