Aches and pains...?

[finnothy]

I recently started diving lessons and yesterday was our first dive in the pool. I had a couple issues (couldn’t equalize and my mask kept flooding) but other than that it went fine. However, today I woke up and I realized I had dull aches all in my joints (mostly in my arms/hands/fingers, not so much in my legs at all). Is this normal at all? I know joint pain can be a sign of decompression sickness but I don’t think I ascended too quickly during our time in the pool. I’ve never experienced joint pain before even outside of diving so I just want to make sure

 

[RyanT]

It's normal. You will always work muscles and joints in ways you don't use them in everyday life. Even folks who stay pretty active between dives commonly feel this.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

As long as your local pool isn't Y-40 Deep Joy it's highly unlikely you've got DCS.

As RyanT said, you're using muscles you haven't used before. It's when you realise that most mild DCS symptoms are the same as middle-age that things become a little confusing.

 

[TMHeimer]

Yes. I usually dive weekly but bi weekly at times and have been at it since '05. I usually feel a little something after the dive day, possibly due to turning 65 in a couple of weeks. But I will feel more if I cover a lot of territory swimming fast (unusual for me), and even more if I have an unusually difficult entry (like crawling down a hill with rocks, sometimes on all fours, etc.). I try to avoid any really long walks from car to shore. Diving doesn't seem to be like any "regular" exercise routine where you always work the same muscles.
Of course being young and in shape is a big plus. Someone said that you don't go diving to get into shape, you get into shape to go diving.

 

[purbeast]

I'm very turning 38 this year and active and lift weights regularly, both upper and lower body, and I remember after my first pool session this past November, my hamstrings definitely were aching a little bit. Not in the sense that it hurt but in the sense that it felt a little bit like the days after I do squats and leg presses at the gym. But I was in the pool and kicking for 4 hours, in positions I'm not used to being, so I'd say it is pretty normal for the course.

Then when I did my checkout dives for my OW and AOW, I noticed my hamstrings didn't really ache like before, however they felt like I had worked them for sure and when I was doing large kicks I could feel it a bit since I'm not used to stretching my legs that far.

I do remember though everyone saying how exhausted they are but after 3 days of 3 dives each day, I felt great and could have kept going on if I wasn't there with my wife and kid. I slept like a baby those nights though lol.

I will say though my first attempt at my OW (not the time mentioned up above) I did the first 3 dives and was very achy after that day, but I was also sick and that is why I didn't complete my OW that time, because I couldn't do the last dive. I chalked up the achyness to just being sick.

If your mask is constantly flooding, you should look into getting a new mask, because that typically means the fit isn't good for you.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

The other possibility is there are no connections and you're coming down with the flu....

 

[Prostardiver]

I remember feeling like someone beat me with a bag of potatoes. It passes. You get the same feeling when you start in a martial arts class.

 

[Coop42]

If I haven't been in the water for more than a month, my neck tends to be a bit sore after the first dive, as I tend not to wander around looking straight up on dry land. ;-)

I expect you'll be fine.

 

[broncobowsher]

Muscles worked in ways that they don't normally get worked. Same as if you had not ridden a bicycle in months and decide to go ride a few miles all at once. You woke up stuff that hasn't been worked like that in a long time. You hurt a bit the next couple of days. But go riding again and it will be a lot better. Go often enough and they are the regular muscles instead of the rarely used ones.

No, not DCS. Of the injuries you can do in a pool, DCS is not one of them.

 

[ibj40]

I recently started diving lessons and yesterday was our first dive in the pool. I had a couple issues (couldn’t equalize and my mask kept flooding) but other than that it went fine. However, today I woke up and I realized I had dull aches all in my joints (mostly in my arms/hands/fingers, not so much in my legs at all). Is this normal at all? I know joint pain can be a sign of decompression sickness but I don’t think I ascended too quickly during our time in the pool. I’ve never experienced joint pain before even outside of diving so I just want to make sure

My first question is what was your fitness level prior to embarking on a new, physically active endeavor?