If I Have Been Diving, How Long Should I Wait Before Flying?

The dive medical community offers the following recommendations for flying after diving, whether you’re using the RDP, another table, or a dive computer: For Dives within the No-Decompression Limits: Single Dives - A minimum preflight surface interval of 12 hours is suggested. Repetitive Dives and/or Multiday Dives - A minimum preflight surface interval of 18 hours is suggested. For Dives Requiring Decompression Stops: A minimum preflight surface interval greater than 18 hours is suggested. With all dive tables and computers, no flying after diving recommendation can guarantee that decompression sickness will never occur. These guidelines represent the best estimate presently known for a conservative, safe surface interval for the vast majority of divers. There may always be an occasional diver whose physiological makeup or special dive circumstances result in decompression sickness despite following the recommendations.