Keep Hydrated
It is ironic that that even though a diver may be surrounded by water, dehydration can be a life-threatening problem.
When you don’t have enough water in your system, you become dehydrated. Water is essential to function clearly and easily. Unfortunately, it is easy to not get enough water.
Why You Need Water
Water is essential for cells to carry out chemical reactions. Tissues require fluid to keep flexible. Water is needed to produce blood and keep it flowing properly throughout the cardiovascular system.
How Water Is Lost
When scuba diving, water is mainly lost simply from breathing. It is also lost from sweat (yes, even underwater) or urination.
Normal breathing expels considerable moisture into the air. You can prove this by breathing close to a piece of glass. Underwater breathing actually accelerates that effect because the air in scuba tanks is significantly drier than ordinary surface air. Moisture is quickly used while just breathing.
Problems From Losing Water
Blood and muscle tissues are adversely affected when there is not enough fluid. When the body is dehydrated, blood flow is lessened in the tissues. This reduces the body’s ability to absorb and release nitrogen. Unfortunately, this increases the amount of time needed to perform a safe ascent.
Remember, in order to avoid decompression sickness, a diver needs to ascend in a controlled way – climbing no faster than 30 feet per minute. Often, several additional stops at various depths on the way up are commonly recommended. If one skips this, one gets ‘the bends’ – joint pain, cramps (legs, arms, abdominal, etc) and a number of other nasty consequences.
If nitrogen can’t be released at the proper rate, ascents can take longer – and you may run out of oxygen. That is a situation we all want to avoid.
Dehydration can also cause faster fatigue which can lessen your enjoyment and shorten your dive. This is due to lowered blood flow which make your heart pump faster.
How To Re-Hydrate
Fortunately, it’s easy to achieve the proper level of hydration before and after a dive.
* Drink Lots of Water
Depending on your general physical condition and level of activity simply drink plenty of water or a sports drink. Choose one without large amounts of sugar. If the weather is hot, drink more fluids. If you plan to dive longer, drink more. When you drink water over a long period of time, you give your body plenty of time to absorb the fluid without overwhelming the kidneys.
* Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol
Just as important is what to avoid. Don’t consume black tea, coffee or other caffeinated drinks like mountain dew and colas for several hours before or after a dive. Never drink alcoholic beverages for many hours before or after a dive. Yes, it many not be what you want to do. Yet, being alive and healthy is worth it.
Warning Signs
Headaches are often caused by insufficient fluids in the blood vessels in the head and neck. Be aware of how your body feels. One way you can test your fluid level is by examining your urine. It should be light colored to clear before a dive unless you take lots of vitamin B or C. After the dive, drink lots of water slowly.
Be Prepared
Common sense helps every diver. Keep hydrated for scuba diving. You may want to keep water on the boat so you can drink directly before or after your dive. Having a bottle filled with water such as: Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottles
Knowing what is recommended and following it helps you have many enjoyable dives.
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