eating and swimming/diving

[tridacna]

Swimming after eating is only dangerous if aliens abduct you for anal probing at the same time. That happened to me. Twice, just last summer.

This explains a lot...

 

[Esprise Me]

In case it wasn't clear, what I meant by a grain of truth is that some people might not feel so great if they swim laps right after a large meal, not that they're going to spazz up and drown. At least two of the links provided in this thread confirm this. I've definitely gotten side stitches from running, and it seems to be more of a problem when I run on a full stomach. I'd rather not have a stitch--or nausea-- in the ocean, though I wouldn't consider it a dire, life-threatening emergency. The expert consensus seems to be that if waiting a while after eating agrees with you, you're not crazy, but if you feel fine jumping right in the water, go for it.

 

[Bob DBF]

I my brother and I did a lot of research debunking the myth of swimming after eating, but were having so much fun we forgot to write the paper.

My firm belief that the myth was perpetrated just to give parents a break from having to watch kids in the water.

The real lesson from this tragedy is that children should be taught to swim, and if not, never allowed to be near the water without someone with the ability to rescue them. I was brought up with swimming as a life skill that was as important as learning how to cross the street.


Bob

 

[Griffo]

The myth perpetuates here still, but I think mostly so parents don't have to worry about cleaning vomit out of a pool.Every adult knows it's bollocks. Just the same as the magic chemicals that turns bright blue if the kid pees in the pool.

 

[tursiops]

Swimming after eating is only dangerous if aliens abduct you for anal probing at the same time. That happened to me. Twice, just last summer

This explains a lot....

 

[RIHappyDiver]

As a kid (in the 60’s, early 70’s) we were always told it would cause cramps and we would drown. 1 hour was the base rule with a 2-3 hour stretch if you ate baked beans. I agree with @Bob DBF that parents invented it so they didn’t have to leave the picnic area to watch us in the lake. I base this on 2 facts; 1) they never seemed to mention it if they were in the pool and we jumped in after eating a sandwich, 2) they never mentioned it when we were old enough that they didn’t feel we needed parental supervision in the lake.

Erik

 

[TrimixToo]

The only time I had trouble diving after eating was at the Blue Grotto. There was this barbeque trailer that used to go there. If it still does, it's excellent! But it was *so* good, I greedily ate a second for lunch before Dive 2. I kept having to break trim to burp.

It was worth it. Sort of. Best barbeque I ever had. Could have had the second one after Dive 2, though, I suppose.

 

[Ana]

The real lesson from this tragedy is that children should be taught to swim, and if not, never allowed to be near the water without someone with the ability to rescue them. I was brought up with swimming as a life skill that was as important as learning how to cross the street.


Bob

When my kids were little our place was about 30 minutes ride to the closest beach.
Every Saturday and Sunday I took both boys to the beach many neighbors would wonder and ask me why, there were kids in our street that had never seen the ocean, in South Florida. Gone to Disney World 3-4 hours away but not the ocean.
The number of kids deaths by drowning is ridiculously high in Florida I figure is similar nation wide.

 

[scubadada]

Having grown up in southern California, I can't understand why you would not be taught to swim. I was taught as a baby and swam competitively from the age of four

 

[kelemvor]

Having grown up in southern California, I can't understand why you would not be taught to swim. I was taught as a baby and swam competitively from the age of four

It seems odd to us Floridians as well. I don't know anyone who doesn't know how to swim. I guess up north they don't bother or something.