DIVE LIKE A PRO!!
DRINKING ON THE JOB!!(Keeping yourself Hydrated)
By: Tom Hanaway
MSDT PSD 4
PADI NAUI IANTD SSI
PSAI SDI/TDI/ERDI
I.A.R.D.S. Member
PSDA Member
Keeping yourself hydrated while diving is one of the most basic and important parts of diving that I just can't stress highly enough to my friends and SCUBA students!!
You may ask your self why?!
I'll tell you here:
Being dehydrated can affect you in many ways while diving and the reason I feel is most important is that it can lead to DCI!But not only that but cramping and a lot of discomfort.The first way that diver's become dehydrated is through WATER itself! The cooling effects of water do this to you. To save heat your body reduces the blood flow to your extremeties,which basically act like radiators.With less blood volume in your arms and legs means that your "inside core" will have this extra fluid, where the pooling triggers your kidney's to get rid of the "excess" water, which your body thinks you have.Your second way you lose water is through the simple act of breathing! Since water vapour gums up engines and such air compressors remove most of the water that is in air. The result being that most breathing gases be it air, EANx, or Tri-mix have about as much water in them as Kansas in a dry spell. Since it's so dry each breath that you take from your tank picks up moisture in your lungs and expells it with every breath. So every time you breath you lose a little more moisture.You can also lose lose a lot of water before your dive which is the third way you can become dehydrated. If you sweat a lot before your dive your body is obviously giving up some of it's water content. And especially in "tech" diving this is very important as you need more exposure protection for your dive.Putting on your exposure suit in a hot climate, the worse being a HOT DRY CLIMATE, (Drysuits here folks), such as California, the Sinai, Missouri!! You get the point, hot air and cool water!!And finally your diving lifestyle affects your bodys hydration. Most people tend not to drink enough NON- CAFFIENATED, NON-ALCHOHOLIC fluids before a dive. Caffiene makes you urinate,(pee a lot), and so does alchol the night before,(Especially in vacation mode, really bad on an all inclusive!!
)
HERE ARE 5 WAYS TO KEEP YOURSELF DIVING AND NOT DEHYDRATING!!!
1) DRINK BEFORE THE DIVE!!!
Yup, right up to the last minute before you hit the water! And you "tekkies" should make a bottle of water part of your standard gear bag!!!
2) DRINK WATER!!
You want to minimize the amount of caffiene your body has, (see peeing a lot, above). A cup of coffee won't kill you, but do you really want to risk it with a pot of it before you dive?? Fruit juices, sport's drinks like Gatorade may have a great taste, but your body absorbs plain old water faster than anything!! (Except maybe an IV, but if you're that sick you shouldn't be diving today!!)
.3) DON'T BE AFRAID TO USE DIAPERS OR A RELIEF ZIP IN YOUR DRYSUIT!!!
Some people don't drink enough before a tek or deco dive thinking they'll have all of their hang time with their legs crossed. If you can relieve yourself,(P),you won't be afraid to guzzle right up until the time you jump in for your dive!!
4) DRINK DURING THE DIVE!!
Yes this does take some practice, so try it in confined pool space before you venture out to "Big Blue". And don't count on drinking the water you're diving in! YUCK!!Drinking underwater isn't hard, but it's not a task taught in your Open Water class. The easiest way to do this is to use a collapsable container, (like a wine skin). If you use a collapsable bottle, put it to your mouth, squeeze in a bit and swallow, keeping it in your mouth, as when you exhale it will re-inflate the bottle making it easier for your next sip!!Oh yeah, it's probably best to AVOID eating underwater!!
5) DRINK AFTER THE DIVE!!
After a long dive it take's awhile for your body to feel warm even in the hottest climate, but it doesn't mean your body isn't thirsty! So drink up!! Avoid alchohol, unless it's your LAST dive of the day!! It's fine to have a beer with the buddies on the way in.
Hope you find my article amusing but informative! That's what diving is all about!! HAVING FUN!!!
Tom _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ -DIVE LIKE A PRO!! TIP'S FROM TOM!!
MSDT PSDLevel4
NAUI PADI SSI IANTD
TDI/SDI/ERDI PSAI \ IADRS (member)
PSDA (member)
DCBC (Canada) SSA Diver/Tender Non-Restricted
QUICK FIX FOR MIDDLE EAR SQUEEZE
1) The symptoms:
You feel pain in your ear's while descending(going down).After you have returned to the surface your ears feel "full" and your hearing is muffled.You may even experience "VERTIGO" whisch is dizziness and the feeling that your whole world is spinning.
2) What causes this??:
Your middle ears are air chambers that are normally equlized to the outside air pressure through your Eustacian Tubes, and they've become filled with your bodily fluids.And that's why your ear's feel FULL! The fluid inside works like a muffler , and muffles the sound transmissions from your eardrum to your inner ear and may even affect your adjacent semicircular canals, and these guys are your balance mechanism.
