How much time to wait after doing an air-sport?

[ligersandtions]

As DA Aquamaster pointed out, make sure that you are well hydrated before you dive. Make sure you're well hydrated in the days leading up to the dive as well.

But otherwise, since you will be at a higher altitude, the nitrogen in your tissues has the potential to be slightly lower than when you are at sea level. This means you will actually be on-gassing at sea level (to get you back to your normally-saturated nitrogen level). You will continue to on-gas as you dive, so having started out with slightly less nitrogen in your body will have negligible affect (i.e. you shouldn't assume you can stay at depth longer just because you started with less nitrogen).

But as long as you are hydrated and prepared for your dive, you could dive as soon as you landed....and you are correct, it doesn't necessarily work the other way (it's a much better bet to hang glide then dive, rather than the other way around).

 

[Kimusubi]

Thanks for all the replies! My plan now is to go hang gliding in the morning/early afternoon and then on the following day go diving, so I shouldn't have too many problems. I've never hang glided before, so I'm only doing tandem with another instructor, and I doubt I'll have to carry anything for him, so hopefully that should take care of the dehydration. On the following day, I'll be flying a small Cessna into Catalina island where I'll be doing my dives. Hopefully this isn't an issue getting in the Cessna right before the dive. Hopefully all will go well.

 

[mts0628]

Thanks for all the replies! My plan now is to go hang gliding in the morning/early afternoon and then on the following day go diving, so I shouldn't have too many problems. I've never hang glided before, so I'm only doing tandem with another instructor, and I doubt I'll have to carry anything for him, so hopefully that should take care of the dehydration. On the following day, I'll be flying a small Cessna into Catalina island where I'll be doing my dives. Hopefully this isn't an issue getting in the Cessna right before the dive. Hopefully all will go well.

Then how are you going to get back after diving? Or are you going to spend the night at Catalina Island?

 

[Kimusubi]

Then how are you going to get back after diving? Or are you going to spend the night at Catalina Island?

Oh crap! Good thing you mentioned that because as obvious as it may be, I did not think of that. I guess that plan isn't worth a damn now. Maybe I'll have to forgo the Catalina thing and try to dive on shore somewhere in La Jolla.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

It's still a fine plan, as long as your max altitude flying back is below 2000' (better yet below 1000').

 

[ligersandtions]

Oh crap! Good thing you mentioned that because as obvious as it may be, I did not think of that. I guess that plan isn't worth a damn now. Maybe I'll have to forgo the Catalina thing and try to dive on shore somewhere in La Jolla.

It's still a fine plan, as long as your max altitude flying back is below 2000' (better yet below 1000').

Or you could fly over and take the ferry back. Diving at Casino Point is well worth it if you have the opportunity....that's not to say diving La Jolla is bad though (I primarily shore dive and love it, but haven't made it down to LJ, just up in LA).

 

[Kimusubi]

Yeah I suppose I could ferry back but then I would have to have a car there in the first place. I think just a bit of fun in Catalina will end up making a huge hassle in the end. I might as well just go with shore diving in La Jolla, it's a beautiful place. The problem is though is now I don't have a dive buddy in La Jolla, and I have to go search for some!

 

[GrandpaScuba]

There is no problem with flying then diving. Just don't go diving then flying.

 

[ligersandtions]

Yeah I suppose I could ferry back but then I would have to have a car there in the first place. I think just a bit of fun in Catalina will end up making a huge hassle in the end. I might as well just go with shore diving in La Jolla, it's a beautiful place. The problem is though is now I don't have a dive buddy in La Jolla, and I have to go search for some!

Check out the socal subforum - I bet someone will be available to go out with you! There are lots of us just looking for excuses to get in the water