How long should my surface interval be?

Asked by: Kayla Adams

Surface Interval Time (SIT) must be at least 10 minutes between dives. If your SIT is less than 10 minutes, you must consider your second dive as a continuation of the first dive.

How do you find the minimum surface interval?

Feet for 35 minutes gives us the pressure. Group 70 feet for 35 minutes gives us a pressure group of Q.

How do you calculate surface time?

So that's the least amount of time we can spend on the surface. So all that remains to do is to fill this into a profile and calculate the pressure group after the second dive.

Can you dive 2 days in a row?

The general rule that seems to be widely agreed upon is that you should wait 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive, 18 hours after multiple dives or multiple days of diving and at least 24 hours after dives requiring decompression stops.

How long do you have to wait in between dives?

For a single no-decompression dive, the recommendation is a minimum preflight surface interval of 12 hours. For multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, the recommendation is a minimum preflight surface interval of 18 hours.

How do you use a dive planner?

With that table number 1 find the depth on top and it's a 55 feet so you're gonna round up to 60 go down the column.

How do you use SSI dive tables?

So table one is basically going to give me a depth a time in a pressure group and what the pressure group is that's the amount of nitrogen that my body absorbed.

What is Surface Interval diving?

Of course, a surface interval is the period of time that a diver stays out of the water between two dives. During this time, the nitrogen absorbed during the first dive will be released from a diver’s body. After 24 hours all the residual nitrogen is considered to be off-gassed.

What is a safety stop in diving?

Divers should make a safety stop at the end of every dive at a depth of 15 feet for three to five minutes. Safety stop diving gives your body extra time to release excess nitrogen that builds up in your system during the dive.

What is the most serious lung overexpansion injury?

Lung Overexpansion Injuries



Lung expansion injuries can result in four distinct injuries independently or together. Air embolism is the most serious of these injuries and occurs when expanding air forces through the walls of the lungs into the circulatory system.

Does scuba diving shorten your life?

Ingrid Eftedal, Ph. D.: Diving is associated with environmental factors that affect the cardiovascular system, and as long as the total amount of physiological stress is limited and the diver is reasonably fit, no data indicate that diving is harmful to the cardiovascular system.

What happens if you surface too quickly?

Decompression sickness. Often called “the bends,” decompression sickness happens when a scuba diver ascends too quickly. Divers breathe compressed air that contains nitrogen. At higher pressure under water, the nitrogen gas goes into the body’s tissues.

What should you not do after diving?

Here’s our rundown of the top things we should NOT do after diving.

1. Fly. …
2. Travel to altitude. …
3. Exercise. …
4. Get a massage. …
5. Take a hot bath or shower. …
6. Drink alcohol. …
7. Forget to log your dives and take care of your gear.

What happens if you fart while scuba diving?

Can SCUBA divers fart at depths. Farting is possible while scuba diving but not advisable because: Diving wetsuits are very expensive and the explosive force of an underwater fart will rip a hole in your wetsuit. An underwater fart will shoot you up to the surface like a missile which can cause decompression sickness.

How many calories do I burn scuba diving?

Facts and Figures. As a rough guide scuba diving can use from 400 to 700 calories each hour. The actual number of calories burned can change due to different conditions – such as water temperature, currents, and the amount of exercise carried out during the dive.

How many scuba dives a day?

For recreational divers, a typical limit is 4-5 dives per day as long as you follow dive tables or use a computer to track. For shallower depths, you will need to refer to dive tables to be able to determine how many dives you can safely do in a day and how long those dives can last.

What happens if you dive too much?

Scuba diving



This is possible if you hold your breath for too long when you’re under water or if you surface from the water too quickly. These actions can cause the air sacs in your lungs, called alveoli, to rupture. When the alveoli rupture, air may move to your arteries, resulting in an air embolism.

Is PADI or SSI better?

In conclusion, there is very little difference between PADI and SSI. As a recreational diver, the differences are so small that if you aren’t completing a course, you probably won’t notice. Both maintain high standards of training around the world. Both are globally acknowledged as diving qualifications.

Can you dive everyday?

Yes, you can scuba dive every day. As long as you remain with the dive table safety limits or use a dive computer. You have to monitor all your prior dives depth and bottom time, but 18-24 hours is plenty of time to recover between dives. You can even make several dives per day.

How many dives does the average diver have?

Most divers average less than eight dives per year, but some total several thousand dives over a few decades and continue diving into their 60s and 70s, occasionally older. Recreational divers may frequent local dive sites or dive as tourists at more distant venues known for desirable underwater environments.

Is scuba diving a good career?

A career in scuba diving can be quite rewarding. You get to travel, work in the most exotic locations and meet new people every day. You get to teach what you love doing. Diving is a combination of art and science and introducing someone to it makes quite a bit of a difference in their lives.

Can you drink the night before scuba diving?

Avoid drinking to excess anytime, but particularly before diving or while on a diving vacation. Avoid alcohol for at least 8 hours before diving (the same rule the FAA imposes on pilots). If you drank the night before, avoid diving if you feel a hangover, as you’re likely to be significantly dehydrated.

Can your lungs explode scuba diving?

Pulmonary barotrauma (pulmonary overpressurization syndrome, POPS, or burst lung) can occur if the diver fails to expel air from the lungs during ascent. As the diver rises, the volume of the gas in the lung expands and can cause damage if the excess is not exhaled.

Can a smoker scuba dive?

Yes, you can scuba dive if you smoke or vape. In fact, I know of many divers that do smoke at least semi-regularly. However, as you would imagine, there are additional risks. Furthermore, if you smoke or vape and want to dive, you should consult a doctor first.

Can you scuba dive hangover?

If you’re suffering from a hangover, you’re likely to be severely dehydrated, so it’s best to avoid scuba diving. Hangovers can cause scuba diving to be unsafe, since a hangover can cause dehydration and nitrogen narcosis, which are hazards to divers. On a dive boat, it can also lead to sea sickness.

How long does it take to get the bends?

Symptoms of DCS can occur immediately after surfacing or up to 24 hours later. On average a diver with DCS will experience symptoms between 15 minutes and 12 hours following a dive.

What are the symptoms of decompression sickness?

Signs and Symptoms

• Unusual fatigue.
• Skin itch.
• Pain in joints or arm, leg or torso muscles.
• Dizziness or vertigo.
• Ringing in the ears.
• Numbness, tingling and/or paralysis.
• Shortness of breath.
• A blotchy rash.