Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink . . .

[got4boyz]

When I dive I get very thristy and my mouth gets extremely dry. This is very bothersome to me.

To fix the problem I bought a 48 oz. bicycling water bladder with a long tube for drinking. When I dive I partially fill the bladder with water and put it under my dive skin next to my stomach and bring the tube up out of the neck of the suit. Then whenever I need a drink or my mouth gets too dry I take a sip of water.

So I was wondering if there could be any potential harm in doing this?

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated!

[Nathan]

there is actually a product designed for just that purpose.
http://www.scuda.com So I would not think that there is a problem with it.

[Mario S Caner]

Got4Boyz, it's perfectly alright to do what you do, as long as you are very careful when doing it. It's a good idea to let your buddy know when you do it, so that they may be able to render assistance should something go wrong. Generally speaking, 99 times out of 100, it's technical divers that wind up having to drink underwater. I'm sure I don't need to tell you the need to hydrate a diver doing Deco diving that last many long hours...

There are two other options...

The first one is to pick up a regulator designed with a brass moisture retention bar in it. These usually do well in what they are designed to do.

The other is to dive with a rebreather, which delivers warmer, moister air than that out of a standard scuba cylinder.

[DennisW]

I've thought about doing the same thing, but the problem hasn't been bad enough for me to bother with it. Normally, I can take my regulator out of my mouth for a very short while and get enough moisture worked up to complete the dive without dry mouth. If I am thinking about it, I can keep the dry mouth thing from happening in the first place. In any case, it sounds like you solved your problem.

[DeepSeaDan]

Should the water go down the wrong way & you begin to choke be sure to put the reg. back in your mouth pronto.

D.S.D.

[Dee]

One trick I've learned is to stroke the top of your mouth with your tongue several times. It produces saliva and can get you past that dry mouth stage. Much better than taking a swallow of pond water!

Dee

[Madder_Than_Hell]

This may sound dumb as hell, but it works. I was tought this by my First Sergeant a few years back when I was in the Army. It worked very well when wearing a proctective mask for hours. Even though there is a drinking straw, there may be times when your canteen runs dry and a trip to the water buffalo was impossible. You can take a small pebble/rock and place it in the, "pocket," of your cheek. This will stimulate saliva and greatly reduce thirst. I would suggest practicing this before diving. Of course don't swallow the pebble and be careful. It really works.

[got4boyz]

Actually Madder, I can see how it would work. However, I think I'd be more prone to try Dee's tongue rubbing roof of mouth bit (same idea). I have no doubt I'd swallow the stone! LOL

Deep Sea Dan: Good advice. Seems like a given but when you're choking you don't always think clearly. While doing my recert this weekend I was to do an emergency ascent and com up from the bottom of the pool blowing bubbles. THen when I reached the surface I was to manually blow up my BC.

Well when I reached the surface and tried to blow into my BC I inhaled water and started choking. I floundered around at the surface bobbing up and down choking more until my instructor told me to get the regulator in my mouth and then he blew up my BC from the tank.

I felt pretty foolish to say the least. Why didn't I think of either one of those myself!!!!! :bonkers:

Mario: In your post you said, "I'm sure I don't need to tell you the need to hydrate a diver doing Deco diving that last many long hours..."

Well, I hate to admit this, but being a relatively new diver I'm not sure I know exactly what you mean. Please expound a bit. I need to learn all I can.

Thanks all for your comments. I'm glad it's ok to take my water bladder down with me!

[ages]

I found that washing my mouth out with salt water right before I put my reg in to descend (but be sure to spit the water out)!! It keeps the dry mouth away.

Now the caution!! DO NOT do this in fresh water where there are critters like ducks and geese that rest there! I got a dandy dose of giardia from this practice!! It was gross....I can certainly relate to the WarHammer Manuever from that little trick!! And the drugs they give you to cure it are almost as gross as the giardia itself!!

ages

[got4boyz]

Ages, so I take it there is no giardia in salt water. I can see where wetting my mouth with salt water would help the dry mouth but I couldn't drink it when I get thirsty!

You know, speaking of giardia, I think I must be immune. I do a lot of backpacking, hiking, camping and such and ALWAYS drink the water even in places they tell you specifically not to! I know you are going to tell me this is a big :nono: but I guess until it :boom: catches up to me I'll still ignore it. When it does get me I will ;-0!

I figure since I've been drinking water all over the US for all these years it would have caught me by now if it was going to!