jefffalcone
Contributor
You have about 10 years on me, but this might still be helpful.![]()
When I first started diving, sometimes I'd be so tired after the dive that I almost fell asleep at the wheel.
Shortly after that I did four things at about the same time that made a huge difference in how I felt. Unfortunately because they were all about the same time, I can't tell you which was responsible.
Now I can finish a couple of dives and be ready to go out for the evening instead of thinking about pulling off the road for a nap on the hour drive from the lake to my house.
- Switched to nitrox
- Started doing very slow ascents (less than 30'/minute) with even slower ascents (really, really slow) for the last 15'-20'
- Got a pee valve for my drysuit and now drink a liter of water while driving to the dive site.
- Started driving the car down to the water to load my gear instead of walking up the hill to the parking lot with steel tanks and weights.
Terry
Willing to bet nitrox plays the smallest role in this. 2 and 3 are both huge in terms of how you feel after a dive. I don't notice any difference when I dive nitrox, but I dive nitrox tables, so my nitrogen load is similar to when I dive air. I just enjoy a little more bottom time.