48 replies to this topic

[WreckWench]

The trouble with water is that it is a GREAT thirst quencher. Nothing is better for it. The problem is that since it so effectively quenches thirst, it often triggers the body's response to do so before we are adequately hydrated.

Yes it is. However we regularily consume more food than we are hungry for so consuming more water than we are thirsty for is not an issue when you know your life is on the line. And it is.

You should as stated start hydrating several days before a trip. In fact you should properly hydrate EVERY DAY even if you are not diving. You should consume half your body weight in oz's of water. So if you weigh 200 pounds then you need to consume 100 oz's of water. Take a 64oz juice or gatoraid jug and fill it with water. Then continue to drink it until its gone. Or count out enough bottles of water and do that.

Tips for Drinking Water:

1. Drink between meals. Your body captures the hydration more effectively, you will eliminate most minor hunger signals (you were really thristy but interpreted it as hunger) and you won't dilute the digestion of food.
2. Use travel time as 'water consumption time'. Or standing in line time or any other activity that would otherwise be wasted as a trigger to drink water. CARRY YOUR WATER WITH YOU and it will carry you!
3. If you MUST flavor it do it with NATURAL flavors from juice or lemon but NOT crystal light or fake/artificial ingredients.
4. Once you PURGE your body of toxins and all the chemicals that we dump into it...the desire for more chemicals/sugars/artificial sweetners subsides. Soon you ONLY crave WATER!

I would say if you can hydrate properly with water, then do so. If you can't force yourself to drink enough water (I sure can't) then something like Gatorade might be the better way to go.

If the choice is water with sugars (calories) and electrolites vs. no water then choose the former. But remember you will consume far more calories than needed and for most of us if diving is our only activity...we will be pretty hefty divers pretty soon.

Again the more you purge your body of unneeded chemicals/toxins etc the more your body will crave WATER. If you are an athalete (not a weekend warrior) but a real athalete then alternating between gatoraid and water is a good idea. The rest of us just want to FEEL like an athalete because we drink what they drink.

[netmage]

2. Use travel time as 'water consumption time'. Or standing in line time or any other activity that would otherwise be wasted as a trigger to drink water. CARRY YOUR WATER WITH YOU and it will carry you!

I can only take this to a point..., otherwise I'm stopping at every turnpike plaza... Wait..., I can install a p-valve in the explorer....

[ScubaDrew]

The trouble with water is that it is a GREAT thirst quencher. Nothing is better for it. The problem is that since it so effectively quenches thirst, it often triggers the body's response to do so before we are adequately hydrated.

Ok first, thanks for the great info on DCS everyone. And thanks for the book rec. I'll check into those.

As for water, I guess I am either lucky or persistent, but being someone who trains for endurance events (even if I don't look it ) I drink water constantly. At least 2 1.5 liter bottles in an 8 hours day. I find Gatorade or other dirnks like it too sweet after a bottle or two. I use it only on very hot days when I sweat alot, or need extra calories to keep moving. For people who also don't like the taste, there are other drinks available, Hammer Nutrition makes some good ones, and Cytomax is supposed to work great also, though I have never tried it.

And Perrone is right, you have to start your hydration well before you need it, 24 hours minimum.

[shadragon]

I am hoping to take a rescue class within the next year and do alot more diving, and different types of diving where I might see DCS, and I want to be prepared.

That is a great attitude to have Drew. The Rescue course is an excellent way to learn about many dive injuries along with how to react to them and I am sure you will enjoy it too.

Dive computers and dive tables are based on theoretical models that are designed to emulate how human physiology reacts under pressure. However, without going into detail, there is no direct link between those theoretical models and the human body. So there is ALWAYS a risk of DCS because individuals will handle N2 loading differently based on their own inherent physiology at that particular time.

You can decrease this risk by diving conservatively, doing your deep dives first then subsequently shallower dives, for example. Take a decent Surface Interval, never push the limits of your tables or computer and use NITROX on multiple dive days. Stay hydrated, ascend slowly, do safety stops and use common sense.

There is always a risk of getting hit by a car when you cross the road. However, by looking both ways and not stepping out until the way is clear reduces that risk. It is the same concept.

[Basslet]

I really have no problem drinking 6-8 8 oz glasses of water a day. I started doing that when I was pregnant 18 years ago on the recommendation of a book about pregnancy. I find now that if I don't drink that much every day, I feel parched. (One's bladder eventually learns to accommodate. ) On days I do my cardio, I drink more.
On dive trips, I also drink more because I do get more thirsty and I know that I have to keep well-hydrated. I am not a big alcohol drinker and find that I have no problem not imbibing on a dive trip, or limiting my consumption.

