
With the warm weather settling in, it is impotent to stay hydrated while out diving. Dehydration has a serious impact on dive safety: it is one of the main contributing factors of decompression sickness, by increasing bubble formation and growth in both blood and body tissues – so it is important to stay well hydrated!
The physiological mechanism is the following: dehydration induces a reduction of the plasma volume in the blood and perfusion in the tissues. The blood is responsible for the transport of nutrients and for the exchange of gases in our bodies, and if the reduction of the plasma becomes too important, these actions will be impacted: the efficiency of gas exchanges might be decreased, thus it affects the off-gassing of nitrogen.
Most of the time, the best way to re-hydrate is to drink water – plenty. For the diving days, 2 liters extra compared to your normal quantity will be a good start to stay well hydrated.
Keep in mind that re-hydration takes time, and it is better to drink little amounts often than a big quantity after long intervals. In order to monitor your hydration, you can use a refillable bottle, and it will be a nice gesture for the environment.



