Alcohol, lack of sleep and decompression illness.......

[boulderjohn]

I've been trying to focus a lot on hydration both before, during, and after diving. This is doubly true on multiple day trips.

Although it is good to be properly hydrated for a dive, there is actually no solid evidence that dehydration is as involved with DCS as many people seem to think it it. There is, in fact, a growing sense that the strong belief in the importance of hydration can lead to overhydration (water poisoning) and may be related to the rise in immersion pulmonary edema.

 

[azstinger11]

Although it is good to be properly hydrated for a dive, there is actually no solid evidence that dehydration is as involved with DCS as many people seem to think it it. There is, in fact, a growing sense that the strong belief in the importance of hydration can lead to overhydration (water poisoning) and may be related to the rise in immersion pulmonary edema.

I mean all things in moderation, but over hydration takes some serious effort. I remember during some of my military training we had to show the instructor 3 empty 1 quart canteens per hour (and yes the military is stupid for many reasons, including this). Yes it's a risk, but feel like the vast majority of people under hydrate versus even flirt with over hydrating.

"dehydration is a contributing risk factor for Decompression Sickness (DCS)." - DAN Europe

"Why a campaign to promote hydration in diving? Because our scientific studies demonstrate that dehydration is a contributing risk factor for Decompression Sickness (DCS), and where diving safety is concerned, DAN is concerned."

I view both as extremes, and just try and stay in the middle. Just think dehydration is the more common risk factor, to greater percentage of divers.

 

[waterone]

Talking with the doc in charge of the chamber, he says the biggest problem here is not unsafe diving practices,

Partying and drinking until the wee hours of the morning, then getting on the morning dive boat for a couple of dives on very little rest compounds your chances of having issues.

Sounds like unsafe diving practice to me, diving while alcohol is still running through your system.

Drinking after diving is quite common without much as far as issues but drinking until not long before you get on a boat...

Too many folks try to cram a years worth of drinking and partying into a week or two and then add diving on top of it. Not a good plan.

I guess that depends on how much you drink during the year. I like having a few cocktails and/or beers after diving on a vacation. I would go with a Bloody Cesar w/tequila, just not until the early hours!

 

[100days-a-year]

Trying to fit all your above and below water pastimes into too short a period of time is rarely a recipe for amazing outcomes.

 

[brsnow]

A lot of it age. You typically change as you age.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

If that's the problem the doc is seeing, it has to be that an underlying cause is that ops are still letting these people rent gear/tanks and get on the boat.
As a non-drinker it's pretty easy for me to spot the one that's hungover and sleep deprived. If the op had any morals or ethics they'd tell people from day one, we won't take you out or rent you gear if you show up like that. And then stick to it.
Otherwise they are just enabling the behavior with greed as justification.

 

[azstinger11]

If that's the problem the doc is seeing, it has to be that an underlying cause is that ops are still letting these people rent gear/tanks and get on the boat.
As a non-drinker it's pretty easy for me to spot the one that's hungover and sleep deprived. If the op had any morals or ethics they'd tell people from day one, we won't take you out or rent you gear if you show up like that. And then stick to it.
Otherwise they are just enabling the behavior with greed as justification.

Unfortunately then they get negative reviews for doing the right thing, for “ruining” someone’s vacation.

Personally I think a case of DCS and a chamber ride is ruins a vacation more but it also won’t stop bad reviews from coming in.

Not saying it’s right they let people who probably shouldn’t be diving go, or that people will review bomb them for doing the right thing, just the world we live in.

 

[Robert H. Diver]

Unfortunately then they get negative reviews for doing the right thing, for “ruining” someone’s vacation.

Personally I think a case of DCS and a chamber ride is ruins a vacation more but it also won’t stop bad reviews from coming in.

Not saying it’s right they let people who probably shouldn’t be diving go, or that people will review bomb them for doing the right thing, just the world we live in.

Natural selection. The chamber guys gotta make money too.

 

[100days-a-year]

You can't fix stupid, nor legislate it away. While I don't condone enabling it, it is up to the individual to use their God given logical abilities to assess risk.
In the bigger picture, a few divers getting bent is hardly in the same category as being overweight, smoking or drunk driving.

 

[kaylee_ann]

You can't fix stupid, nor legislate it away. While I don't condone enabling it, it is up to the individual to use their God given logical abilities to assess risk.
In the bigger picture, a few divers getting bent is hardly in the same category as being overweight, smoking or drunk driving.

i think for some people, God skipped over them when giving out said abilities...LOL