3) Is this a serious matter??:
Not usually as fluid usually drains away or is reabsorbed by your body with no lasting damage, but it can be VERY SERIOUS when diving.If you continue to descend deeper depspite the pain you're feeling you can very well rupture an eardrum or even the membranes that lay between your middle and inner ears.And especially if one ear is more affected than the other ear, you can experience vertigo, which can be DEADLY UNDERWATER!!
4) What causes it you ask:
Basically your eustachian tubes are blocked so air can't pass from your throat to your middle ear.As you descend the increasing water pressure makes your eardrums bulge inwards,(this is what causes you the pain!!). Soon the pressure that is exerted forces blood and peri-lymphatic fluids from the surrounding tissues into your middle ear spaces.Your ear drums go back into their normal position and the pain goes away and you think that"Oh good, I've finally equalized". Bzzzt!! Wrong answer!! You have in a way but with FLUID!!
5) What blocked your tubes is most likely your next question:
It could be too much mucas because your nasal passages are irritated by a cold,using too much nose spray(rebound congestion), or by equalizing much too forcefully on your previous dive.OR you could have pinched your eustachian tubes closed because of poor equalizing technique! Don't go blaming yourself here as we've all done it at one time or another!!
Pinching your nose and blowing gently (the Modified Valsalva technique) will force air up into the tubes sure, but blowing too HARD will CLOSE the ends of your tubes.!
6)How to Prevent this from happening:
1) I can't stress this enough:
"DON'T DIVE WITH A COLD!!".Increased mucas production may make clearing impossible.Even if you breathe cold air for a long period of time this increases the production of mucas, what us "banana belt" divers of Canada know all too well!
2) Don't overuse nose sprays or drops as they will actually increase your mucas production over time.
3) Don't use a forceful valsalva:
Instead use a technique that is taught more frequently in Canada than our dive bretheren in the USA and tropical climes. This is called a FRENZL manuver:
With your mouth, nose, and throat closed, use your tongue like a piston,driving the mass of your tongue backwards.Or even the Toynbee manuever(swallowing with nose pinched and mouth closed).
4) Descend feet down and head up!!
5) Pre-pressurize your ears:
Start your equalization before you leave the surface, some instructors and pro's even start at home.(ME) Once you're 4-6 feet down it's too late to start.
6) Descend slowly. Equalize with every breath and every 2 feet.
I hope this has helped you understand the importance of equalization better and remember you can always thumb the dive if you are uncomfortable!!
There is no shame in that!!
Tom
DRINKING ON THE JOB!!(Keeping yourself Hydrated)
By: Tom Hanaway
MSDT PSD 4
PADI NAUI IANTD SSI
PSAI SDI/TDI/ERDI
I.A.R.D.S. Member
PSDA Member
Keeping yourself hydrated while diving is one of the most basic and important parts of diving that I just can't stress highly enough to my friends and SCUBA students!!
You may ask your self why?!
I'll tell you here:
Being dehydrated can affect you in many ways while diving and the reason I feel is most important is that it can lead to DCI!But not only that but cramping and a lot of discomfort.The first way that diver's become dehydrated is through WATER itself! The cooling effects of water do this to you. To save heat your body reduces the blood flow to your extremeties,which basically act like radiators.With less blood volume in your arms and legs means that your "inside core" will have this extra fluid, where the pooling triggers your kidney's to get rid of the "excess" water, which your body thinks you have.Your second way you lose water is through the simple act of breathing! Since water vapour gums up engines and such air compressors remove most of the water that is in air. The result being that most breathing gases be it air, EANx, or Tri-mix have about as much water in them as Kansas in a dry spell. Since it's so dry each breath that you take from your tank picks up moisture in your lungs and expells it with every breath. So every time you breath you lose a little more moisture.You can also lose lose a lot of water before your dive which is the third way you can become dehydrated. If you sweat a lot before your dive your body is obviously giving up some of it's water content. And especially in "tech" diving this is very important as you need more exposure protection for your dive.Putting on your exposure suit in a hot climate, the worse being a HOT DRY CLIMATE, (Drysuits here folks), such as California, the Sinai, Missouri!! You get the point, hot air and cool water!!And finally your diving lifestyle affects your bodys hydration. Most people tend not to drink enough NON- CAFFIENATED, NON-ALCHOHOLIC fluids before a dive. Caffiene makes you urinate,(pee a lot), and so does alchol the night before,(Especially in vacation mode, really bad on an all inclusive!!
)HERE ARE 5 WAYS TO KEEP YOURSELF DIVING AND NOT DEHYDRATING!!!
1) DRINK BEFORE THE DIVE!!!
Yup, right up to the last minute before you hit the water! And you "tekkies" should make a bottle of water part of your standard gear bag!!!
2) DRINK WATER!!
