Dry Air problem?

[ktatebe]

I'm also new to diving (just had my first OW course session), and have a similar sensation - that is, a sore chest and more specifically lungs, by the end of the dive. This lasts for about a day afterwards and feels as though I've run really hard for some time. I did one resort dive (non-certified), and had the same sensation. At first I thought it was because the air was pressurized and my lungs got a bit overfilled and stretched, or because I had to breathe out more forcefully through the regulator. I do tend to breathe very deep and slowly normally, and had more air than anyone in my class (instructor included) at the end of the dive. Am I just breathing too deeply? I know it wasn't pressure because we stayed in 1m of water and didn't go deeper than that for the first class.

Other thoughts? I want to continue diving but don't know if this discomfort is normal.

 

[k ellis]

If you are not excersing a whole lot during the week or on your off diving days then you will be a little exhausted after a dive. That part is perfectly normal as you are using muscles to do a variety of diffrent things you dont normally use them for. Such as looking around you move your hip muscles to turn your torso due to your mask having limited perephial vision (I know that was not spelled right)

You are also carrying a lot of weight to and from the water. so that tends to be a bit hefty. Your legs though they dont seem like they are using much force are to some extent pushing against the water causing resistance so its a lot of slow steady movements requiring muscles to work diffrently then when walking or running. with more dives and more practice it will become streamlined for you though. As for the Asthma I cant give any advice since I am not a doc. With the dry mouth i just tend to move saliva around in my mouth and then swallow to help the dryness.

Hope this helps.

 

[Cerveza]

Your always gonna get dry air, moisture is removed from the air by the compressor when the bottles are being charged (imagine the state the inside of the steel tanks would be without this moisture being removed)... I take it your just using normal breathing air 21% Oxygen, heres a tip take your EANx (Nitrox) course and use Nitrox if its readily available, you will be amazed at the difference.. Although no dive agency actually plugs it as making you feel better after a dive i havent me a diver yet who hasnt mentioned the post-dive benefits,

 

[rivalpc]

I had the same problem when i started diving. always having cotton mouth and sore dry "lungs" feeling. i ask ed my doc about it, and he said drink more water and try smearng toothpaste on the reg mouth peice to make me salivate more..

it worked for me, but since you have had issues with asthma i would make sure you consult a dr or call DAN to make sure its not something more that dry air.

 

[LGH]

In addition to what others have written, I find different regulators to breathe very differently. I own Apeks regulators now but when a o-ring broke just prior to a dive I borrowed a very old Poseidon Cyklon regulator. It breathed very smoothly and totally different from the dry Apeks reg.

I have since used modern Cyklon regulators (exactly the same regs but not 20 years old) and they breathed equally well. Try them out. You can find them used for a very decent price.