Dive/Fly

[xxMACxx]

Planning my trip to Bonaire and was thinking about the last days. My flight out on Saturday is 3:55pm, and I know the rule is 24 hour "no dive" before flying. Do most people still do diving on the day before, like 2 or 3 dives before noon? I know there are things to do around the island, but I really don't want to give up diving completely on Friday.

Thoughts and feedback are appreciated.

Michael

 

[Waterskier1]

I dive until around 2:00, then start washing and cleaning all my gear and hang it up to dry as much as possible. We usually do something fun the last night. Then we go sight seeing the next morning, or shopping or whatever you like.

I choose the afternoon flights (Air Jamaica or Delta) specifically for this reason. The Continental Flight leaves early in the morning, which means I loose (diving) the whole day before.

Of course, I like to get as much in as I can, and Bonaire is great for that, since most places offer free air (and free Nitrox) and all the shore diving is free too. And for most who go with a 7 day package, you get 6 days of air/shore diving.

 

[fdog]

24 hours is conservative. Nothing wrong with conservative, but....

Here are the results from the 2002 Flying After Diving workshop.

If you don't want to wade through all 128 pages to see why the magic number isn't 17, here's the summary for recreational (no deco) diving:

For multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, a minimum preflight surface interval of 18 hours is suggested.

All the best, James

 

[dartref]

I agree with the 18 hour minimum. We had the Continental flight last month. We got up early the day before and did two dives at 8am and 10am. By the time we got out the water, that gave us 22 hours until the flight. My trusty computer was showing 11 hours of no-fly time. I felt very comfortable making the decision to dive that morning.

 

[Thalassamania]

Time is not the point, the time recommendations started with the conviction of several "authorities" that divers could not be taught to work tables.

I can not recommend to you what you should do. I can only relate what I do.

I'd rather make a short deep dive right before a flight than a longer shallower one. I make sure that I'm within U.S. Navy Group "C" before flying. I try and breath two hours of pure oxygen at the surface between my last dive and my flight.

 

[vladimir]

I had the same dilemma in December in Bonaire. I hate that dawn flight. Though I'd been diving air all week, I did two shallow morning dives on Nitrox, and had about an 18 hour interval before my flight. Both my computers cleared me to fly in about 16 hours.

 

[xxMACxx]

Thanks for all the feedback! This is my first flying vacation where I'm diving... all my other trips have been via car so I didn't have to worry to much.

Waterskier... looks like we have the same countdown going!

 

[Waterskier1]

Waterskier... looks like we have the same countdown going!

I'll be in Bonaire March 1-8, is that when you'll be there?

It seems the "TickerFactory" doesn't recognize the correct number of days in Feb.

 

[xxMACxx]

Yep... same days. We're on the Delta flights. Me and my son are staying at the Golden Reef Inn.

 

[Waterskier1]

Yep... same days. We're on the Delta flights. Me and my son are staying at the Golden Reef Inn.

Sounds like we'll be on the same flights too.

I'm flying a red-eye out of Denver to ATL, have about 5 hours layover and then on to Bonaire:multi:.

I'm joining a Dive Club out of Nashville who is flying on Air Jamaica, and we'll be staying at Eden Beach/Wanna Dive.