Plan backwards from your flight home. Divers Alert Network recommends waiting at least 12 hours before flying after a single no-decompression dive, and 18 hours after repeated dives or several days of diving 1. In practice, your last dive should be well before the day you fly.
This is a planning guide, not medical advice. It sits in our itinerary styles topic.
What is the no-fly window?
After diving, your body carries extra nitrogen for a time. Flying too soon, in a cabin with lower pressure, can raise the risk of decompression sickness. The waiting time is called the surface interval before flight, or the no-fly window.
The hours in the guideline above are minimums for ordinary recreational diving 1. Your dive operator, instructor or doctor may advise longer.
How do we plan backwards?
Start with your departure time and subtract. Write down these steps in order:
- Flight home: day and time.
- The no-fly window: the hours that apply to your type of diving.
- A buffer of a few hours in case the flight moves.
- Your last dive, the latest it can safely be.
If your flight leaves at noon on day six, you will likely finish diving by day four or earlier, depending on the dives you do.
Which days fit diving?
Lay out the days like this:
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Day one | Arrival and rest |
| Day two | Light day, maybe a refresher or try dive |
| Day three | Dive day |
| Day four | Dive day, last dive early |
| Day five | No diving, spa or beach, pack |
| Day six | Fly home |
This is a layout only. Your own dives and fitness should set the details.
Does tiredness matter?
Yes. Divers who start tired from a wedding and a long journey are more likely to make mistakes. Rest on arrival, then dive. Our guide on adventure first or rest first explains the order.
Also see rest days between tours to place recovery around heavy days.
What should we ask the dive operator?
Ask in writing:
- What is your policy on diving before a flight?
- How many dives per day do you run on this trip?
- Do you check certification and recent dive history?
- What happens if weather cancels a dive?
- Can the schedule be moved if our flight changes?
Also check your insurance; our adventure and insurance guide shows what to look for.
What should we do next?
- Confirm your flight home.
- Count back using the no-fly window that applies to your diving.
- Place dives on days two to four, and rest on the last full day.
- Send us the plan, and we will check it with the dive operator and send a total for two.