Flying after diving: what the guidelines say and how GoDrift counts it

Why there is no single answer, and where to look first.

What the published guidelines say

Divers Alert Network (DAN) recommends the following minimum waits before flying, based on a workshop consensus:

• At least 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive.
• At least 18 hours after repetitive dives, or diving on multiple days.
• A wait substantially longer than 18 hours after dives that required decompression stops, or used heliox or trimix.

DAN notes these figures come from consensus and from trials on dry, resting volunteers, so real diving may call for longer waits. See DAN's guidelines for flying after diving.

What your dive computer shows

Shearwater says its computers do not show a "time to fly" value, because it is not a simple tissue-loading calculation and depends on factors the computer cannot judge, such as symptoms. It points divers to the DAN guidance and their own judgement. See Shearwater on flying after diving. Other brands may show their own figure; if yours does, compare it with the guidelines.

How GoDrift counts it

GoDrift's no-fly countdown is a simple, conservative planning aid. After your last dive it counts 18 hours, and 24 hours if any dive in the 48 hours before it had a decompression obligation. It shows the time left on Home, as a notification and in a widget.

That is a generic rule. It does not know your symptoms, your altitude or the cabin pressure of your flight, and after decompression dives the guidelines point to waiting substantially longer than 18 hours. Treat the countdown as a minimum, not a clearance.

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