what do you eat prior to a dive?

[AeroMike]

My biggest problem is leg cramps, so what I like to do is eat a banana a day and about three days prior to a dive I start drinking a full glass of pomegranate juice for the potassium.

My older brother was quite the runner, and ran all over hell's half acre and back. He was a cross country state champion and state champ in track. Me......I played football, wrestled and baseball. I could not run for crap so where my brother would run in his "flight or fight" mode, well, I stood there and fought like a rhino, like a white rhino. Matter of fact, I have another nickname, it is "El Reno Blanco", the white rhino.

Another part of me likes to mumble and go in a totally different direction as I just proved above, lol Sooooooooo, to get back on track, I remember my brother ate tons of pasta the day before a big run for the carbs. So what I wanted to know is what do you eat the day before or the morning before a dive?

 

[Ana]

I imagine you'll get all kinds of suggestions, this or that for boat dives to keep seasickness in check or this for shore dives. My husband swears for a couple of pancakes with a sunny side up egg on top. Depends on you, if you are prone to heartburn then avoid acidic stuff.

I have come to realize that anything you do a couple of days before the dive is just a work around to the problem, I guess for competition you do want that extra edge. If you dive regularly, then why not have your legs ready regularly? Legs and everything, to me is a great motivator to keep going to the torture chamber (aka gym) and to stay well hydrated.

Leg exercises regularly will have better results than any food 24 hours earlier. Of course eating the wrong thing or nothing will probably have negative effects on the dive, not necessarily produce cramps but a general crappy feeling.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Just a few comments...

• Make sure your gear fits you. If you're experiencing leg cramps, make sure that your foot is in a properly fitting wetsuit bootie and that bootie fits inside the foot pocket of your fin. The fit should be snug yet comfortable and not too tight.
• Maintain proper conditioning. This means that you should be doing some sort of physical exercise everyday. Incorporate leg workouts into your exercise routine. If scuba diving is the most strenuous activity in your life, then you're doing something wrong.
• Don't overexert yourself. Kick less...or at the least don't kick beyond what your level of physical conditioning will allow. Vary your style of kicking and the rhythm/frequency of your kicks if you can. Avoid current if you can. Commit yourself to being neutrally buoyant 99.9% of the time during a dive. Be smart when you happen to be diving in current (duck behind structures that afford shelter from the current, start your dive going into the current, hold onto something during a mid-water stop, etc.).
• Eat a balanced diet and stay properly hydrated. Replace electrolytes as you would when doing any kind of physical exercise. You really shouldn't have to change your normal eating habits prior to a dive.

Most of my dives are shore dives, so I don't usually have to deal with seasickness issues prior to a dive (otherwise, I'd avoid greasy foods and eating too close to getting on the boat). My diet before a dive is just my normal diet. No changes whatsoever. Honestly, I probably exert myself less on a dive than I do when I go for a short "warm-up" run. Never had any cramping issues.

My guess is that your primary issue is physical conditioning. Increase your level of activity on a daily basis. Swimming on a regular basis can be an excellent cardiovascular and leg workout.

Hope this helps...

 

[Lee Taylor]

Hi Mike.... saw your post....thought I would chime in...before an offshore boat ride I DO NOT eat bacon or greasy food, or drink orange juice. I drink lots of water, stay in the open air and try to connect mentally with the horizon which does not seem to be moving.

Don't have a clue about leg cramps.

ps: I had a problem years ago with reverse blockage. I take Claritin and clear my ears a LOT. I descend and ascend VERY slowly. This seems to have fixed the problem. (not what you asked but it may help someone)

 

[AeroMike]

I do not have leg cramps all the time, only sometimes and it happens when I work out too but not that often. My biggest problem is that I have a severe allergy to yellow pine pollen and you can see from the outside that we are getting it right now. I take claritin for it and I know take a couple of deep breathes with a shot of my purge button and that seemed to help.

 

[jhayes75]

I was on a dive charter in Cozumel a couple of years ago when I experienced a leg cramp. On our surface interval, one of the divers handed me a mustard packet. He swore by it and said it works instantly. I cant confirm this because I declined his offer. That would have set off my heartburn for sure.

 

[ffhamm]

I eat whatever I want never had a problem because of food.

How is your trim? If you are fighting to remain horizontal, you work a lot more and can lead to cramping.

As others have noted, be fit. Goes a long way towards diving happiness.

Make sure you are breathing properly.

Another very important thing is to STAY HYDRATED. I know some folks who cut down their fluid intake because they dont like to have to go to the bathroom. Being dehydrated is a great way to get cramps.

Jeff

 

[james croft]

Eat your Wheaties !

 

[DC1Dragon]

Mike, you have to remember also when you got the leg cramps, you was fighting a very strong current and mentioned that you were having to kick a lot. Just saying i'm not sure if eating anything would have helped in this case! Maybe, maybe not......

 

[lionfish-eater]

I used to get leg cramps on most dives. I also get cramps on long drives and plane rides. Got a pair of force fins and have not had a cramp since. This includes heavy finning in strong cozumel currents, although the force fins can be a little under powered when swimming against current. I put on my split fins when I am in strong current and want more power, but I sometimes cramp.