Scuba and Exercise Limits

I understand from the basic guidelines that you aren't supposed to exercise before or after diving. What is the reasoning for this? Is it related to Nitrogen loading and off gasing? Or just not being ideal to dive tired?

I ask because I am a runner, run six times a week, and want to know how much I should moderate my running if I'm diving on the weekend. Is the guideline just against strenuous exercise? For example I regularly run about 6 miles a day, and for the most part this feels easy as long as I don't push the pace. If I'm diving in the afternoon would it be okay to do an easy run like this or conversely if I dive in the morning could I do an easy run in the evening? I suspect this also is related to the type of diving. Multiple dives at depth being a larger consideration than say one shallow water dive.

It's probably worth mentioning here that I am new diver, but a really experienced runner.


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The guideline I've heard most often is wait at least six hours after diving before any strenuous exercise. Because you're still off-gassing nitrogen, increased bloodflow increases the chances of getting DCS.

Before diving, I don't believe that it matters too much, except perhaps for being tired before a dive.

never mind i read the op incorrectly

Given you're an avid runner continuing running before your dives is probably not as large of an issue. I might personally cut a mile off just those days so you're a bit fresher but I'll agree with the Scuba Noob, afterwards this tends to become more of a hazard. Even if you're far away from your NDL's doing a bunch of physical exercise isn't recommended as it may anger the nitrogen levels left in your blood. I'd probably wait 1.5-2x your surface interval (or minimum 12 hours) to do any serious exercise just to be conservative.

If you find you don't dive too much I don't think that waiting until the next morning and if you still feel the need to run, waiting for as long as you can and halving it would be the safest route.

Dave42, thanks for posting this thread. I also have questions regarding diving and exercise. I don't run anymore, but I do a lot of cycling (120-160 miles/week with 10-16k of climbing), and do core strengthening exercises almost every day. May son and I want to kiteboard in Cozumel during our dive vacation. The type of kiteboarding we do is commonly referred to "mowing the lawn". Just get up and ride. None of the wild aerials you see on video's.
The questions I have
Does exercise before or after diving take into consideration an individuals long term physical conditioning? Kiteboarding, to some, would be quite strenuous. What about breathing Nitrox during the second dive? Does that change the nitrogen level considerations relative to additional exercise? Would it be considered safe to kiteboard with 3-4 hours of rest after a two tank morning dive? Would it be safe to kiteboard in the early morning and do a single shallow drift dive breathing Nitrox in the afternoon? What is considered strenuous exercise? I am almost thinking that, in terms of exercise, kiteboarding is like adding an afternoon dive to a two tank morning dive. MD thoughts and opinions and other diver/kiteboarder thoughts would be much appreciated.

Hi All,

The most conservative recommendations in the industry are "no exercise for 24 hours before or after diving". In particular after diving and in particular "no exertion". These recommendations are made regardless of fitness level or conditioning. There are a couple of studies about the benefits of aerobic exercise during the 24-hours prior to diving. I recommend exercising up to the day before diving activity. Competitive athletes may need to take time off of training and may need to add days to the pre-competition schedule if diving occurs during a training cycle. It is best to be well-rested physically and mentally for diving and to not participate in physical exertion after diving for 24 hours.

claytaft:

Dave42, thanks for posting this thread. I also have questions regarding diving and exercise. I don't run anymore, but I do a lot of cycling (120-160 miles/week with 10-16k of climbing), and do core strengthening exercises almost every day. May son and I want to kiteboard in Cozumel during our dive vacation. The type of kiteboarding we do is commonly referred to "mowing the lawn". Just get up and ride. None of the wild aerials you see on video's.
The questions I have
Does exercise before or after diving take into consideration an individuals long term physical conditioning? Kiteboarding, to some, would be quite strenuous. What about breathing Nitrox during the second dive? Does that change the nitrogen level considerations relative to additional exercise? Would it be considered safe to kiteboard with 3-4 hours of rest after a two tank morning dive? Would it be safe to kiteboard in the early morning and do a single shallow drift dive breathing Nitrox in the afternoon? What is considered strenuous exercise? I am almost thinking that, in terms of exercise, kiteboarding is like adding an afternoon dive to a two tank morning dive. MD thoughts and opinions and other diver/kiteboarder thoughts would be much appreciated.

Click to expand...

The opinion that I think would carry the most weight on this, would be from Errol Kaylachi...A GUE Instructor, Exploration Diver, and Iron Man Triathlete.... I know Errol trains prior to diving, and probably within a few hours of doing standard recreational profiles...but he would need to weigh in on this himself...and the issue here includes the very specific individual difference between how an elite athlete offgasses, and how the general scuba population offgasses. I have done two morning dives to 80 feet, normal duration, and then in late afternoon done a bike ride at a Zone Two aerobic level ( pace people used to call an LSD ride --long steady distance). And MANY times, I have done 2 dives in the morning, waited 2 to 3 hours, and then begun freediving in 20 to 30 foot max depths for an hour or so..sometimes the 60 foot reefs instead.....most times more likely the shallow 18 foot or less at the BHB Marine Park.... I have never been bent in my life, and have been diving heavily since the 80's. I ride at the level of a competitive cyclist at a cat 3 level--this goes to personal offgassing by peripheral adaptations to training, such as better perfusion, etc.
Also, for many dozens of the tech dives I did in the 90's, I had done a race level bike ride in the morning, prior to the tech dive.

To get Errol to discuss this, as he is normally not on SB, email him at Errol Kalayci <EKalayci@ksfla.com>

A couple years back my track night fell on the same day as our weekly night dive. So I would typically run 6.8 Km of intervals with 12 Km total running and then go dive. Given drive time a setup there was typically 1.5 hours between running and diving. I never had an adverse outcome other than being prone to calf cramps after running which I seem to have if I go from running to masters swimming as well. Adequate nutrition and hydration seem to help. That said on our usual weekday night dive we usually spend 10-20 minutes between 30 fsw and the surface so we decompress pretty well. If you dive a different profile use caution.

Michael Powell (Dr. Deco here on the board) demonstrated that increased activity after diving does increase Doppler bubble scores. The same cannot be said for pre-dive exercise. The educated guess on what is going on is that exercise causes the formation of seed bubbles and those bubbles are a place for inert gas to go to on decompression. The seeds are typically <<1 um diameter for which bubble surface tension is greater than ambient dissolved gas pressure so they tend to shrink and disappear over time at 1 atmosphere. After a dive inert gas pressure can be high enough to drive gas into the seeds and grow the bubbles. It is hard to imagine that the volume of gas still in solution a few hours after the dive would be enough to be of concern even if it all went into bubbles so I would go for a run. Of course multiple dives especially multiple dives right to the edge of NDL deserve extra caution.

Many thanks all for your informative posts. Your posts are at the level I was hoping to find.

Dan, thank you for the link to Errol. I sent an email to him to get his thoughts.
I did International distance and half Ironman distances for 15 years, so I know the kind of training you do. Lots of hours every week. Brings back a lot of great memories.
Thanks again

I'm a marathon runner who runs 5 days a week. I have often done 7-13 mile runs at 4am and been in the water at 8am. I won't run after a dive but have had no effects doing a pre dive run. I do dive off a zodiac so I'm not doing long surface swims either.