Return to Diving After DCI

1. “Divers with uncomplicated, pain-only DCI cases and whose symptoms resolve completely after 10 minutes breathing oxygen at 60 feet / 18 meters can return to diving after 48 hours of being symptom-free.” This is probably a little too aggressive for recreational diving. Two to four symptom-free weeks is usually recommended for recreational divers.
2. “In uncomplicated pain-only DCI, divers who have had a completely normal neurological exam prior to recompression and whose symptoms took longer than 10 minutes to resolve, the Navy allows a two-week wait before a return to diving.” This may be too soon for recreational divers, who may return to multiday repetitive diving. A minimum wait of four weeks is a more conservative option.
3. “If divers have had cardiorespiratory or neurological symptoms such as weakness or numbness, the Navy recommends a four-week waiting period.” A six-week symptom-free minimum wait may be more appropriate for recreational divers.
4. “In more complicated DCI cases, in which symptoms seem to resist treatment or in which long treatment tables such as Table 4 or Table 7 are required, the Navy requires a minimum of a three-month layoff from diving. Diving may resume only after a thorough review by a Diving Medical Officer.” For recreational divers who experience DCI this severe, giving up diving altogether may be appropriate. At any rate, recreational divers should take a six-month hiatus from diving, followed by a thorough examination by a dive physician.

For recreational divers who want to dive after experiencing DCI, here is the best advice:
Wait until you have been free of symptoms for four weeks;

• Seek evaluation by a physician to determine whether there is some predisposition to decompression illness.
• Remember, you’re diving for fun and recreation - practice safe guidelines so you can enjoy it for many years to come.

With reports by Dr. Ed Thalmann