Diving and Jacuzzi...OK to Mix??

[JonnieB]

There was a tread a little while back about the dangers of soaking in a jacuzzi (or hot spa) for extended periods after diving. Specifically, it was stated that the risk of DCI would increase. ( I guess the elevating of the core body temperature would be the reason). There was no other details provided.

Can someone with the proper background comment on this. Many dive resorts now have spas and jacuzzis and I would assume that it is safe to use these facilities immeditely post-dive if one wanted too. Am I wrong in this asumption?

Thank you.

 

[DandyDon]

There was a tread a little while back about the dangers of soaking in a jacuzzi (or hot spa) for extended periods after diving. Specifically, it was stated that the risk of DCI would increase. ( I guess the elevating of the core body temperature would be the reason). There was no other details provided.

Can someone with the proper background comment on this. Many dive resorts now have spas and jacuzzis and I would assume that it is safe to use these facilities immeditely post-dive if one wanted too. Am I wrong in this asumption?

Thank you.

While we await better qualified responses...

Yep - you're wrong, don't do it.

Think of a beer that is opened, then left sitting for hours: It does flat without bubbling. This is how you want to off-gas the Nitrogen in your body.

Now shake a can of beer and open it. LOTS OF BUBBLES! This is exactly what you do not want to encourage with the dissolved Nitrogen gas in your body.

Dissolved gases also leave warm liquids faster than they do cold ones.

Strenuous exercise, a warm shower, or worse - soaking in warm water, after diving will accelerate off gassing so much as to increase the risk of forming bubbles in your blood - not a good thing at all.

 

[RICHinNC]

Explains why my bathroom smells after I come home from a dive huh Don???

 

[DandyDon]

Explains why my bathroom smells after I come home from a dive huh Don???

Huh...? I missed that, but I miss a lot of jokes.

And where is the pony bottle comment...?

 

[JohnL]

The heat is also going to cause increased blood flow in the skin and fatty tissue under the skin...tissue that stores allot of nitrogen. Better to let it offgas at it's natural rate.

 

[Charlie99]

A hot shower right after a cold water dive is one of the possible aggravating factors in a case of unexpected DCS experienced recently by Rick Inman.

Perhaps Dr Deco has some words of wisdom on both that case, and also the effect of a post-dive jacuzzi.

 

[Damselfish]

There was a tread a little while back about the dangers of soaking in a jacuzzi (or hot spa) for extended periods after diving. Specifically, it was stated that the risk of DCI would increase. ( I guess the elevating of the core body temperature would be the reason). There was no other details provided.

Can someone with the proper background comment on this. Many dive resorts now have spas and jacuzzis and I would assume that it is safe to use these facilities immeditely post-dive if one wanted too. Am I wrong in this asumption?

Thank you.

Many consider this to be a bad idea. Whatever the truth is, I wouldn't use the fact that some dive resorts have hot tubs as an indication that it's ok. The people who designed things may have never heard of this concern, or they may just want the jacuzzi in any event as it's an attractive feature to advertise. If nothing else, there are often non-divers staying at dive resorts that have come with divers. Or for that matter divers that just got there and haven't started diving yet, or are ready to go home, or who just aren't diving that heavily.

I wouldn't say I'd never use a jacuzzi if it's available, but I'm going to make sure I'm pretty well offgassed by the time I do. If I were just doing a couple morning dives I personally might use it in the evening. But I wouldn't get off a 2 tank boat and jump right in, or use it if I were doing 5-a-day.

 

[calscubagirl]

Wow! Didn't know about this! I've gotten right in a jacuzzi after a cold dive.

That's why I come on this board. I continue learning about things that aren't covered in scuba classes.

 

[Mike Nelson]

So, what would be a safe interval to wait before taking a hot shower? My wife and I are taking our first two open water dives for certification tomorrow. Max depth with be 40-45 feet. It'll be a couple hours after our last dives before we get home and are able to hop in the shower. Also, we'll be using dry suits, so rinsing off isn't really an issue.

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[DandyDon]

Wow! Didn't know about this! I've gotten right in a jacuzzi after a cold dive.

That's why I come on this board. I continue learning about things that aren't covered in scuba classes.

Good to hear that sort of thing now and then

I'm really not much of diver, but I learned this and a lot more here on SB. And I know - coming out of a kelp bed with 50 degree water in a wetsuit, it can be tempting to hit hot showers.

Instead, towel dry quickly - especially the head as heat sucks out fast there, get out of the wind, put on a warm jacket and just as important - a cap, and drink hot chocolate.

So, what would be a safe interval to wait before taking a hot shower? My wife and I are taking our first two open water dives for certification tomorrow. Max depth with be 40-45 feet. It'll be a couple hours after our last dives before we get home and are able to hop in the shower. Also, we'll be using dry suits, so rinsing off isn't really an issue.

Thanks for any suggestions!

A two hour SI does a lot of off-gassing - check your RDP and see how your Group changes a lot. Of course, "safe" is a relative term.