Minimum 18 hours after repetitive multi-day diving, and 24 hours is the conservative standard most liveaboards build into the itinerary.
After a week of repetitive multi-day diving, the widely accepted guidance is a minimum 18-hour surface interval before flying, with 24 hours as the conservative recommendation. DAN's research supports 18 hours for repetitive diving; most liveaboard operators simply schedule the last dive on the morning of the second-to-last day and make the final afternoon a no-dive day.
Why it matters: cabin altitude on a commercial flight is equivalent to roughly 2,000 to 2,400 metres. The reduced ambient pressure allows residual nitrogen to come out of solution faster, which is exactly the mechanism behind decompression sickness. Symptoms after flying too soon can appear hours into the flight, when you are least able to get help.
The same logic applies to altitude on land
Driving over a mountain pass, taking a highland transfer or visiting a volcano crater within 24 hours of your last dive carries the same risk as flying. This catches divers out in Indonesia and Costa Rica in particular.
Practical planning: book your return flight for at least 24 hours after the scheduled last dive, and treat that final day as the good part of the trip rather than dead time — it is when most people finally explore the port town, get a massage and sleep.
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