Fatigue after deco dives

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Slower ascent to 20ft, more time on o2, more time at the gym. The gym thing is for real.

If you're decoing right, you shouldn't feel fatigue like that. I know exactly what you're experiencing, because I've felt the same thing after dives where I didn't do a proper deco.
 
Are you taking any fluids before and during your dive? You could be getting dehydrated, which could be causing you to not off gas effectively.
many people are chronicly dehydrated.
Try diving with a hydration system and take in 20 ounces an hour or more. Enough to need to pee every hour, at least.
Can't hurt, might help.
 
Hence part of my reason for usually one nice long dive a day...

I think I understand your reasoning now. :)

---------- Post Merged at 12:11 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 12:07 AM ----------

Where are you doing the deco dives? If at Ginnie, Little River, or Cow with the flow I'm beat after a long dive.

Most of my deco dives have been at Ginnie. I've done a couple at Little River. It could be that my dive times went from 40-45 minutes to 80-90 min. Since I don't have a drysuit yet the extra time and energy I expend by shivering may have something to do with how tired I feel.

---------- Post Merged at 12:12 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 12:07 AM ----------

Any other symptoms?

No, I haven't had any other symptoms.

---------- Post Merged at 12:23 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 12:07 AM ----------

I used to feel that way a lot back in the day before we started doing accelerated deco with O2 - fatigue an hour or two after the dive, and after a 3 day weekend of two deco dives per day, I'd get almost flu like symptoms Monday morning. The fact that O2 made me feel so much better post dive clued me in that there was more going on here than just "tired".

I tend to take the information the computer gives me as advisory, and if I feel a little fatigued post dive, it's an indication I need to get out a little cleaner and I'll scale back the GFs and add some extra time to the O2 stops (10 and 20 ft). On most light to moderate deco dives I'll pad the deco about 5 minutes total, adding a minute or two to the 20 ft stop and the rest to the 10 ft stop. The gas switch evolution and time needed to go on O2 at 20 ft, naturally slows the ascent from 30 ft to 20 ft and I use an intentionally slower than normal ascent from 20 ft to the 10 ft stop, with a very slow ascent from 10 ft to the surface.

We also do a fair amount of off gassing on the surface post dive, about 5-10 minutes before we get out of the water and at least 15-20 minutes before we start hauling the heavy gear. It there are steps, hills, etc, I'll walk out, remove the wing and harness, get un suited, dry off, etc, then go back and haul the tanks last.

It's pretty conservtive, but the end result is I feel great post dive with no fatigue. We do 2-3 dives a day, with most of them being deco dives, on our usual 7 dive day trips and the extra stop time and post dive off gassing plan does not leave me feeling worn out at the end of the week.

Thanks DA. Right now I do all of my deco at the 20 ft stop. I don't do any at 10 ft. I may start doing that just to see how I feel and if it makes a difference. We usually stay in the water for 5-10 min before getting out but I do then immediately start carrying my sidemount tanks back up.
 
Shivering is bad. Very bad. Perfusion is compromised when you're cold like that. Also, the ascent from 20ft to the surface is pretty important. Shoot for 3ft/min and see what happens.
 
Agree with the consensus you shouldn't feel that way. (Been there a couple of times myself after doing a bunch of deco on just air)

What are you using for deco planning?

I have a Nitek Duo which is a very conservative computer. I always end up getting more deco than my buddies which might not necessarily be a bad thing. I usually always dive 31-32% nitrox and decompress at 20ft with 100% 02. So far I haven't been on a dive that has required any more than one stop at 10-20 ft.

---------- Post Merged at 01:15 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 01:14 AM ----------

Shivering is bad. Very bad. Perfusion is compromised when you're cold like that. Also, the ascent from 20ft to the surface is pretty important. Shoot for 3ft/min and see what happens.

Thanks, I'll try that.

---------- Post Merged at 01:19 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 01:14 AM ----------

Are you taking any fluids before and during your dive? You could be getting dehydrated, which could be causing you to not off gas effectively.
many people are chronicly dehydrated.
Try diving with a hydration system and take in 20 ounces an hour or more. Enough to need to pee every hour, at least.
Can't hurt, might help.

You have a valid point here. I most likely don't drink enough fluid. I usually only drink when I'm thirsty or when I'm eating. I could easily be dehydrated. I'll make an effort to drink more water the day before I dive to see what happens.
 
The big experiment?
Listen to your body and the advice here. I can not put enough emphasis on hydration and mental and physical fitness. We see issues with unfit people all the time and a freind of mine got bent when doing a benign deco dive with a hangover.

More water the day before, more cardio all the time, less anxiety through more planning and conservancy.
Eric
 
I have a Nitek Duo which is a very conservative computer. I always end up getting more deco than my buddies which might not necessarily be a bad thing. I usually always dive 31-32% nitrox and decompress at 20ft with 100% 02. So far I haven't been on a dive that has required any more than one stop at 10-20 ft

Download some deco software to your laptop/phone - iDeco, Baltic, Decoplanner or something like that - set the conservatism high and see how it compares to what you're currently doing

+1 on more time on O2 and slower ascents in the 'last stop to surface' segment of your dives
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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