Post-diving thirst

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OP
Martha A Page

Martha A Page

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Location
Belmont, NC
# of dives
0 - 24
Today is day 4 after a 3 day dive trip to Cozumel, and I am excessively thirsty. I drank lots of water before, during, and after my dives, but after flying home I can't seem to get myself hydrated. I'm a new diver; is this a common problem?
 
@sandiegoaes -- and one assumes you use a pee valve!

Seriously though the pee valve was the second best invention for Scuba diving. It means you can drink loads before dropping in and can do a long dive without being dehydrated: lots of peeing!

I know it sounds crude, but look at the colour of your urine. The more yellow the more dehydrated you are -- or if you can't remember the last pee, then you're not drinking enough!

OK, am a northern/cold water diver, so maybe it's different.
 
The other problem may be hyper-hydration. You can drink too much water and flush your system off salts/electrolytes. Grab a few 32 oz sports drinks of your choice and find the bottom. You can also use something like liquid IV. Costco often carries these and they work great.
 
What is "lots of water"? You post doesn't specify.

Most people are chronically dehydrated BEFORE diving. Add the dried, filtered air and you become even more dehydrated after diving. Dry scuba air, sun and physical exertion will suck the moisture right out of your body. Add a tropical location like Cozumel and likely drinks / dancing / sun / heat / late nights, it is not a mystery why someone becomes dehydrated.

My personal vacation dive plan is to bring a Nalgene bottle with me so I can track how much water I drink in a day. I wake up, drink 32oz to start the morning before I get on the boat. I bring my Nalgene with me filled up with 32oz of additional water. Attach a carabiner to the top of the nalgene so you can clip it off somewhere close to your gear so it is close by. After my first dive, I drink the remaining 32oz of water before my second dive and then another 32 oz after my second dive on the boat ride back. You will probably have to pee every five seconds under this plan but the ocean doesn't seem to mind :)

After that, I jump in the pool to "desalinate" order between one to ten of those frozen drinks with the umbrella and float around the pool until dinner time. I keep my nalgene bottle close by and drink another 32-64oz of water while relaxing in the pool all afternoon in between frozen drinks.

I drink about 120oz of water on a normal day (10 glasses worth). I am guessing I jack this up to 160-180oz on a tropical dive vacation since there are so many factors working against me.

How many glasses of water did you drink during the day?
I like this plan! I have the water bottle, filled it multiple times a day and drank, but I didn't track the amount/number of fills; I'll do this next time. After posting this message and reading a bit more, I tried drinking milk in addition to the water I was pouring in. After two glasses of milk over three hours time, I felt rehydrated and was good to go. (I know, the dangers of milk, etc.. I drink only 100% grassfed milk on the rare times that I drink it.)
Thank you for your reply!
 
The other problem may be hyper-hydration. You can drink too much water and flush your system off salts/electrolytes. Grab a few 32 oz sports drinks of your choice and find the bottom. You can also use something like liquid IV. Costco often carries these and they work great.
I think this might have been it! (see my reply to sandiegoaes) THANK YOU!
 
I think this might have been it! (see my reply to sandiegoaes) THANK YOU!
You're more than welcome. I've been in that position on deployment and a few of my Marines as well. It sucks being thirsty after drinking so much water only to find out you were being counterproductive. One thing that has stuck with me over all these years is if you are thirsty you're already behind the power curve. Drink more right then and add something with flavor.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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