You want to minimize the amount of caffiene your body has, (see peeing a lot, above). A cup of coffee won't kill you, but do you really want to risk it with a pot of it before you dive?? Fruit juices, sport's drinks like Gatorade may have a great taste, but your body absorbs plain old water faster than anything!! (Except maybe an IV, but if you're that sick you shouldn't be diving today!!)
.3) DON'T BE AFRAID TO USE DIAPERS OR A RELIEF ZIP IN YOUR DRYSUIT!!!
Some people don't drink enough before a tek or deco dive thinking they'll have all of their hang time with their legs crossed. If you can relieve yourself,(P),you won't be afraid to guzzle right up until the time you jump in for your dive!!
4) DRINK DURING THE DIVE!!
Yes this does take some practice, so try it in confined pool space before you venture out to "Big Blue". And don't count on drinking the water you're diving in! YUCK!!Drinking underwater isn't hard, but it's not a task taught in your Open Water class. The easiest way to do this is to use a collapsable container, (like a wine skin). If you use a collapsable bottle, put it to your mouth, squeeze in a bit and swallow, keeping it in your mouth, as when you exhale it will re-inflate the bottle making it easier for your next sip!!Oh yeah, it's probably best to AVOID eating underwater!!
5) DRINK AFTER THE DIVE!!
After a long dive it take's awhile for your body to feel warm even in the hottest climate, but it doesn't mean your body isn't thirsty! So drink up!! Avoid alchohol, unless it's your LAST dive of the day!! It's fine to have a beer with the buddies on the way in.
Hope you find my article amusing but informative! That's what diving is all about!! HAVING FUN!!!
Tom _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ -DIVE LIKE A PRO!! TIP'S FROM TOM!!
MSDT PSDLevel4
NAUI PADI SSI IANTD
TDI/SDI/ERDI PSAI \ IADRS (member)
PSDA (member)
DCBC (Canada) SSA Diver/Tender Non-Restricted
QUICK FIX FOR MIDDLE EAR SQUEEZE
1) The symptoms:
You feel pain in your ear's while descending(going down).After you have returned to the surface your ears feel "full" and your hearing is muffled.You may even experience "VERTIGO" whisch is dizziness and the feeling that your whole world is spinning.
2) What causes this??:
Your middle ears are air chambers that are normally equlized to the outside air pressure through your Eustacian Tubes, and they've become filled with your bodily fluids.And that's why your ear's feel FULL! The fluid inside works like a muffler , and muffles the sound transmissions from your eardrum to your inner ear and may even affect your adjacent semicircular canals, and these guys are your balance mechanism.
3) Is this a serious matter??:
Not usually as fluid usually drains away or is reabsorbed by your body with no lasting damage, but it can be VERY SERIOUS when diving.If you continue to descend deeper depspite the pain you're feeling you can very well rupture an eardrum or even the membranes that lay between your middle and inner ears.And especially if one ear is more affected than the other ear, you can experience vertigo, which can be DEADLY UNDERWATER!!
4) What causes it you ask:
Basically your eustachian tubes are blocked so air can't pass from your throat to your middle ear.As you descend the increasing water pressure makes your eardrums bulge inwards,(this is what causes you the pain!!). Soon the pressure that is exerted forces blood and peri-lymphatic fluids from the surrounding tissues into your middle ear spaces.Your ear drums go back into their normal position and the pain goes away and you think that"Oh good, I've finally equalized". Bzzzt!! Wrong answer!! You have in a way but with FLUID!!
5) What blocked your tubes is most likely your next question:
It could be too much mucas because your nasal passages are irritated by a cold,using too much nose spray(rebound congestion), or by equalizing much too forcefully on your previous dive.OR you could have pinched your eustachian tubes closed because of poor equalizing technique! Don't go blaming yourself here as we've all done it at one time or another!!
Pinching your nose and blowing gently (the Modified Valsalva technique) will force air up into the tubes sure, but blowing too HARD will CLOSE the ends of your tubes.!
6)How to Prevent this from happening:
1) I can't stress this enough:
"DON'T DIVE WITH A COLD!!".Increased mucas production may make clearing impossible.Even if you breathe cold air for a long period of time this increases the production of mucas, what us "banana belt" divers of Canada know all too well!
2) Don't overuse nose sprays or drops as they will actually increase your mucas production over time.
3) Don't use a forceful valsalva:
Instead use a technique that is taught more frequently in Canada than our dive bretheren in the USA and tropical climes. This is called a FRENZL manuver:
With your mouth, nose, and throat closed, use your tongue like a piston,driving the mass of your tongue backwards.Or even the Toynbee manuever(swallowing with nose pinched and mouth closed).
4) Descend feet down and head up!!
5) Pre-pressurize your ears:
Start your equalization before you leave the surface, some instructors and pro's even start at home.(ME)
Once you're 4-6 feet down it's too late to start.6) Descend slowly. Equalize with every breath and every 2 feet.
I hope this has helped you understand the importance of equalization better and remember you can always thumb the dive if you are uncomfortable!!
There is no shame in that!!
Tom
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