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Why should a pilot wait before flying to altitude after scuba diving?

Choices

  • ✓ Reduced pressure can let absorbed nitrogen form bubbles, causing decompression sicknesscorrect

    Climbing too soon after diving risks the bends as nitrogen comes out of solution.

  • Diving permanently reduces night vision

    The concern is nitrogen and pressure, not night vision.

  • Salt water damages the pilot’s medical certificate

    This is unrelated to the physiological risk.

  • There is no real risk; a pilot can fly immediately

    There is a real decompression risk, so recommended waits apply.

Why

After diving, the body holds extra nitrogen. Climbing too soon lets it form bubbles (decompression sickness). The recommended waits: for flights up to 8,000 feet MSL, at least 12 hours after a dive not requiring a controlled ascent and 24 hours after one that did; for flights above 8,000 feet MSL, 24 hours after any dive. These are actual altitudes, not cabin altitudes.

FAA source: AIM 8-1-2 (decompression sickness after scuba diving)browse the reference library →

This is taught in Pressure and Time: Scuba, Altitude and Decompression — study the lessons free, then practice with grading and mastery tracking.

Original study question written for this course — representative of FAA knowledge-test topics, not an actual current FAA exam question.

Why should a pilot wait before flying to altitude after scuba diving? · PPL Free Ground School