why hydrate?

[sharky60]

You are likely in a constant state of mild dehydration. Most people are. The simplest way to tell is look at your urine. If it's clear with very little color, you are well hydrated. If it is darker you are dehydrated.

Note that some vitamins will cause a flourescent coloring that no amount of hydration will remove. But if it's a darker yellow color you're dehydrated, the darker the worse it is.

This is all true, most people do not get enough liquids during the day. if you take vitamins and drink enough water throughout the day, your urine should be clear by the end of the day.

One of the reasons for getting plenty of water before and after diving is the air in the scuba tanks is very dry and having enough hydrating liquids in your system before diving will help your mouth from getting so dry. Coffee, sodas, alcohol & other caffeine & sugary drinks ARE NOT hydrating liquids, both caffeine and sugar add to dehydration.

Having enough proper liquids will also lower the risk of cramping, nitrogen narcosis and many other physical problems that may or may not occure during and after diving. Scuba diving is a physical exercise and just by doing it your robbing your body of nutrients and liquids, plus add the extra body stress of water pressure, yes, the pressure of the water is taking a toll on your physical being, proper hydration is very important no matter what you are "used to".

 

[HowardE]

Howarde, if high altitude requires more H2o consumption, then wouldn't diving require the opposite?

This is NOT true, and a pretty poor conclusion to draw from my statement.

 

[pasley]

...We CAN overhydrate to the point of it being poisonous to our bodies...has anyone read that yet? ....

Water intoxication can kill and is realitivly rare and requires ingesting huge quanities of wanter in a short period of time. We in the military (USAR) are aware of this condition and have lost some basic trainees to it in the warmer locations as a result of well intentioned drill Sergeants forcing them to drink to avoid heat stroke and the trainees over doing it. Symptoms are interesting enough the same as for heat exhaustion or stroke.

 

[String]

You dehydrate yourself to the point where you can go 8 hours without peeing.... just so you don't have to put on a cath and spend $50?

As i said, its inconvenient and pointless for 2 standard 45 minute dives with all the effort, setting up and so in involved with that.
If i was doing several hour long deco dives or cave dives id have to consider it but for 45 min-1hr dives which is the vast majority its not practical or viable.

 

[pasley]

We disagree. Proper hydration has health benifits and if it reduces DCI risk even a little for a recreational dive then so much the better. I dive wet, but if I had a dry suit I would invest in either a P-Valve or adult diapers.

 

[cje20171]

start a dive hydrated and end it not after physical exertion and breathing dry air from the tank. remember hydration (body fluids) are what partly carries away those nasty little bubbles that can build up inside your body.

 

[TekDiveGirl]

Seven Characters: p-valve

Eleven Characters - P-valve Envy

Kimber

 

[TekDiveGirl]

Post dive headache is often realated to dehydration? I've had that a couple of times but didn't really have anything to attribute it to.

I don't know if it is necessarily related -- but on my first couple of shark trips (where when you are working you are under water for a few to several hours at a time) I did not drink as much and had some wicked headaches at the end of the day -- then another Shark Chick who I was working with told me about drinking -- a lot -- starting the day before and then drinking a couple of cups every time you come up for a tank change. After that - no more end of day headaches.

She didn't tell me anything about headaches -- she started watching her fluid intake when she literally got sick being down so long and dehydrated. Take that for what it is worth.

Kimber

 

[Gac]

Water intoxication can kill and is realitivly rare and requires ingesting huge quanities of wanter in a short period of time. We in the military (USAR) are aware of this condition and have lost some basic trainees to it in the warmer locations as a result of well intentioned drill Sergeants forcing them to drink to avoid heat stroke and the trainees over doing it. Symptoms are interesting enough the same as for heat exhaustion or stroke.

Absolutely true. It's called hyponatremia, or commonly "water intoxication." It is the result of a sudden increase in body fluid and a subsequent drop in sodium concentration in the blood. Heat is often an additional catalyst to this condition. Under normal circumstances, hyponatremia is unlikely-- basically you need to combine several risk factors such as low salt intake, extremely high water intake, and heat.

On the topic of negative net hydration from diuretics such as caffeine, National Geographic actually ran an article about it someimte in the past year. I think the general conlcusion is that although coffee and soda does increase usrine production, the additional sodium intake is beneficial, and the net hydration effect is no less than even.

Not exactly from an MD, but hey.

FWIW.

 

[Itsme]

HI

I was recently diving on the SS President Coolidge in Santo/Vanuato. Diving depths can go from 25m down to 75m. On one of the dives my buddy got completely narced at 30 meters, she did not answer any signs anymore and just kept staring in front of her. After the dive she mentioned that she would very much see The Lady but that would require diving to 45m inside the wreck, but seen her nitrogen narcosis at 30m this seemed out of the question.

Then I asked her what she had drunk that morning... only one glass of water.

So I told her that next morning as soon as she got out of bed to drink 1/2 litre of water, @ breackfast a large orange juice, and before gearing up for the first dive @ 9am another large glass of water.

Together we went down to 45m to see The Lady,... she did not have the blackout anymore...only little bit narced.

Ciao
Itsme