Advice on taking a mid-trip day off from diving

[macfrog]

We are curently on a two weeks diving trip in Roatan and I was wondering what is the scientific/medical advise on taking a day off mid trip to give our bodies a break. It is the first time the question arise as on our previous trips we where diving air, felt tired after a few days and wanted a day off. But we are diving EAN 32 this time and after five days, we have not felt the need for a single nap!

We are currently diving three times a day, and although our dives are between 60 and 80 minutes long, a good part of them is quite shallow. We are staying well within the NDL of our already conservatives computers.

Is it recommended to take a day off after a week or are there no contraindications to 12 days of continuous diving (we will be taking a 36hrs break before our flight home).

Thanks!

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Mac,

Any action that reduces cumulative N2 load would be expected to lower the risk of DCS.

Doing x3 60-80 min dives/day for 12 days, even if a good part of them are shallow, EAN32 is being used & conservative NDLs are being observed, can result in a substantial inert gas loading.

I am not aware of any published research (which doesn't mean there isn't any) demonstrating that an end of week break in diving betwen two consecutive weeks of SCUBA reduces risk of DCS. However, I have seen recommendations along this line from a number of diving medicine experts.

Roatan is a pretty, verdant island with some lovely beaches. Take at day or two to explore it. Or, take two days and do a tour of the Mayan ruins in Copan over on the mainland.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[TSandM]

The theory says you will be loading nitrogen into slow compartments throughout the week.

But interestingly, I remember reading a study of liveaboard DCS cases, and they were most common after the first day of diving. Liveaboards, I think, probably represent the highest concentration of repetitive day/repetitive dive activity, and one would have expected a rise in incidence toward the end of a week -- but that was not what they saw.

I do not think there are sufficient well-controlled data to tell you what is advisable for a "surface break" during a trip like the one you are taking. But David Doolette feels that fatigue is a proxy for decompression stress, and as a personal practice, not supported by data, I would take a day off when I started to feel dragged out and overtired.

 

[DocVikingo]

...I remember reading a study of liveaboard DCS cases, and they were most common after the first day of diving. Liveaboards, I think, probably represent the highest concentration of repetitive day/repetitive dive activity, and one would have expected a rise in incidence toward the end of a week -- but that was not what they saw.

Food for thought.

DCS cases are most common on the 1st day of land-based diving as well, and likely due to the same reason(s) as on liveabaords, which almost certainly is unrelated to inert gas loading. Data on this can be found in DAN's annual Project Dive Exploration (PDE) reports, amongst other places.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[koyote1111]

Hi Macfrog

Happy to hear that you are enjoying another exciting dive vacation! I vote...take a day off and I'm guessing you might understand why ... (remember me from Cozumel last June )

Hope you are having a great time!

Bev.