Frequently asked questions
The questions divers actually ask.
Short answers, each one linking to the page that owns the detail. If you are in an emergency, stop reading and call the nearest chamber.
In an emergency
When something goes wrong on the water.
A diver surfaces and something is wrong. What do I do first?
Follow the emergency steps, in order: call the nearest chamber; keep the diver at rest; if the diver is unresponsive but breathes normally, use the recovery position; give the diver medical oxygen; treat the diver for shock; do not delay. These steps are the network's canonical procedure. The emergencies page gives them in full.
The symptoms seem minor. Should I still call?
Yes. Mild symptoms - joint pain, numbness, tingling, unusual fatigue - are often how decompression illness begins. Treated early, the chance of full recovery is high. Treated late, it falls. Network policy errs toward treating when in doubt, because that is in the diver's best interest. When in doubt, make the call.
How do I find the nearest chamber?
Every page on this site carries an emergency band across the top. On a location page, the band gives you that chamber's number directly. Everywhere else it offers a "find the nearest chamber" link. If your browser supports it and you allow location access, that link finds the closest facility and takes you straight to it. If you decline, or if it times out, the link falls back to the network map. The map lists every chamber, alarm center and affiliate, with contacts and directions. Find the nearest chamber before you get in the water, not after something goes wrong.
Medical content on this page is a summary of the guidance published on Emergencies & First Aid and is pending diving-physician sign-off. Sources are cited there.
Decompression illness & treatment
What DCI is, and what a chamber does about it.
What is decompression illness, and what is the difference between DCS and AGE?
Decompression illness (DCI) is an umbrella term for two related conditions. Decompression sickness (DCS) happens when dissolved gas comes out of the blood and tissues as bubbles. This usually follows inadequate elimination of gas during ascent. DCS ranges from joint pain, numbness and tingling to serious effects on the spinal cord and nervous system. It can happen even when you follow your tables or your dive computer. Arterial gas embolism (AGE) happens when gas bubbles enter the arterial circulation, often from lung over-expansion during ascent. The bubbles then travel to organs, including the brain and central nervous system. AGE can develop within minutes of surfacing, and is a medical emergency. The two conditions have different causes and can look similar. Recompression treats both.
What actually happens inside a recompression chamber?
A certified operator at the external console runs depth, time and breathing gas to a prescribed treatment table. Every network chamber is multiplace and multi-lock. It can treat more than one patient at once. A trained attendant rides the entire table inside the chamber, next to the diver. Staff can transfer under pressure without interrupting the table. A medical lock passes medication, fluids and food in without decompressing the chamber. The operator stays in contact through twin-lock voice communications and closed-circuit video. Diagnosis is a clinical judgment: dive history, medical history, and the diver's signs and symptoms taken together. When DCI is likely, physicians follow established recompression protocols and adjust them for the case.
Which treatment tables does the network use?
The network uses U.S. Navy Treatment Tables 6, 5 and 9 as the working standard, while certain facilities employ Comex 30. The treating physician selects the table for the case, from the diver's signs, symptoms and dive history. The official source documents for these tables are the clinical authority.
How soon can I fly after treatment?
Follow the treating physician's guidance on fluids and rest. Most important: Don't fly until a physician clears you. This is commonly 72 hours after the last treatment. The physician who treated you sets your interval, not a web page.
How do I reduce the risk of DCI in the first place?
Drink enough water before and after the dive. Dive within the limits of your tables or your dive computer. Ascend slowly: no faster than 9 m (30 ft) each minute. Make your safety stops. Limit repetitive dives. Plan the dive, then follow the plan. Do not over-exert yourself, and do not get very cold. Avoid a very hot shower or bath immediately after a dive, alcohol immediately before or after a dive, and flying too soon after a dive. Prevention reduces the risk. It does not remove the risk. That is why it still matters to know where the nearest chamber is.
Not answered here
If it is an emergency, don't read - call.
Early recompression gives the best chance of full recovery. If your question isn't urgent, we're happy to answer it directly.