Had a near miss with the bends recently. Now I'm debating if drinking enough water or eating the right foods is more crucial. Your thoughts?

3 comments

3 Comments

Seriously? You're focusing on the wrong thing. Hydration helps, but no amount of water fixes a bad dive profile. The only thing that truly matters is following your computer or tables exactly, and making your safety stops. Food won't save you from rushing to the surface.

simon8153mo ago

I was in the same boat, always focused on hydration and eating right before diving. A buddy's accident last season totally shifted my view though. His profile was fine, but he skipped a safety stop and paid for it. Now I see the dive computer and stops as the only real safety net. Good habits like drinking water are just extra, they don't replace the basics. That near miss sounds like a wake up call to trust your gear and your plan above all else...

aaron_gonzalez15d ago

Used to be like you, always preaching that staying hydrated and eating clean was the main thing. Honestly thought if you had that locked down, you could fudge the rest a little. Then I saw a guy with textbook numbers get bent bad because he skipped a five minute stop to get back to the boat. That was the moment it clicked for me. Turns out your blood volume or electrolyte count doesn't mean jack if you break the basic rules of ascent. So yeah, you changed my mind. Now I treat the computer and the stops like gospel, everything else is just bonus points.