Hydration ?????

[Bombay High]

As you all know hydration is one of the main factors for DCS, so I would like to see what some of you folks are doing before a long scuba trip, how do you hydrate before and during a dive trip.
I start one week before the trip, drinking 2 lts of water everyday, and 1 liter of Gatorade diluted in water 1:1, avoid coffee, alcohol and carbonated softdrinks. During the trip I drink 3 liters of water every day, specially before going to sleep but only a small amount before diving.

Would love to hear what you do.

Thanks

That must be Type 7 DCS ....

I started drinking water 16 years before I started diving, and I still got bent ... your method is suspect !

 

[DandyDon]

You see dehydration blamed in some discussions, and I think that a lot of chamber operators & docs in some locations encourage the myth - but the up to date medical pros do not agree. I stay well hydrated on dive trips, but drink a lot of coffee as it's just not a threat. About the only time one might want to work at hydration is a morning with a hangover, and some will dive that way.

Gatorade is designed to help sweating athletes anyway, not really for hydration.

 

[TMHeimer]

I can only take sips of water due to a bladder condition ( thus not wanting to pee suit). No problems yet, including a week dive trip in the Carib. I'd like to drink more, it may help with my cramps. Am 58.

 

[boulderjohn]

One of the problems with all dive instruction is that something that gets taught somewhere along the line gets repeated over and over again by instructors who heard it originally and then never heard it refuted. That is why you will still hear the idiocy that if you casually place your mask on your forehead, some zealous DM will leap into the water to rescue you.

The same is true of the concept that dehydration is the major cause of DCS. I heard it many times in my early years of diving. The last time I checked, one of the agencies through which I am certified has that notion clearly stated in its instructional materials (along with several other things that aren't true). I had been instructing for several years before I heard that there is no supporting evidence for this; consequently, the students I had been teaching before that all heard it. (Sorry!) It is therefor not surprising that any diver will believe this. You hear it all the time, and you have to go to someplace like this to hear the opposite.

 

[Tigerman]

I dont do anything, I simply dont change anything..
I drink enough water on any given day to stay hydrated at "all times" (except for right after I get out of bed, when for natural causes I havent been drinking for 6-9 hours).
I dont stay away from coffee or softdrinks for hydration purposes, but fizzy softdrinks in particular Im a bit careful with because theill easilly give you some hellish dental bills..

Pissing silver is gold

 

[JamesK]

Due to my lifestyle, running, mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, and diving, I stay hydrated a lot. I drink about 6 20oz bottles of water a day, plus have a gatorade or glass of water with each meal.

 

[Suarez]

The last time I checked, one of the agencies through which I am certified has that notion clearly stated in its instructional materials

I may have read from the same manual.

Thank You for your comments, apparently I was misunderstanding something here. After reading your posts, I went to DANs webpage only found some comments, mentioning hydration, I am going to keep drinking water, not as much, but it cant hurt drinking 1.5 lts Per day

Thanks

 

[Bob DBF]

If I can't spit in my mask I figure I'm dehydrated so I drink coffee, soda or water depending on circumstances.


Bob
--------------------------------------
I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

Suarez,

Thank you for replying. A lot of people could feel pretty beat up by the type of replies they get here. No one is saying being well hydrated is bad, only that it is not where you should put your main emphasis for preventing DCS. If you want to do that stay less than your tables or computer tells you can, or hang longer between 3 and 6 meters. Think about deep stops. Also stay warm and do not swim too much and by all means drink up. Finally ask more questions, you will get lots of opinions here. Some will be right, some wrong and some will change your mind. But which is which?

A.

 

[Hatul]

As you all know hydration is one of the main factors for DCS, so I would like to see what some of you folks are doing before a long scuba trip, how do you hydrate before and during a dive trip.
I start one week before the trip, drinking 2 lts of water everyday, and 1 liter of Gatorade diluted in water 1:1, avoid coffee, alcohol and carbonated softdrinks. During the trip I drink 3 liters of water every day, specially before going to sleep but only a small amount before diving.

Would love to hear what you do.

Thanks

I think it is a good idea to be well hydrated when diving and certainly can't hurt. But your timing is way off. Drinking before bedtime will just cause you to urinate during the night and morning. You want to drink fluids within an hour or so of diving. A half liter of water before diving should be adequate, if you're not starting dehydrated. The diving itself is diuretic and causes fluid loss so if you're doing multiple dives it's reasonable to drink between dives to make up for the water loss.