I'm just curious as to how many of you feel the way I do after a dive trip. Yeah, there's an element of what we call PBD (Post Bonaire Depression), but for at least a few days after a trip of, say, 24 dives over 8 days of diving, I always feel tired, a little woozy, dizzy, and a general state of the old brain and body not quite feeling 100%. I've always assumed it's a combination of equilibrium problems caused by constantly clearing your ears, fatigue from diving/sun/travel days, etc, but does anyone know if this has to do with nitrogen levels in the body taking a while to clear, or if a day of plane travel on the way home contributes to it? Seems like I don't really feel the symptoms until I get home. I remember one trip where I had troubles getting the key into the lock on my front door upon returning home! It always goes away in a few days to a week. Anyone have any thoughts or insight?

Jet lag?

Probably not: same time zone!

It's called old age! Your not as young as you use to be ya know!

Nitrox or air diving Scott? I find I'm less tired when diving nitrox, whether there is a physiological basis for that feeling or not, it works for me.
Do you drink lots of water during and after your vacation? Also not a bad idea to lubricate your nose and eyes on the flight, and avoid booze. I think the flights home cause a lot of stress to our systems, particularly as we get older. Dry, stale air, not enough water, or stretching.

I suspect spending a lot of time on boats may also impact your equilibrium.

A free call to DAN wouldn't hurt any either; I've been physically evaluated once for DCS, with no symptoms, and I sat out a day of diving anyway, for safety's sake.

A great book for understanding diving and your body is Diving Physiology in Plain English.

Oh yeah, are you taking any naps during your trip?

Hi, Darlene -- yeah, I'm gettin' older, but this used to happen to both Gale and I even when we were in our mid-thirties!

Hey, Seb -- still diving air (I know, we're long overdue to switch to nitrox). We both drink literally gallons a day during and after dive trip -- the pee stays clear! I don't drink alcohol at all, and Gale may have one beer a day. I do think that you're absolutely right about flights home causing stress to our systems, not only in the ways you mention but in terms of equilbrium (pressure effect on ears and motion of the plane) and, perhaps, nitrogen levels. We don't spend a hell of a lot of time on boats, usually 6 boat dives per trip, maybe 15 minutes out and 15 back on each trip. I think surge (especially diving or snorkelling close to shore) and air flights have more effect on my equilibrium. And, no, I am not a napper.

I'm still curious as to whether residual nitrogen comes into play in a scenario like this. Anyone have any ideas?

old age scott...lol...I am completely WIPED for at least 2 weeks after I get home. And I mean WIPED. Although the last trip I dove Nitrox half the time. I didn't notice any difference in how I felt while there, but when I got home I wasn't quite as wiped as I normally am. I was probably out of it for a good week. But then again, we aren't in the same time zone.

Maybe just the heat? It can do a doozy on your body regardless of how much water you drink...

Scott, my understanding is that the soft tissues are the ones that outgass the slowest, and I believe they do a lot of their nitrogen loading at shallower depths. I know after most hundred plus minute dives that napping is OK, and I assume that is to some degree because of nitrogen in my system. I'm guessing we take some of that home with us, and our actual full outgassing is not completed for several days.

When I look at my computer dive log, it does not show all the named tissue groups as outgassing until the diver is above 10 feet.

Some people opine that the safest last dive is a deep short dive, as the hard tissues load up fast, but offload the fastest.

We should all probably spend more time at ten feet, especially our last few days of diving.

Actually several years ago my son and I did the Nekton Pilot in Belize. We did 3-4 dives a day with one day doing 5 dives. As you know liveaboards get in a lot of diving.

When we got back home we both thought we were getting the flu we were so exhausted. All we wanted to do was sleep. I thought maybe we had a DCS hit but after a couple of days we were fine.

I chalked it up to a lot of diving in a short time and coming from a very warm environment to a cold one (it was February.

Hope that helps

The question. How do you feel after a dive trip?

The answer. Like crap!

Scott..Could be many things, probably a combination of stress, nitrogen, stale air on a plane & what I personally think trying to do too much in too short a time. My solution, try staying 2 weeks & spread the diving out & relax more. This is coming from someone who's a BIG FAN of a 10 min nap in the afternoon! Does wonders for me.

You might check for pfo.
there's a serious percentage of people that have a pfo which can cause small bubbles to travel around in your body after the dive. While they are normally not big enough to cause any symptoms, with pfo-divers they might give the symptoms you discribe. Pfo doesn't disquilify you for diving, you just have to take bigger safety-margins (nitrox, depth-limits, extra stops) to prevent bubble-formation.

I'm glad to hear that there are others who feel the same way after a dive trip, and appreciate the input from all. We've been back for a week, and I pretty much feel back to normal (whatever that is). Cynde and Jerry, your descriptions are just how I always feel. And Vince, one year we did a full two weeks and I completely agree with you that it makes it a lot easier to dive a bit less and even spend a day or two (or at least part of a day or two!) not diving.

