A Day on the Boat or a Day in the Chamber

The truth of the matter is that dehydration is the most common factor in these climates for decompression sickness.
So if you would prefer to make a reservation for a day trip to the chamber and the rest of your stay in the shade and no more diving, then this is what you need to do,
A recipe for disaster,
First: Sit in the sun all day.
Second: Only drink a little water or no water.
Third: Drink plenty of soft drinks, tea and coffee. ALCOHOL.
For chamber reservations or any other inquires/ further booking information please speak to one of our staff.

For a full week of diving, dehydration can be the key to unnecessary decompression sickness, which is the most commonly forgotten fact.
You may hear word around the place you are staying any were around the world, that an individual was taken to the chamber this afternoon because of DCS ( decompression sickness). Your first thought, must have been diver error…. How deep, how long, did he ascend too fast? It wouldn’t happen to me, I’m a safe diver. Then you find out it was through not drinking enough fluids. It could happen to anyone even you. “Drink more water”, you hear us say. “I’m alright”, is your reply. “I have drunk plenty today”. Dehydration causes the blood to thicken which affects the release rate of nitrogen, causing an excessive build up of nitrogen in the body. This can become a problem with multiply diving days or even just a couple of dives. Surface intervals and safety stops become useless, as the body is not returning to its normal level.
Fact
You can loose up to a liter of water just in one dive. In an average day the human body will loose at least 2 liters of water through urine, sweating and breathing. If the air you breath is very dry (scuba tank air, or a dry climate. E.g. desert.), it’s another half a liter. For heavy sweating in a hot climate assume another 2 liters. So that’s at least 3 liters more than what you would lose at home, diving and staying at a popular dive destinations.
Reports also say that we should not release more than 12ltr in one day, so in tropical and warmer countries you can imagine the change in these figures.
So perspiration even in the shade, with the added factor of the wind drying your skin, you will tend to forget how much fluid you loose. So staying in the shade is not an excuse for drinking less water. Also spending a day out on a boat causes faster dehydration due the sun reflecting and magnifying, having a stronger effect on your body especially between the hours of 10am and 3pm.
It’s important to drink in excess of your normal amount of water or even supplement with electrolyte. Making your own, in a bottle of water and adding fruit juice.
1 liter of water
1 level teaspoon of Salt
6 level teaspoon of Sugar