I have a good friend who got skin bends and she was well within her computer limits and she is not overweight. She does dive a lot so she changed her computer to a Uwatec which is supposed to be more conservative.

Edited by Fairybasslet, 24 August 2007 - 06:25 AM.

[WreckWench]

Good point Howard...

Adequate decompression should be adhered too. What does this mean to the newer diver? It means when you were trained in open water class to do a 3 minute safety stop but the boat operator was recommending a 5 minute saftey stop...meaning 5 minutes beyond any manditory decompression to be completed at your 10-15 ft stop that you have to make based upon your bottom time....they are really saying...we are suggesting that you follow a more conservative guide to 'adequate decompression'.

And yes even our recreational dives in places like Cozumel, Bonaire, Roatan etc are all really 'decompression dives' even if we do not 'go into deco'. ALL dives are 'decompression dives'. Some require a manditory decompression stop...where we allow the bubbles to recompress back into our bloodsupply but most do not require a 'manditory' stop however we allow for a non-manditory '3 minute safety stop' just in case.

Just in case of what?

Just in case the models that have been developed over the years that determine how long we can stay down safely are not 100% accurate for US. Or just in case we aren't properly hydrated and it takes longer for the bubbles to reassemble into our THICK blood. Or just in case we have scar tissue from previous accidents and so we don't absorb the nitrogen as we should. Or just in case we are medicine and the meds interfere with our ability to reabsorb the bubbles properly. Or just in case that we have some underlying health issues that impact our ability to absorb the nitrogen back into our blood. You get the idea...there are MANY reasons why we may not properly 'adequately recompress' while it appears on the surface that we did nothing wrong..aka we took an 'undeserved hit'.

So there are lots of 'just in case' scenarios and most dive operators and many divers are getting MORE conservative based upon the experiences they are seeing of real world divers. For example our dive operator in Cozumel required a 5 minute safety stop after all dives and enough gas to accommodate that. They also put water in your hands about every 30 minutes to encourage you to keep well hydrated. And guess what...people drink it cuz its there. (By the time you recognize you are thirsty...its too late you are very dehydrated.)

Choice of gas....

Netmage is right. The choice of nitrox is becoming the safer gas to dive for MOST diving profiles that most divers will do. It is even safer if you dive it like air meaning you do not set your computer to the mix you are using but use air tables/profiles. Of course you need to watch your MOD (max operating depth) but if you dive the shorter times using nitrox vs. air you will benefit the most from its positive attributes.

Helium...a gas used in trimix for safer deeper dives is proving to allow divers to dive to deeper (over 130 foot depths) without getting narc'd, but actually requires MORE manditory decompression than air or nitrox for the same depths. Little is known about helium and its effects on the body when you get bent diving it and since it is assimilated differently by the body...it stands to reason that a DCS hit will affect the body differently as well. It is an unforgiving gas that requires so much additional training and skill to dive that it goes well beyond this discussion and it is not a viable option to prevent DCS hits in the average diver.

[WreckWench]

2. Use travel time as 'water consumption time'. Or standing in line time or any other activity that would otherwise be wasted as a trigger to drink water. CARRY YOUR WATER WITH YOU and it will carry you!

I can only take this to a point..., otherwise I'm stopping at every turnpike plaza... Wait..., I can install a p-valve in the explorer....

When you are chronically dehydrated as most Americans are...when you start to consume water the body says...YEA THE FAMINE IS OVER!!! And it will start to release the nasty toxin riddent water it has been hording in the body. This is why you feel the urge to pee all the time. Once you have purged yourself and cleaned your system out and your body realizes that this 'non-drought stage' is permanent then it will regulate itself and you'll eliminate only several times a day...much the same as non-water drinkers. So the urge to pee all the time is a temporary response to ADEQUATE water consumption.

Oh yes...sodas, coffee, tea etc are actually diuretics and therefore make you PEE MORE!!!

[PerroneFord]

I'm curious... what's in eFuel? I googled it and all I found was a post of yours on another board, P.

This was the third link that came up for me when I googled it....

http://www.crankspor...uel/default.asp

[annasea]

I'm curious... what's in eFuel? I googled it and all I found was a post of yours on another board, P.

This was the third link that came up for me when I googled it....

http://www.crankspor...uel/default.asp

Well then, I guess I should have been less specific and googled efuel as opposed to efuel wkpp.

