Flying and Diving

[IslandPrincess]

I have recently taken part 1 of my OW certification and will be finishing up part 2 in Cozumel in a couple of weeks. I know that after multiple-day dives, you need to wait 18 hours before flying home, but is there a rule about diving the same day that you fly in? We will be arriving in Coz in the morning and I want to start my OW certification in the afternoon. Is this OK, or do you need to wait a certain length of time after flying to begin diving?

 

[Damselfish]

No rules about flying before diving. But you should be rested and hydrated, which can be a problem after travel.

 

[ScubaThor]

You should be able to dive the same day you fly in....as long as you feel up to it.

 

[1RUSTYRIG]

As a general rule I don't dive the first day of travel. I usually feel 110% when arriving on the other side, but my wife travels really hard. So I never push the issue on the first day.

 

[mossym]

drink loads on the plane and you should be fine...

 

[StSomewhere]

But you should be rested and hydrated, which can be a problem after travel.

This is a great point. Airplane air is very dry, its easy to get dehydrated without realizing it. Dehydration is a leading contributor to DCS (i.e. undeserved hits).

 

[melfox26]

drink loads on the plane and you should be fine...

................of water.

 

[mossym]

................of water.

i wondered how long it would take..

 

[av8er23]

It is correct that you can dive once you get there if you feel up to it. But returning I use 18-24 hours as a rule to fly back home. I am a pilot and have read many studies on this subject. The genaral rule that the FAA recommends is 12-24 hours. There are many factors that play into this such as: your physical health, how many dives you made, the altitude or cabin altitude you will be flying at, and other factors that change from person to person.

 

[ScubaSixString]

I have recently taken part 1 of my OW certification and will be finishing up part 2 in Cozumel in a couple of weeks. I know that after multiple-day dives, you need to wait 18 hours before flying home, but is there a rule about diving the same day that you fly in? We will be arriving in Coz in the morning and I want to start my OW certification in the afternoon. Is this OK, or do you need to wait a certain length of time after flying to begin diving?

18 hours is a bare minimum.

Depending on your dive profile it might be better to wait 24 hours. (Which you'll probably have to do anyway).

As long as (as the others have put it) feeling up to it, well hydrated and rested, when you land, you shouldn't have trouble diving AFTER flying.