Saba to St. Maarten by plane

[seaseadee]

Agreed. Which is why I put the YMMV.

 

[seaseadee]

Plus in speaking to the dive shop there, it didn't sound like I was the only whacko doing it. The impression I got was that this was a routine thing

 

[Altamira]

Plus in speaking to the dive shop there, it didn't sound like I was the only whacko doing it. The impression I got was that this was a routine thing

Yes, I know it is done routinely there and other places. But as a retired pilot with 37 years of flying experience, who has seen a fair number of "Oh &%$*" moments in the cockpit, I can only say that flying shortly after diving, betting on everything going well, is not smart. DAN's position, and military regulations, pertaining to dive/fly timing appear to back up my thoughts on this matter. Fortunately, most of the time, bad things do not happen when flying. Unfortunately, most people/passengers do not really understand their lack of options when something goes sideways, and do not think about the fact that they are not going to get a vote as to what the Captain does with the airplane. The good news, according to the DAN Insurance Claims Rep that I spoke with, is they will still cover the chamber ride if you do get bent after doing something contrary to dive/fly guidance. The bad news is that you can be seriously injured after a DCS incident, even with an available chamber nearby. Risk vs reward is always present in a decision.

 

[Doby45]

As stated, I would fly over to Saba and then simply take the ferry back to St. Maarten..

 

[rddvet]

Since it's a flight to 2500 ft that would mean it's an unpressurized cockpit, which based on what I was taught would be a nonissue.

 

[seeker242]

The US Navy diving manual has surface intervals for various lower altitudes. Of course they assume the plane is not going to deviate from the flight plan.

 

[jonhall]

I think that the landing would be even more thrilling than the take-off, why don't you fly over to Saba, dive, and take the ferry back to St. Martin? Or will you have already been diving around St. Martin before going to Saba?

As stated, I would fly over to Saba and then simply take the ferry back to St. Maarten..

Plan is to first do a few dives in St. Maarten. Will be there a couple of weeks so will be able to dive quite a bit. Several options to consider on getting to and from Saba. Really want to stay away from the ferry ride back as it is described by most people as being very rough (not that I think it would bother me or the people I might be with.) Thanks for the input.