Nitrox. Nitrox. Nitrox. Did I mention I like Nitrox?
Since we started diving nitrox, I am not as tired, don't get cold as fast, much more energy between dives. Gotta love that extra oxygen!

I have what you describe to a limited degree. For me, it is the travel day (at least 18 hours each way) as I feel as tired when I first get to Bonaire as when I get home. I usually just chill the whole first day (although my first dive is always refreshing).

I also often get a cold 3 to 7 days after my dive trip has ended.

I try to taper down my diving at the end of my trip and my last dive always has at least 20 or more minutes in less than 20 feet. I try to fly at least 22 hours (better 24+ hours) after my last dive. I also stay hydrated and keep my ears cleared on the plane rides home.

The other thing that catches up with me is the need to catch up when I get home. Work, wash clothes, etc.

Hi All:

All the comments about how fellow divers feel post diving and flying are very interesting. Sounds as if all of us baby-boomers are noticing similar effects, perhaps due to aging, perhaps due to flying after a lot of diving.

Like Seb, I find that I need to use a normal saline inhaler when I fly. Used in frequently on the way to Bonaire and no problems. Got too interested in the in-flight movie (The Devil wore Prada) so forgot to use it on the way home and suffered the consequences - dry inflamed sinuses sufficient to drive me to the doctor. I find the comment about flu-like symptoms post diving/flying to be of special interest. I wonder if DAN or some other medical agency should not do some sort of study - or is there a book which reports what is happening, perhaps the diving Physiology book?

We dive mostly 3 times daily, then back off to 2 times and can keep this up for a week or so. then we need to take a full day off to allow us to shed the fatigued worn-out feeling. Our dive profiles vary and include us going below 100 feet on about half of the dives (but we do not tarry at that depth, staying only for a few minutes). We also are considering switching to EAN32.

I always need a vacation after a dive trip. I usually still feel like I'm still bobbing around in the water when I get home.

Bruce, I need a vacation after a vacation as well.

Scott, glad you are returning to normal (whatever that is...lol)

Cheryl, I feel robbed. Again, I didn't dive nitrox the entire trip, probably half the trip (the analyzer at Wannadive was broken so we dove air until it got fixed) and I really didn't notice a difference. I did mostly 3 dives a day, and most were 90 minutes...I think that will wipe you regardless of what kind of air you are breathing...lol...

James

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quote:

Sounds as if all of us baby-boomers are noticing similar effects, perhaps due to aging, perhaps due to flying after a lot of diving.

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On January 1st, I shall be coming back from Bonaire after only 9 days. We arrive in Phila at 11:55 PM, which means 1:00 AM or more. We live 35 minutes outside the city. I'm thinking bed at about 3:00 AM, being conservative. At 7:30 AM, I shall be standing in front of my first period class. My Jr. High kids are going to say, "Hey, Mr. Mc, how was Bonaire?" I'm going to say, "Be quiet, I really feel sick. Watch this great movie I bought you." LOL

Scott
In the real world what kind of work do you do? If being a "desk jockey" who doesn't go to the gym, applies to you, then I can see why you'd feel exhausted??

Gee, William, I guess every one else who posted here that they feel "wiped", "like crap", "need a vacation", etc, and all those who mentioned possible causes like inner ear equilibrium issues, nitrogen loading, sun, heat, stress, etc, are all just out of shape lazy slobs like me. But since you ask, I am in the gym every day swimming a mile and outside every day walking two miles. So there. And while my work certainly involves nothing resembling a "desk jockey," I do believe that I'll answer your question about what kind of work I do as follows: none of your business.

Have a nice day.

all I can say is lol--lol--another thing I didn't mention is that you could be under alot of stress,and the more I think about it you problably are with this kind of response---lol

Nah, William, I'm a mellow dude. Methinks that perhaps you are making hasty, uninformed judgements and perhaps you need to mellow out and say things with a bit less presumption. Peace.

I don't think Bill was trying to be mean or condesending [sic], I think he was probably joking in his first response (I only say this as I have exchanged a few emails with Bill over the last few months). Sometimes posts don't come off as we intend them to as we are not sitting face to face and can't hear inflection in voices, facial expressions, etc.

Now me, I do sit at a desk all day looking at a computer screen (joys of working for an Internet company). I certainly don't exercise as much as I used to, or as much as I should. We did join the YMCA again, but this dang crap/cold has halted our workouts.

I hear ya, Cynde, and agree that it's sometimes hard to judge the intent or attitude of a post. Maybe that's why we all should be a little careful not to type something that might be taken the wrong way. I'll concede to your character analysis (you, are, after all, the QGH!) and assume that perhaps I took these two posts the wrong way. Later!

Scott, I'm not so careful sometimes and post things that I shouldn't :-0 It is tough sometimes to read between the lines :-)

Bill, why don't you share your trip to the Galapagos and some pics over in CC :-)

I see a group hug coming.
But I still feel like crap when I come home!

where would you like the pics posted, computer literacy is not my strong suit--lol

I think it has something to do with adrenalin!