Since Maui is one of the few places in the world where you can drive to 10,000 feet within an hour of diving, we want to remind you about these important guidelines. This is excerpted from  The Ten Foot Stop blog.

There is a recurring question that arises in one form or another about diving and then flying, or going to altitude and diving, going further to altitude and descending to place of abode or sea level. We have had a recent spate of queries about this culminating in a question that was forwarded me by Dr. Ed Kay for circulation among our consultants.

There are tables that address these issues in the NOAA textbook and the US Navy Diving Manual but these are not readily available to the general diving public. The US Navy made changes in it’s recommendations in their Revision 4 on the basis of research done by Divers Alert Network. [see below].

In addition, DAN has had a workshop in May, 2002, to sort out approaches to this problem and has come up with these recommendations:

1. For a single no-decompression dive, a minimum preflight surface interval of 12 hours is suggested.
2. For multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, a minimum preflight surface interval of 18 hours is suggested.
3. For dives requiring decompression stops, there is little evidence on which to base a recommendation, but a preflight surface interval substantially longer than 18 hours appears prudent.
4. These recommendations apply to air dives followed by flights at cabin altitudes of 2,000 to 8,000 feet (610 to 2,438 meters).
5. These recommendations are for recreational divers who do not have symptoms of decompression sickness (DCS).

At Makena Coast Dive Charters your safety is our highest priority—with copious amounts of  fun and adventure!

Here are some reminders and dive tips to review before you go on a diving adventure

• Be sure your health is up to par to dive.  Most of us tend to forget that when we got certified we had to be in good medical health with no medical problems and that all prescription medications required doctor’s clearance. Now, 10, 15, 20 years later, this still remains true. If you haven’t been diving for a while or your health hasn’t been up to par, or your fitness has slipped a bit, don’t hesitate to get a physical before you dive. If you are on any prescription medications, contact your doctor to be sure that both the condition being treated and the medication are cleared for diving. Some medications can cause problems under pressure (hallucinations, etc) so be sure you are okay to dive to avoid any mishaps—or tragedies.

* Do not go to elevation (above 1000 feet)  after diving— 18 hours for certified divers (doing 2 tanks) and 12 hours for introductory divers (one tank). This means no helicopter, airplane, most of the zip lines, nor driving up Haleakala until the following day. On Maui, this is especially relevant because it is one of the few places in the world that you can drive from sea level to 10,000 feet within an hour. It doesn’t matter what you do before you dive, it absolutely matters what you do after your dive.

• Check your gear.  If you are using your own gear, check to be sure it is in working order before taking it on your dive trip. This sounds like a no-brainer but there is nothing more frustrating than putting away gear that is in perfect working order one year and pulling it out the next only to get to your dive destination with malfunctioning equipment. If you are using a dive company’s gear CHECK IT BEFORE USING IT. Try the regulator while you are on the boat. Check the pressure in the tank while you are on the boat! As a certified diver, you are responsible for your own well being so be sure to be conscientious.

• On a shared boat, it is really helpful if you pay attention to timing. While we have no intention of rushing you in your preparation, it is never much fun to be the person holding everyone else up. BEFORE it is time to gear up, look at the gear, locate everything you will need and be prepared to gear up when the time comes. This is especially important when a drift dive is planned as everyone has to get in the water at the same time.