fatigue after even a short dive

[saintsfan]

i have a tendency to feel very fatigued after diving even a single fairly shallow dive kind of like a mild hangover. I always assumed it was normal and never gave it any thought. does anyone else have this happen and is there kind of a remedy to help ease the fatigue,as it is i don't like diving on sunday's due to the fatigue and going to work.I am getting nitrox certified next month and hoping that might help

 

[Cave Diver]

i have a tendency to feel very fatigued after diving even a single fairly shallow dive kind of like a mild hangover. I always assumed it was normal and never gave it any thought. does anyone else have this happen and is there kind of a remedy to help ease the fatigue,as it is i don't like diving on sunday's due to the fatigue and going to work.I am getting nitrox certified next month and hoping that might help

First off, make sure you are in the proper physical condition for diving. It can be rather demanding considering how equipment intensive it is.

Next, make sure you're properly hydrated. That can contribute to feeling of fatigue as well.

I'm going on the assumption that you are a fairly new diver. If this is the case, you might also pay attention to your breathing pattern. If you still have that slight edge of anxiety that some new divers feel, you might have a bit of CO2 retention going on which can also contribute to feeling tired or hungover. Try making a concious effort to exhale slowly, fully, deeply several times in a row throughout your dive.

Last, make sure you're staying well within your NDL limits and that you are taking your time and coming up slowly, especially after your safety stop. A couple of short stops (a minute) at half of your deepest depth might benefit you also.

As a side note, does your buddy show any of the same symptoms while diving these profiles with you? Do you get your tank fills at the same place for all of your dives, or does this occur at multiple locations with multiple tanks?

BTW, I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on the internet. All of the above is general recommendations, not medical advice. If you continue to experience problems, you might consider calling DAN for further advice.

 

[mgdive]

i have a tendency to feel very fatigued after diving even a single fairly shallow dive kind of like a mild hangover. I always assumed it was normal and never gave it any thought. does anyone else have this happen and is there kind of a remedy to help ease the fatigue,as it is i don't like diving on sunday's due to the fatigue and going to work.I am getting nitrox certified next month and hoping that might help

Are you skip-breathing or just sipping air during the dive, or over-exerting yourself? Either of which can give you hangover like symptoms from excess C02 (headache, nausea, etc). Just a thought.

 

[saintsfan]

i have been diving for over a year so I am not super experienced either but it hasnt gotten any better,conditioning isnt really a problem, I seem to feel tired even from easy dives. Not always right away,I dont come crawling out of the water or anything, it seems to occur later. usually right out of the water I feel ok

 

[Cave Diver]

i have been diving for over a year so I am not super experienced either but it hasnt gotten any better,conditioning isnt really a problem, I seem to feel tired even from easy dives. Not always right away,I dont come crawling out of the water or anything, it seems to occur later. usually right out of the water I feel ok

I'm leaning towards C02 retention. Every so often, try taking several long deep breaths, then exhale fully and see if this helps your symptoms any. Try to get in the habit of long rhythmic breaths as opposed to short quick ones.

 

[Bob3]

CO2 retention problems usually aren't delayed too much, so assuming your dive shop isn't pumping car exhaust fumes into your tank, I'd pay a visit to the DR just so you can rule out any medical problems. That will go a long ways to eliminate any number of possible medical related causes.
I know a guy that had the same symptoms from having a too-tight hood, & a tight wetsuit can make mischief too.

 

[Brian Gilpin]

It sure helps me. Diving can be exhausting.

 

[ArcticDiver]

How do you feel after doing other kinds of exercise? Comparison might help you pin down the cause.

Are you sure it is in fact fatigue? Could it be the relaxation that comes after performing a task that had caused some anxiety? Sort of that Wet Dishrag, But Good Feeling.

It might even be pointing at something that has nothing to do with diving except when you notice it because you are looking for changes then. In any case if it were me I'd have an in depth discussion with my Primary Care Physician. That discussion should be sooner rather than later.

Remember, this advise, like all you get on the internet may be worth exactly what it costs you and is free of warranty.

 

[saintsfan]

I'm sure its fatigue I am pretty active overall and I am pretty relaxed underwater.co2 retention could I guess be part of it.I know of a few other people with the same complaints with around the same experience.It seems to definately be related to diving and I have recently had a physical.It's probably just normal for me and i guess i just have to deal with it and maybe it will go away as i become a better diver or use nitrox

How do you feel after doing other kinds of exercise? Comparison might help you pin down the cause.

Are you sure it is in fact fatigue? Could it be the relaxation that comes after performing a task that had caused some anxiety? Sort of that Wet Dishrag, But Good Feeling.

It might even be pointing at something that has nothing to do with diving except when you notice it because you are looking for changes then. In any case if it were me I'd have an in depth discussion with my Primary Care Physician. That discussion should be sooner rather than later.

Remember, this advise, like all you get on the internet may be worth exactly what it costs you and is free of warranty.

 

[IndigoBlue]

First off, make sure you are in the proper physical condition for diving. It can be rather demanding considering how equipment intensive it is.

Next, make sure you're properly hydrated. That can contribute to feeling of fatigue as well.

I'm going on the assumption that you are a fairly new diver. If this is the case, you might also pay attention to your breathing pattern. If you still have that slight edge of anxiety that some new divers feel, you might have a bit of CO2 retention going on which can also contribute to feeling tired or hungover. Try making a concious effort to exhale slowly, fully, deeply several times in a row throughout your dive.

Last, make sure you're staying well within your NDL limits and that you are taking your time and coming up slowly, especially after your safety stop. A couple of short stops (a minute) at half of your deepest depth might benefit you also.

As a side note, does your buddy show any of the same symptoms while diving these profiles with you? Do you get your tank fills at the same place for all of your dives, or does this occur at multiple locations with multiple tanks?

BTW, I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on the internet. All of the above is general recommendations, not medical advice. If you continue to experience problems, you might consider calling DAN for further advice.

Cavediver has given really good advice, to which I would like to add a couple of things.

In addition, think about buying a higher performance reg, like a ScubaPro Mark20 and S600.

Keep your dives shallower, and make your safety stops longer.

Also, see a diving doc and tell him your story. He may check you out for a PFO.

Nitrox may help as well.

Good luck.