Eating healthy is a must, whether you are scuba diver or not. It’s difficult, what with the ‘ber’ months coming in and the holidays fast approaching, dieting is increasingly becoming difficult. I was also in a number of fiestas while visiting Negros Oriental and boy oh boy, it was goodbye diet for me. However, because I am on a schedule trip for scuba diving in Cebu, I’ve tried to eat healthier the past few weeks (to make up for all that lechon and mango float). 

My young niece asked me why I need to eat right now that I am into scuba diving. She said, “Tita, don’t you just kind of float underwater?” I laughed and pinched her in the cheeks. A child’s honesty can be very refreshing. But I did take the time to explain to her that while scuba diving seems like an effortless sport, it does take up a lot of your energy and therefore eating right is vitally important.

Her honest question prompted me to write this post, though. Not many beginner divers know that a proper diet should be considered before and after you plan a dive trip.

While I am not a nutritionist and certainly not an expert and diving in Cebu is only where I am most experienced, this diet checklist is gathered from my own experience:

What to Eat Before Scuba Diving

Just like when a runner prepares for race, you also need to prepare for a dive. You need to prepare your equipment and of course, yourself. 

I prepare as early as one week ahead before a dive. Since scuba diving burns up calories pretty fast, it’s recommended to eat carbohydrates and stock up on calories. In other words, you need to fill yourself up with food that’s high in energy. 

Sounds awesome, right? Hello, pasta! Hi, mashed potatoes! The great thing is, I fill half to two thirds of my diet with food like that. Of course, I also include whole grains and lots of fruit.

Two days before my dive trip, I eat food rich in carbs more than usual but based on advice from my more experienced dive buddies, at this time, I drop my calorie intake to about 500 calories. Whole grains are also the best to eat during this time as the carbs provided by whole grains will be broken down into sugar and will give energy needed for the dive. 

What to Eat On the Day of Scuba Diving

It’s best to skip a greasy breakfast during the day of your dive especially if you’re diving in the morning. Simple and carb-filled – that’s what your breakfast choice should be. If you have your dive scheduled later in the afternoon, then eat small, light meals all throughout the day. Please, please don’t overeat before a dive. It’s just going to cause you a lot of problems later.

What to Eat After Scuba Diving

I usually drop by the local market the day before my dive trip and stock up on fruits like bananas and mangoes. This is because the best way to replenish lost energy after a dive is to eat fruits and of course, plenty of water. A sports drink is also a good way to refuel, as well. By the way, keep eating small, light meals every 2 hours all throughout the day. You might not realize it because of the excitement from the dive but your body is exhausted and needs to be properly replenished. Also, if you were planning to eat greasy and spicy food just after a dive, I’d recommend for you to skip that. These kinds of food if eaten AFTER a dive will not make you feel well, trust me.

There you have it, then. So basically it’s

• Food rich in carbs – before a dive

• Small, light carb-rich meals – the day of the dive.

• Fruits and plenty of water plus small, light meals every 2 hours – after the dive