26 replies to this topic

[No Pressure]

OK Brian, CT, and Walter. Bubbles is not the augmented North Dallas blonde diving student. That is a different thread.

For those that don't know me, one of my self appointed jobs in life is to stir up controversy, get people to ask themselves why they do the things they do, and never take "cause my mother/equivalent told me so" for an answer.

I know the first response to the thread question of mixing diving and drinking is going to be "OF COURSE NOT!" (Don, I expect you here). I also know that the universal diving rule is "your first drink signals your last dive". I agree with the above. However, when I go diving, it is a vacation, a time away from the stress of work, maybe with friends, and I enjoy having a cold one at the local bar. (I see it as my contribution to supporting the local economy).
So, since we are responsible, thoughtful, safety conscious adults, what is the "acceptable practice" of drinking while on a dive trip?
I expect to get a wide range of answers here. That is OK, and in fact best. Please give your opinion, and don't slam other's.
By the end, I hope to have a "guideline" for safe partying on a dive vacation.

[drbill]

I've "pontificated" on this issue earlier. My feeling is that given my age it is best to avoid drinking when doing extended diving (multi-day, multi-dive) trips. I break that rule when I am working on board the Lindblad ships since I rarely do more than two dives a day and don't dive every day. Of course the fact that the booze is free with the job helps! I will take a drink or two (and on occasion three if spread out) as long as I feel I'm not significantly affected. Since these drinks usually extend over 5+ hours, I don't feel they are a problem.

When I'm diving intensively, I generally do not drink at all, or at most have a glass of wine. Most of my drinking is pure filtered water (Dr. Strangelove anyone) to keep myself hydrated.

Younger divers may be able to better tolerate (or at least think they can) more alcohol physically due to less traveled bodies, but often are affected by the "invulnerability syndrome" (I've seen several local diving friends in their 20's destroy their careers this way) or "less than mature" judgment.

If you were dancing on the tables last night, you won't be my dive buddy today no matter how beautiful (or brilliant) you are! Unless of course you were driven by emotion rather than alcohol and were in a Greek restaurant where such behaviour does not even require ouzo to initiate!

Dr. B

[Walter]

It depends on the situation, but I always recommend being conservative.

I remember when I was in college, I stopped drinking entirely in support of a loved one who had a drinking problem. During that time, I'd go out with my friends to bars. We'd party heavily, but I'd drink 7 Up. Everyone would feel really good and I'd be fetting crazy and high with everyone. The difference was I could come down from my high instantly because it wasn't chemically induced. I once even had a friend tell me, "I think you'd had enough." You can party without over indulging and still have a grand time.

Walter

[No Pressure]

To get past the philosophic, here's a question. How many drinks will you have after diving, if you are diving again in the morning? (I told you I was going to stir things up). My personal number, company and timing dependent, is 4-5.

[WreckWench]

I told you I was going to stir things up.

Just like my favorite drink!!!

[Diverbrian]

I told you I was going to stir things up.

Just like my favorite drink!!!

And would that drink be stirred with a pink snorkel?

Seriously, my limit is about two drinks anymore and those are typically done by about 10:00 unless I have someone shoving them into my hand. Yes, I like to have one or two to relax and I am not an uptight tee-totaler when I dive on vacation.

I figure if it is enough to give me a hang-over, then it is too much to dive with in the morning. That hangover is a darned good sign of being dyhydrated.

And I personally don't like that "extremely drunk" feeling anymore. I did that too much as a sailor. I don't even like being narc'd anymore, LOL. On the last night of a trip when everybody can't dive in the morning (due to flying after diving), I may have more than two as normally the group that I am with is partying with "Bubbles" (if they can find her that is ). Hey Doc, where is she on MY dive vacations?

As far as I am concerned, we all have our personal limits. If we respect those limits, we all have a better time. See also the "Roman Hands and Russian Fingers" thread for a description of another alcohol related problem that could ruin a dive vacation. Keep that in mind, because next year I WILL be diving with somebody from here at least once.

[Walter]

My limit is three. If I'm diving deep or making lots of dives, I don't drink at all.

[jextract]

Only one more drink after the one subsequent to the one that comes after the one that follows the next one.

Keep 'em coming every five minutes 'til we pass out, then every ten minutes after that.

KIDDING, OF COURSE, I never drink past the point of passing out!

Seriously, though, I usually will alternate one drink and one glass of water, but not to the point of getting drunk. I'd hate to have a repeat of that whole "office party-Xerox machine" thing again....

And like Walter says, if a heavy day of diving is on the slate I won't drink at all.

[CuriousMe]

If I'm on a dive vacation, if I have anything 2 is my limit. I make sure to make my water two for one....so that means I have to add 4 more glasses of water than I normally would have had.

On the ship, I don't drink much anyway (the crew bar is far to smoky for me) I might have a glass of wine or so the night before.....but again I increase my water after.

Peace,
Cathie

[Diverbrian]

Good points!

I was thinking "vacation" diving . I am another that if I am looking at deep dives or a lot of repetitive stuff, I cut myself off before I start.

And when I do drink some, you can be sure that I load my body with water as well as Cathie mentions.

Oh! The details that I forget in the presence of the lovely ladies here.....

[WreckWench]

Ok so it sounds like we are ALL very responsible drinking divers EVEN while on vacation in exotic resort areas!!! And I'm VERY proud of all of you! However, it seems to me that when we first cut loose after working so hard to get to the dive destination and well the friends are too fun and alcohol is just too free flowing....I know I seem to forget pretty quickly how many I've had. And yes I alternate water with drinks...MOST OF THE TIME and certainly after our misfortunate incident in Cozy where we had a diver get bent after drinking moderately (less then many others) and not getting enough rest (again less then others) so I'm wondering if it only the water in Mexico that makes people 'forget' and drink more then they should....or if its the worm??? You know it must be that sneaky worm that makes people do it!!

WARNING!!!....STAY AWAY FROM THE WORM.....

[sea nmf]

One beer. And then only once in awhile. It isn't necessarily philosophical; I usually don't feel like drinking. Ice cold beer will sometimes draw me, though.

I am conservative by nature, though, and I want to limit my "risks" for DCS, if you can do such a thing.

After the diving is done for the entire trip, I may indulge a bit more if there is a party atmosphere.

-becky

[Bubble2Bubble]

Partying with bubbles

I thought this thread was about me but i see its not so
Carry On

Mike

[Diverlady]

Well on diving weekends, generally none. I'm not a big drinker anyway.
When away on vacation, I like to splurge and try a tropical cocktail with a rule of only 1 drink but someone in Coz made me break that rule! (I think a rose was involved.)
For me, definitely not more than 2! I like to be in control of my faculties.

Diverlady

[kevininpo]

Personally, l don't see the use in having 1 if l'm not gonna have more, and it only takes getting bent once to make any drinking and diving a total losing proposition. l haven't been bent, and l don't want to, so if l'm gonna drink <and l doubt l will> it is gonna be after ALL the diving is finished.Besides, l've never had to explain myself the next morning when l've not had any drinks