Drinking and Diving

[Thalassamania]

Too common.
Dangerous - can be...
My rule is common and simple - first drink is after the last dive of the day.
I also stick to my old aviator's rule of 8 hours +1 per drink from the last drink to the first dive (1 drink, 9 hrs, 2 drinks, 10 hrs etc)
That's for recreational diving. If I'm making a "big dive" I'll typically stay away from booze for a good deal longer before the dive.
Rick

Same here.

BTW: Here's a PDF of Lee Somer's complete piece, way ahead of its time.

 

[Walter]

It's very common. In fact, it's actively promoted on this board. They may not drink just before a dive, but they drink after diving which can lead to decompression sickness and they stay up late drinking before catching an 8 AM dive boat. How often have you read about planned dives with planned rum parties? I see it here quite often. It's a bad practice and one we should discourage.

 

[ReefHound]

I'm being overdramatic, just saying unless you solo dive and have no one that gives a rats behind about you, your actions can affect other people. Sure there's always other risks and it's true chances are that nothing will happen, but why add additional risk factors for no good reason?

Nowhere did I condone it or say otherwise, my only point is that we (all of us) often get all dramatic about certain risks while ignoring much greater risks.

I think it's a lot more common (divers drinking and driving) than you think. I'll bet a hundred times more common than divers who drink on a surface interval. You could find hundreds of threads just on SB where people talk about diver happy hours or other drinking get-togethers.

 

[Mossman]

Same here.

BTW: Here's a PDF of Lee Somer's complete piece, way ahead of its time.

I'm not sure what you mean by that. Was it written before Prohibition?

Regardless, it's a silly piece of fiction. 4-5 ounces of booze in a pre-dive rum punch? Come on.

 

[bleeb]

Can anyone in SBland point to a reference that shows or explains how drinking after diving can promote DCI? I'm not disagreeing with the idea, just looking for more definitive information.

On a more practical side, given that it does increase the risk, what are people's rules of thumb: Right after, dinner that night, safe-to-fly, next day, etc.?

 

[Rick Murchison]

... they drink after diving which can lead to decompression sickness...

Hmmm... that's a new one on me... I'm sure you have a peer reviewed paper to support this statement Walter, right?
Rick

 

[Thalassamania]

I'm not sure what you mean by that. Was it written before Prohibition?

Regardless, it's a silly piece of fiction. 4-5 ounces of booze in a pre-dive rum punch? Come on.

No, it was written when there was still a culture of hard drinking and hard diving, back when diving was dangerous, sex was safe and drinking was "sophisticated." Lee exaggerated a bit for effect, but twenty years ago it was not that far from the truth.

 

[Walter]

Hmmm... that's a new one on me... I'm sure you have a peer reviewed paper to support this statement Walter, right?
Rick

Of course not, but I do have a couple of handy references if you're interested. http://scuba-doc.com/alch.htm
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=39

 

[Tim Greaves]

I try to drink anything that hydrates me before I dive; whether it's 1 hour before or the night before an early dive. Afterwards, it's Miller Time!

Same thing I do..

 

[The Logic Theorist]

I think it's a lot more common (divers drinking and driving) than you think. I'll bet a hundred times more common than divers who drink on a surface interval. You could find hundreds of threads just on SB where people talk about diver happy hours or other drinking get-togethers.

I'm with you. This is completely anecdotal evidence, but I know plenty of people who wouldn't give a second thought to driving after a few beers. When I drove I would drive home from the bar all the time, admittedly sometimes when I shouldn't have.

I think a lot of people in this thread are being far too overdramatic. One beer is not going to get most people drunk (certainly not me) on a 2.5 hour surface interval. It's also not going to significantly contribute to your dehydration. If you keep yourself generally hydrated, and hydrate aggressively before and after each dive, a beer is not going to make any appreciable difference.

I'm definitely not suggesting that anyone get totally lit and then jump in the water, but I agree with ReefHound that keeping a sense of perspective is warranted. 1 beer with lunch != 12 tequila shots.

I also agree with some statements people have made about drinking after diving and how much more likely you are to be dehydrated for morning dives.