Fly-in SCUBA trips

I am getting my open-water certification. My brother (a less experienced
pilot but a far more experienced diver) and I are looking for some some fly
and dive trips. We are planning to go to Pennekamp in Key Largo. I assume
MTH (Marathon) is the closest airport. Any other destinations people
suggest?

Thanks,

Michael

Michael 182 wrote:
I am getting my open-water certification. My brother (a less
experienced pilot but a far more experienced diver) and I are looking
for some some fly and dive trips. We are planning to go to Pennekamp
in Key Largo. I assume MTH (Marathon) is the closest airport. Any
other destinations people suggest?

Where are you flying from? I and the fiance are recently OWD certified and
interested in the same kind of thing. We're in Virginia.

I understand there are some neat wrecks off Hatteras island on the NC outer
banks, but we have not dived them yet - . I believe they recommend nitrox
for those.

We dove Key Largo a couple months ago. Checkout the Spiegel Grove if you're
in that area - it's quite cool. http://www.spiegelgrove.com/

Hi Michael,

a "Fly-in SCUBA trip" seems somewhat contradictionary to me, as the
nitrogen accumulation aquired during SCUBA-Diving restricts even
commercial flying for up to 24 hours after a dive. General
recommendation for PADI-Divers is to refrain from diving for 24 hours
before commencing a flight. So unless you plan on staying several days,
your diving would have be very limited.

regards,
Friedrich

--
bitte für persönliche Antworten die offensichtliche Änderung an meiner
Adresse vornehmen

I'm in Colorado, my brother is in Maryland - we'll fly anywhere, but the
East Coast is probably easiest.

Thanks for the info.

Michael

"John Harlow" wrote in message
...
Michael 182 wrote:
I am getting my open-water certification. My brother (a less
experienced pilot but a far more experienced diver) and I are looking
for some some fly and dive trips. We are planning to go to Pennekamp
in Key Largo. I assume MTH (Marathon) is the closest airport. Any
other destinations people suggest?

Where are you flying from? I and the fiance are recently OWD certified
and
interested in the same kind of thing. We're in Virginia.

I understand there are some neat wrecks off Hatteras island on the NC
outer
banks, but we have not dived them yet - . I believe they recommend nitrox
for those.

We dove Key Largo a couple months ago. Checkout the Spiegel Grove if
you're
in that area - it's quite cool. http://www.spiegelgrove.com/

"Friedrich Ostertag" wrote in message
...
a "Fly-in SCUBA trip" seems somewhat contradictionary to me

Well, it's not at all. As even you have managed to observe, one need not
fly immediately after diving. Spend an extra day to do some sightseeing,
for example. Also, the limits are dependent on how deep and how long the
dive was, as well as what altitude the flight is planned for. I doubt a
climb to 1000' would be much of an issue, regardless of what sort of dive
preceded it.

Lots of people combine flying and diving. As with any other activity where
the potential for danger exists, one does need to exercise caution, but it
doesn't mean it's an impossibility.

Pete

Yeah, I understand the decompression issues. Our diving will not be deep. We
will stay for a few days - snorkel the last day. Also, commercial aviation
cabins are pressurized to about 8,000 feet. We can fly much lower than that.

Thanks,

Michael

"Friedrich Ostertag" wrote in message
...
Hi Michael,

a "Fly-in SCUBA trip" seems somewhat contradictionary to me, as the
nitrogen accumulation aquired during SCUBA-Diving restricts even
commercial flying for up to 24 hours after a dive. General
recommendation for PADI-Divers is to refrain from diving for 24 hours
before commencing a flight. So unless you plan on staying several days,
your diving would have be very limited.

regards,
Friedrich

--
bitte für persönliche Antworten die offensichtliche Änderung an meiner
Adresse vornehmen

Grand Cayman via the Cayman Caravan.

http://www.cayman-caravan.com/

I want to go too!

Jon

"Michael 182" wrote in message
news:lQ71c.167435$uV3.715352@attbi_s51...
I am getting my open-water certification. My brother (a less experienced
pilot but a far more experienced diver) and I are looking for some some
fly
and dive trips. We are planning to go to Pennekamp in Key Largo. I assume
MTH (Marathon) is the closest airport. Any other destinations people
suggest?

Thanks,

Michael

Michael 182 wrote:
I am getting my open-water certification. My brother (a less experienced
pilot but a far more experienced diver) and I are looking for some some fly
and dive trips. We are planning to go to Pennekamp in Key Largo.

Wow, Pennekamp State Park. I snorkeled there 10 years ago and have good
memories of the place. Fairly clear water, Barracudas like ghosts
hovering in the fog... and a tourist who swam into the shallows of the
reef and cut himself up despite all the warnings we received on the boat
ride out.

Please share your experiences if you go!

-Scott

Ah! One of my favorite questions...
A question that combines two out of three of my favorite
things to do (scuba, flying, boating).
If your flying to Marathon you can dive right from that key,
you don't have to go to all the way up to Key Largo.
But if it is Key Largo that your seeking then I would fly into
Homestead X51 it is only 26 miles by car to Key Largo
versus almost 60 miles from Marathon to Key Largo.
Keep in mind that there is plenty of excellent diving from
Miami down to Marathon so you could actually fly into
Tamiami airport (KTMB) and use Florida City hotels
(cheapest rates) as your base of operations.
Unless of course you would like to try some
cavern/ spring diving then I would recomend GNV, OCF or ORL.
If you do find yourself up in Central Florida
let me know and I'll point you to some really interesting spring dives.

Webmaster/Divemaster Dave PP-ASEL
See also: www.floridascubadiver.com my website (not for profit)

Hi Micheal,

Well since you're in Colorado isn't the west coast closer? And with
summer coming around southern california is a great place to dive. A
good fly-in/dive-inn place would be Catalina Island.
http://www.airnav.com/airport/avx

Fly in, take a short taxi ride ($15 for 2) to avalon and stay in one
of the nice hotels/resorts. The diving ranges from beginner to
advanced, shallow to deep, visibility is usually great and there is
good/quite nightlife. Check out casino point for a good intro dive.
One interesting thing about the island is that there are very few
cars. Every place can be walked to, but the locals are too lazy so
there are golf carts everywhere. Sunny San Diego has good diving too
but I wouldn't consider it fly-in diving : (

Florida has good diving too (of course). As far as the keys go the
more north you go the better the diving is. So since key west is the
most southern point the diving there sucks the most (in the keys). The
Spiegel Grove is something else, you have to see that. I'd do two
dives on it, if an operator says you have the option to dive elsewhere
for dive #2 turn it down(Diver City in Key Largo recommended). For
something more challenging check out Splash Down Divers in West Palm
Beach/Boynton. They offer drift dives off the coast, it's something
else and something you don't get in Colorado.

for more Florida dive info check out my 2002 trip report in
rec.scuba.locations. (do a search of "lance smith florida" on
groups.google.com and it'll be the 1st one up)

-lance smith


"Michael 182" wrote in message news:lQ71c.167435$uV3.715352@attbi_s51...
I am getting my open-water certification. My brother (a less experienced
pilot but a far more experienced diver) and I are looking for some some fly
and dive trips. We are planning to go to Pennekamp in Key Largo. I assume
MTH (Marathon) is the closest airport. Any other destinations people
suggest?

Thanks,

Michael