Drinking and Diving

[Thrillhouse]

How common is it for people to drink and dive, and how dangerous is it? My friend and I were having a discussion about how we imagined it went on fairly often before it became an organized, structured sport in the last couple decades or so.

 

[gcbryan]

How common is it for people to drink and dive, and how dangerous is it? My friend and I were having a discussion about how we imagined it went on fairly often before it became an organized, structured sport in the last couple decades or so.

It's not common and it is dangerous. Surprised?

 

[Gene_Hobbs]

drink and dive

NSGL#: MICHU-T-86-010
Title: Drinking and diving.
Author: Somers Lee H.
Year: 1986
Program#: MICHU-SG-86-511
# Pages: 10
Abstract: The adverse consequences of mixing alcohol with diving are discussed in
this diver education guide, with an emphasis on problems associated
with dive resorts in tropical climates. Alcohol is a relatively potent
diuretic and the resultant dehydration leads to increased
susceptibility to decompression sickness in tropical diving; remember,
`if you can't spit, don't dive!'
Notes: 4042 dive $1.00. Alcohol and decompression

http://nsgd.gso.uri.edu/search/

 

[Thrillhouse]

I had a beer with lunch over our 2-hour surface interval; how bad is that?

 

[scratchmyback]

In our club, the rule is, if you start drinking, your diving is over for the day. Even one beer.

 

[kirwoodd]

I think that you could credibly argue that a single beer during a dive day is "ok."
Having said that.....
I dont drink at all until I am done diving for the day. Why risk it? I KNOW that one beer impacts my decision making, yeah its minor, but its there.

As for the paper cited above, I think that its referring to drinking at the end of the day, and then diving the next day. Yeah, I only dive one weekend day. The other day we cruise around and check the lobster pots.

 

[tonka97]

How common is it for people to drink and dive, and how dangerous is it? My friend and I were having a discussion about how we imagined it went on fairly often before it became an organized, structured sport in the last couple decades or so.

Depends upon the diver/setting.

In Bonaire, it is typical to drink one 8 oz Amstel, with a glass of water, with a meal during a surface interval. The size of those Amstel/Heineken bottles was just right.

Not for everybody, just as eating a greasy meat meal, or sucking on a cigarette, during a S.I. are not for everyone!

Remember that digesting meat is dehydrating (requires water) compared to digesting complex carbohydrates such as beans, potatoes (not fried), and fruits, which PRODUCE water.


http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/alcohol.html

 

[sasquatcher]

I try to drink anything that hydrates me before I dive; whether it's 1 hour before or the night before an early dive. Afterwards, it's Miller Time!

 

[georoc01]

As a rookie diver, I am having enough issues without adding the complexity of alcohol to the mix!

 

[Rick Murchison]

How common is it for people to drink and dive, and how dangerous is it? My friend and I were having a discussion about how we imagined it went on fairly often before it became an organized, structured sport in the last couple decades or so.

Too common.
Dangerous - can be...
My rule is common and simple - first drink is after the last dive of the day.
I also stick to my old aviator's rule of 8 hours +1 per drink from the last drink to the first dive (1 drink, 9 hrs, 2 drinks, 10 hrs etc)
That's for recreational diving. If I'm making a "big dive" I'll typically stay away from booze for a good deal longer before the dive.
Rick