Alcohol and diving

Hello,

I am new to diving i am in the middle of getting my open water cert. its been something i have wanted to do for years and haven't. But anyway my question is i do Drink alot of beer. And i understand that You deffinatly dont drink and dive that is common sense. But if i dont drink the day before a dive and drink plenty of liquids is this enough? I dont want to hurt myself or put anyone else at danger. Thanks for any input.

use common sense..

If you are drunk, you should not be diving.
If you are under the influence at all, you should not be diving.

Simple enough really..

yes i am aware of that but i did not know if the alcohol from a couple days prior would affect me any.

Alcohol consumption could potentially lead to you having an increased risk of developing DCS due to the diuretic effects that alcohol has on your body. In terms of diving this would appear to be the main risk as I understand it.

Obviously alcohol abuse (I don't know what you really meant by you drink "a lot" of beer) will inevitably lead to a host of health issues that will eventually affect every area of your life, including your fitness to dive at all.

R..

everything in moderation.

I know some folks who drink gatorade to replenish electolytes and aid in rehydration after a little drinking.
For the definitive answer you may want to read this DAN Divers Alert Network : Psychological Issues in Diving III - Schizophrenia, Substance Abuse

Lets just say that while a few beers after the dive won't hurt. definitely not before the dive! And if you do the night before. drink lots of water or sports drinks to rehydrate.

There are A lot of people/divers that enjoy a beer or two after we are done diving for the day, That is no problem, What you don't want to due is go out for dinner and get smashed and then hung over the next morning and then go diving, That is not a good combination.

I can tell you many people go to dive resorts party till the sun comes up and then go diving, Is it going to kill you , Likely not, But it does not make the dive as nice or fun, And you are not going to be as sharp as normal and it can put you at risk as well as your buddy.

Just be smart about it and use good judgment and enjoy your diving.

And welcome to Scuba diving and to the Board!

The recommendation I have heard is no drinking for 24 hours before the dive. Also, be sure that you are hydrated well.

alcohol consumption prior to, or immediately after a dive can increase your susceptibility to DCS. have a surface interval before you crack open the suds.

You don't have to abstain for 24 hours, although there's nothing wrong with doing so. If you have had a few beers the night before, this is not going to be a problem, just make sure you're well hydrated the next day. If you have a hangover, don't go diving. Apart from the predisposition to DCS, if you have not sufficently metabolised all the alcohol in your body, your judgment may be impaired, and this is more significant than the potential risk of DCS... A good comparison might be - are you competent to drive a car?

The risk is minimal, and to some extent is dependent on your own physiology. Enjoy your beers, enjoy your diving, just don't do them at the same time!

Safe diving,

C.

Be aware however that regular alcohol consumption significantly effects the variability of diastolic blood pressure for well over 24 hours after the last drink. While mean blood pressure readings are not altered, the increased variability, particularly in response to stress can have a big impact on a diver.

There is a lot of belief that cardiac issues are the number 1 hazard facing divers. If you are over weight, middle aged, and have any family history of heart problems, it may well be in your best interest to avoid drinking for some time before diving.

Drinking after diving should be done cautiously as well. Post-dive a diver is typically significantly less hydrated than prior to the dive because of the very dry air being consumed. Drinking immediately after diving can create greater impairment than the same amount of drinking in a normally hydrated state.

Lastly, the effects of alcohol can (and do!) mask symptoms of mild DCS. It is very common to read about a diver who had mild DCS progress to a more serious state precisely because the effects were attributed to the diver's alcohol consumption rather than the effects of the dive.

All that said, everyone has to evaluate their own risks and if you enjoy a beer or two with your dinner, and that is your normal routine, there is no reason to avoid that if you know what risks are associated with doing so.

In general, the risks are small and unless you have specific health reasons to expect you are in greater danger of either DCS or cardiac problems moderate drinking is not a problem for divers.

it's also worth remembering that some of the symptoms of DCS include: headache, nausea, vomiting

hmm - rather remeniscent of a bad hangover.

so here's a really good reason not to dive after a big night out - who can tell the difference? Are you hungover or bent?

For the mental health of your DMs and Instructors - don't rock up to your dive/course hungover!

C