The DAN website current recommendation for flying after diving is 12 hours.. more for extended diving or diving requiring decompression.

We will be taking dive lessons prior to our trip to Aruba and Bonaire. Arriving on 9/11/01 at 8:30am or so and leaving 9/14/01 at about 6:45am.

1. what are our chances of being able to arrange for the orientation the afternoon of the 11th? are the dive operators good about this? We will be staying at the Divi(tentatively) but they do not respond to our emails.
2. after diving some on the 12th, would we be able to dive the morning of the 13th with a flight scheduled for the next morning at 6:45. This would give us about 18hrs but everyone seems to use "24 hours" on the reports at this site. Is 24 hours the generally accepted minimum?

Really just trying to get a feel for what we need to arrange.. dive package? a la carte? Doubt we would be diving hardcore, if much at all.

any suggestions really would be appreciated.

Hi Rick,

As far as #1 goes, it depends on the dive shop - contact the one you plan on diving with (Divi's?) and ask them if they can arrange an orientation for you - not sure what e-mail address you've tried, but divibon@bonairelive.com is the official address. If that doesn't work, try stevo@bonairelive.com (he's the manager of the Divi here on Bonaire). If Divi can't accommodate your need for a late morning, early afternoon orientation for whatever reason, then check with other area dive shops.

For #2 - your dive safety is in your own hands. There's probably no one in this discussion group medically qualified to give you a valid opinion on this. Could you do it and get away with it without damaging yourself? Possibly, but it all depends on your physiology, your tissue absorption rates for nitrogen, general health, how much diving you did the day before, how deep you're planning on going 18 hours before you fly, and a host of other factors.

The dive shop you'd be renting tanks (and possibly other equipment from) might also have an opinion on this in terms of their liability - try asking them.

Hope that helps,

Jake