Which value best represents the minimum wait time after a scuba dive without a controlled ascent before flying to 8000 feet cabin altitude?

Which value best represents the minimum wait time after a scuba dive without a controlled ascent before flying to 8000 feet cabin altitude?

• A. 6 hours
• B. 2 hours
• C. 12 hours
• D. 48 hours

Answer: (C)

When you surface from a dive, nitrogen absorbed in your tissues must off-gas as you return to higher ambient pressure. Flying to a cabin altitude around 8000 feet lowers the pressure your body experiences, which can cause nitrogen bubbles to form or grow in tissues and blood if off-gassing isn’t complete. Because you’re aiming to minimize that risk, the minimum safe wait after a simple no-decompression dive is 12 hours. This gives enough time for nitrogen to diffuse out of your tissues before you encounter the lower pressure of flight. If the dive profile required decompression stops or involved multiple dives, the safe wait would be longer, typically about 24 hours. Short waits like a couple of hours or half a day aren’t enough to reduce the risk, and waiting 48 hours is more conservative than necessary for a simple no-decompression dive.

When you surface from a dive, nitrogen absorbed in your tissues must off-gas as you return to higher ambient pressure. Flying to a cabin altitude around 8000 feet lowers the pressure your body experiences, which can cause nitrogen bubbles to form or grow in tissues and blood if off-gassing isn’t complete. Because you’re aiming to minimize that risk, the minimum safe wait after a simple no-decompression dive is 12 hours. This gives enough time for nitrogen to diffuse out of your tissues before you encounter the lower pressure of flight. If the dive profile required decompression stops or involved multiple dives, the safe wait would be longer, typically about 24 hours. Short waits like a couple of hours or half a day aren’t enough to reduce the risk, and waiting 48 hours is more conservative than necessary for a simple no-decompression dive.