While most of us know that there are things to do before and during a dive to keep ourselves safe and healthy, sometimes, divers neglect to realize that there are some things that you should avoid after a dive to help keep them safe on land. As diving can be impactful on the body due to the intensity of the activity and the pressure of the water, it’s important to let your body adjust when you resurface. Here are five things to avoid after scuba diving to ensure your health and safety.
Flying
As your body is still adjusting to the change in pressure from diving to being back on land, it can be very harmful to hop on a plane immediately after a dive session. To be safe, always avoid flying within the immediate 24 hours after scuba diving. For example, if your flight home is at 3 PM on Wednesday, your last dive should be on Tuesday morning.
Heavy Drinking
While having a nice cocktail or an iced cold beer after a dive is a great way to end the day, it’s very important that you don’t drink to excess within 24 hours of a dive. Diving can already raise your blood pressure and cause you to feel lightheaded, and the effects of alcohol can make you feel much more intoxicated, much quicker than usual. After a dive, if you choose to have a glass of alcohol, make sure you’re staying very hydrated and listening to your body.
Hot Tubs
Hot tubs, as well as hot showers or hot baths, are not a good idea immediately after a dive. Due to the change in temperature from the bottom of the ocean when entering into hot water you could potentially end up with symptomatic bubbles in your skin tissue. At Belize Dive Haven, we offer Jacuzzi tubs maintained with warm water, allowing you to enjoy the jets and relaxation after a dive without potentially causing injury or damage to your skin.
Intense Exercise
While it’s important to have a good level of physical health and capability to go diving, we don’t recommend vigorous exercise after you scuba dive. For one, diving is an exercise all on its own and it’s important to allow your body to rest, but as your body is still adjusting to the change in pressure from the bottom of the ocean to sea level, it’s not wise to add unnecessary pressure to your joints and muscles.
Forgetting To Rest
If you’re the type of person who loves to adventure and is always looking for the next thing to do during a vacation, it can be easy to forget to rest after a dive. However, it’s very important to take the time to rest your body after scuba diving as your body requires time to adjust to the extreme change in pressure. Remember to relax and rest at the resort after your big scuba diving adventure!
Now that you know how to be safe during and after diving,
Book your scuba adventure to Belize Dive Haven
Just 30 miles/48 km from Belize City, Belize Dive Haven is located in pristine Turneffe Atoll. Consisting of creeks, lagoons, mangrove islands and cays, the atoll is home to over 500 species of fish, 65 different species of stony corals as well as birds, turtles, manatees and dolphins.
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