[shadragon]

Well then, I guess I should have been less specific and googled efuel as opposed to efuel wkpp.

I have been drinking SoBe brand beverages for some time now when diving. They have unique flavors like Orange / Carrot and Pomegranate / Cranberry and after a dive they taste great. Kind of a good tasting Gatorade...

[netmage]

Well then, I guess I should have been less specific and googled efuel as opposed to efuel wkpp.

I have been drinking SoBe brand beverages for some time now when diving. They have unique flavors like Orange / Carrot and Pomegranate / Cranberry and after a dive they taste great. Kind of a good tasting Gatorade...

Anything is better than the unicef dehydration mix they gave me in bikini, uck... it was like drinking saltwater. no marketing, no fruity flavors, just bland electrolytes and salts to get the water to absorb into your system.

[shadragon]

Anything is better than the unicef dehydration mix they gave me in bikini, uck... it was like drinking saltwater. no marketing, no fruity flavors, just bland electrolytes and salts to get the water to absorb into your system.

Well, Wenchie is a nutritionist. Maybe she should take some time to invent an après dive drink. (Wench Grog?)

A perfect blend of natural ingredients, with electrolytes and vitamins added to replenish your system after a hard dive day.

Oh, and to have universal application at SD Happy Hours it would have to mix successfully with rum...

We now return to our thread, already in progress...

[ev780]

Caffeine is the primary dehydrating element.

A couple of quotes:

"At this time, there is NO evidence that caffeine intake is associated with heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis or high cholesterol."

"There is no evidence that caffeine in beverage form is dehydrating. Its diuretic effects are usually compensated for by the beverage's fluid content."

Source: http://www.mckinley....s/caffeine.html

"While there have been several studies done that show caffeine is a mild diuretic, there is no evidence that exercise, when combined with the consumption of caffeine or caffeinated beverages, will result in chronic dehydration, and this is contrary to the advice of most exercise physiologists, physicians and dieticians," explains Armstrong, who has been conducting fluid balance research since 1980.

http://advance.uconn...22/02072207.htm

Caffeine in the form of coffee or tea is no worse than water according to several studies. In fact Caffeine increases alertness, heart rate, energy and stamina. All good things when diving. So enjoy your morning coffee in moderation of course.

That being said I am (and I think most everyone else) is a huge fan of just plain water. There was no Gatorade when we were fighting saber tooth tigers!!!!! If I am in balance to start the day, (I like Perrone's prehydration routine) I will drink 2 liters or so per 2 tank dive. Before, during SI and after. Couple that with Immersion Diuresis and believe me you do not want to borrow my wetsuit.

[ScubaDadMiami]

Helium...a gas used in trimix for safer deeper dives is proving to allow divers to dive to deeper (over 130 foot depths) without getting narc'd, but actually requires MORE manditory decompression than air or nitrox for the same depths.

Sorta true. Helium will reach saturation levels quicker than nitrogen. So, for short, shallower (let's say less than 150ish) dives, it will require mandatory decompression stops sooner than will nitrogen. Once the dives get long enough, however, nitrogen based mixes will start to require mandatory decompression stops, too. Helium based diving will then allow for less deco time overall because it leaves the body faster than nitrogen. A big benefit of this is that it allows a greater margin of safety for flying after diving (unless the diver waits long enough so that there is complete offgassing), which is what many do on their vacation dives.

Beyond 130 feet, most people will feel the effects of narcosis to the degree that helium is a much better alternative. So, that's a safety factor and a different issue. However, once beyond about 150 feet, helium offgases more efficiently than does nitrogen, actually reducing decompression time (except for very short dives near the borderline for saturation time. However, again, narcosis pretty much dictates its use in that case even if decompression does not).

Little is known about helium and its effects on the body when you get bent diving it and since it is assimilated differently by the body...it stands to reason that a DCS hit will affect the body differently as well.

Actually, quite a lot is known about it, and it follows the same process as does nitrogen. The only difference is that it does so more quickly. Because of this, faster tissues, which are typically nervous system tissues, will often get major bends hits, causing things like paralysis if there is a DCI episode. This is why much more precise dive technique is required in order to avoid DCI. As you mention, "[i]t is an unforgiving gas that requires so much additional training and skill."

[Racer184]

" PDE research " ?
"full blown type 2's " ?
"had the TTE " ?
"the TEE scheduled. " ?
"UNC " ?

I am never going to play scrabble with anyone from SingleDivers.com