Foot Cramps

[White Knight]

So....I dive with a DUI CF200 Dry suit configured for/with Rock Boots. Since switching to diving dry everything has been wonderful, with exception of one thing: Foot cramps. I never used to get them diving wet, but now (diving dry) I get them fairly regularly and in some cases the cramps have ended my dive. I have switched socks, switched how tight I tie my rock boots, altered my diet, ate more, ate less, and I have switched fins "four times." No matter what I do, can't seem to completely escape them. Any suggestions or words of wisdom?

 

[TMHeimer]

Potassium pills?

 

[Peter_C]

Walk more?

If you have a lot of flex in your foot then it might cause problems. Could be related to the foot pocket. What fins are you currently using?

What I have found is if my foot to fin contact is sloppy my foot tires out quicker. So what is the solution? Wearing enough thermal protection to take the up the space. I wear an ultra thick base layer sock, then my DUI 400 booties. I use currently use Chuck Taylors, but have Turbo Soles on my DUI CF200, and have been using XL Jet fins with no issues.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I've found that if my foot is crushed at all in the side to side direction, I am very prone to getting foot cramps. The widest portion of the foot is just behind the toes.

For some boot/fin combinations I had to take a grinding wheel and take off some rubber from the outside edges of the widest portion of my dive boot at the point where the side rises up from the sole. Basically the foot pocket was just a tiny bit too narrow with the extra heavy sole boots. For this reason, i avoid the more expensive dive boots with very heavy soles.

This pertains to wetsuit diving, so not sure if it helps.

 

[TSandM]

Any time the subject of cramps is raised, somebody offers, "Take more potassium." In fact, in the absence of either fairly severe malnutrition, significant fluid losses of some kind (eg. diarrhea), or medications that mess up the kidney's ability to hold onto potassium, lack of potassium is quite rare and is probably almost never the cause of muscle cramps.

I'm with DD -- the worst foot cramps I've had are when my feet don't have enough room in my fins, especially from side to side. Are your rock boots jammed into your fins?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Most divers I've known with Rock Boots have ditched them for more comfortable tennis shoes such as Chuck Taylors.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I've found that if my foot is crushed at all in the side to side direction, I am very prone to getting foot cramps. The widest portion of the foot is just behind the toes.

For some boot/fin combinations I had to take a grinding wheel and take off some rubber from the outside edges of the widest portion of my dive boot at the point where the side rises up from the sole. Basically the foot pocket was just a tiny bit too narrow with the extra heavy sole boots. For this reason, i avoid the more expensive dive boots with very heavy soles.

This pertains to wetsuit diving, so not sure if it helps.

Thanks! I have a set of nice heavy booties that fit tightly into the fin pocket and are snug on my feet. Every time I use them I get cramps, but almost never with my more petite older (cheaper) booties. I have to give this a try.