What is your day of dive diet like?

[BigFame]

So class doesn't start until Monday night, but I have been spending as much time in the water as I can. A few times in Lake Wa, Salmon Bay, and then the last two weeks I have gone to Edmonds to explore the Oil Dock. Last week it was FAR more "currenty" than yesterday. Both times though I spent about 2 hours kicking around the pilings out to the end of the dock and back. Tried to be good about allowing myself some rest time (although it was certainly harder to do last week when the current was so strong). Both trips included some vomiting (I don't like swallowing salt water it would appear) and when I got out both times I was really spent. My buddy both times is a fireman and is in better overall condition than I am and both times he was spent too. Also both times we decided to go out after eating breakfast, and not the type I would plan to eat had I known I would have ended u in the water that day, more the greasy eggs and hashbrowns type. I am diabetic so my blood sugar is a concern for me, and although I haven't checked it on either occasion I can tell it was low by the time we got to the Subway on Aurora. My question to you is what do you eat in preperation for a dive, or in between dives, or after. As I said class starts this monday OW being the following tues and wed and I have been told it will be two days, 3 dives each day and I want to be a bit prepared and hopefully less wasted than I have been after 2 hours snorkeling around these past two weeks. Thanks guys.

 

[TSandM]

I generally don't do anything different about my diet on dive days, although I've learned the hard way that Jalapeno poppers aren't a good idea for lunch between dives

As a diabetic, though, you're going to want to have a breakfast with a low glycemic index -- In other words, something with protein and fat rather than all carbohydrates, so that you have a slow release of nutrients into your bloodstream. You may also have to adjust your antidiabetic medications on the mornings of diving days, to permit a slightly higher blood sugar and to allow for the increased exercise and metabolic demands of diving.

The Edmonds Oil Dock is a very current sensitive site, and you can run into some stiff resistance if you try to dive it at the wrong time. You may well have been working quite hard! But you've also gotten a very inexpensive wake-up call about the need for reasonable fitness when diving, because you never know when you may need to swim against current in Puget Sound. Tide tables are only predictions!

 

[BigFame]

i thought I would go talk to my doc about this prior to making any changes, but as someone who is both a diver and a doctor do you feel like a regular doctor (as in not a super scuba doc like yourself) would be a good resource? Or should I consider consulting a different doctor even if just the one time? I usually eat either low fat cottage cheese and fruit for breakfast or kashi cereal with soy milk, but the last two times out in the water my buddy and I were at a diner for breakfast doing "guy decompression" (which is to say whining about women or job stuff) and then decided to go out. So the corn beef hash and 3 cups of coffee was certainly not normal or ideal.

Thanks again TSandM, I swear if I get certified I owe it to you.

 

[wkyongae@aol.com]

Speaking from a freediver/snorkeler point of view. I like to drink lots of water before I go dive. Close to a gal or so a day for 2 days. Helps keep the old Charlie horse from sneaking into the picture. This is above my normal gal of water I usually drink. With wetsuit always remember there are those who pee in them and those who lie about it. I don't worry about such things. If your suit stinks, air and dive more takes care of it. Light foods such as fruit and cereal are good, heavy such as eggs,bacon etc. tend not to want to stay down. Cold water plus spent energy = hunger and tiredness. Keep in mind 2 hours is a long time in this cold water scuba divers are only in for about 40 mins. or so at a time with a rest period then more diving. When I'm out at Stailicoom many times I'll see a class go out come back another class go out come back yet another class go out then I'm out before they come out. Most times if I wait for 3 or 4 hours of rest and snacking I then can go back out for an hour or so but not the 2 hour thing. Reason for this is my core temp. has dropped too low and not enough time to bring it back up. Even sitting in 80 degree temp warm air won't be enough after 4 hours to be able to withstand another 2 hour dive. Keep in mind I never felt cold during the dives. That doesn't change anything. Happy diving.

 

[BigFame]

great info. thanks, and from a fellow truck driver too. I certainly felt better after a light meal after drying off so that sounds like just what you are talking about.

 

[=C=]

two words... Tri-tip

 

[Teamcasa]

A good diet is a good diet regardless of your planned activity. I can tell you I do try to eat a hearty breakfast before diving, especially if I’m going out on a boat. Oatmeal, a banana or two and handful or two of peanuts works good for me. Sometimes when in a hurry, I’ll confess that a Sausage Egg McMuffin also works pretty good!

One thing is for certain, a meal is necessary. Last weekend I was diving in Monterey and failed to eat any breakfast and the boat had little in the way of food so I just went without. Big mistake. For the first time in years, I got seasick. Never again, breakfast is mandatory.

 

[TSandM]

I think any doctor who is familiar with the adjustments that are necessary for a diabetic regimen in someone who exercises heavily can help you. Somewhere in the Diving Medicine forum, I have a post about the two kinds of diabetes, and how they have to be managed differently in the face of diving. If you are type II, controlled on oral medications, you can safely allow your blood sugar to get a little high for the day you are diving; if you are type I, and insulin-dependent, you have to walk a much narrower path. For Type II diabetics, low blood sugar is the major danger; for Type I's, both swings have significant risks.

Your own physician should have a good sense of how "brittle" you are (meaning, how likely your blood sugar is to undergo significant swings with small adjustments of medication and diet), and if he understands the issues in diving, he should be able to help you figure out a good strategy. You might want to find that thread on diving and diabetes, because Doc Vikingo had some good references in there that you could print out and take to your doctor, just to head off the knee-jerk reaction of, "But of course, you shouldn't dive!"

Hey, and if you want to pay me back for any of this advice, look me up once you're certified and let's go diving.

 

[ChevaYEA]

You know, i do the same thing as wkyongae@aol.com, drink tons of water and i eat baisically the same thing as i usually would depending on the time of day. I do bring lots of little snacks though for inbetween dives or afterwards. Stuff like granola bars, beef jerky, sometimes a sandwich, etc. I find i'm usually starving when i come out of the water, and then i want a nap

 

[Web Monkey]

I do an Egg McMuffin and a bottle of water.

It's not very greasy (Canadian bacon) and has some protein and fat.

Terry