Should You Dive After Eating? – What’s Best to Eat Before a Dive?

It all depends on what you eat before diving, it’s recommended to eat a small snack before going into the water in order to gain some energy along with the dive. Read on to get some handy tips, straight from our dive masters. And some local food inspirations, too.

Don’t eat a big meal before diving, even the night before. Having too much food on the belly can create cramps, or stomach ache if the sea is rough,  you will probably throw up all the food, and feed the fishes.

It is much more important to be well-hydrated before and after any dive. Dehydration is one of the worst things to experience while diving, and it increases the chances of getting decompression sickness. Being dehydrated makes the blood thicker, making it harder for the circulation of oxygen, which can cause muscle cramps and overall confusion. So drink lots of water before and during intervals, and when you finish a day of diving. Have something light on the stomach, believe us, you won’t regret it, it’s the worst feeling to have food stuck in the throat, burping all the dive, especially oily food.

What to eat before diving? Is Mexican food a good idea?

Mexican food is well known as one of the best in the world but not everything is bread with honey, Mexican food is full of spices, herbs, hot chili and much more,  even Mexicans are sometimes afraid to eat them, so if you are visiting Mexico, it would sound weird, but you should ask first what are you eating exactly. And diving after eating, you should wait, a bit, here is what to do and how to have the best of both: food and diving while you are in Mexico. So let’s go diving…and eating with Koox diving. Once in Mexico, you will realize there are a lot of places where you can eat with a large variety of delicious dishes. Surely you will have troubles choosing what, literally, there is a different dish in each corner. There’s much more than the famous tacos and you will love it.

Foods to avoid before diving:

Try to stay away from eating the following, even the night before a dive:

• big meals
• oily foods
• lots of eggs
• fatty meat

Mexican foods to avoid before diving:

• “chilaquiles Verdes”,
• “nachos”,
• too many beans,
• “huevos motulados”,
• “tacos de conchinita”
• and needless to say: Don’t drink much tequila or mezcal, too.

How long to wait after eating to go scuba diving?

To wait 30 minutes before you go diving or swimming is a myth. It depends on what and how much you are eating. It might be true that when you are full you are channeling a lot of blood to the stomach for digestion and this can lead to cramps. You can also get something called stitches, a cramp just below the lungs.

Some discomfort is present every time you’ve had big meal before a dive, you can feel like heartburn or vomiting, this can be from reflux, mainly because of high external pressure on the body that the sensation of being underwater can cause.

So best is to have a break for good digestion, or eat light easy to digest food before making the splash. Try to be well-hydrated before you jump in the water, so you can have a pleasant dive.

What to eat before diving?

The best food to have before any dive is something light, easy to digest. Avoid big heavy meals that can cause cramps, or heartburn, and even reflux that might make you vomit. Just eat food with lots of carbohydrates, and drink lots of water before any dive and after.

What to eat for breakfast before an afternoon dive?

• Yogurt with fruit
• Toast
• Oaks with fruit
• Cereals
• Eggs
• Fruit with granola

If you are in Mexico, go for some good Mexican breakfast like:

• huevos a la Mexicana
• molletes
• a good licuado de mamey

But again hydrate yourself well, a fresh orange juice, or pineapple, and even Agua de Tuna, a cactus fruit juice.

What to eat for lunch before an afternoon dive?

• Fish tacos
• Fish
• Salads
• Coccus
• rice
• vegetarian sandwich

What to eat between dives, during surface intervals?

We recommend having a light snack:

• chocolate – good to gain heat and energy
• banana
• carrots
• Jicama with lime and dry chile – Jicama is a root, and it gets you very hydrated.

What to drink before and after a dive?

No wonder, the best is always water.

• Lemon juice
• Orange juice
• Jamaica
• Horchata
• Banana milkshake

Staying hydrated on all dives is the most important fact. You will avoid getting decompression illness.

Hungry after a dive? Here’s our Special Selection of the Best Places to Eat

There are many places to go and have a good meal when you can allow yourself to have one

Best Places for Breakfast & Lunch in Tulum:

• Ki’bok Coffee Tulum
• Babel coffee shop
• Don caffeto
• El cielo
• Co. con amor

Best Places for Breakfast & Lunch in Playa del Carmen:

• bio -natural
• 100% natural
• Nativo
• La ceiba en la 30
• Madrez cafe

Best Places for Breakfast & Lunch in Cancun:

• Cafe Nader en la Nader
• Rooster Cancun
• La dolce vitta
• 100% natural
• La parroquia

Best Places for Dinner in Tulum:

• El asadero
• Pizzeria manglar
• Roraima
• Posada margarita
• Hartwood

Best Places for Dinner in Playa Del Carmen:

• Axiote
• Alux
• 500 gramos grill
• El fogon
• Blue lobster

Best Places for Dinner in Cancun:

• Lorenzillos
• La habichuela
• Sirena morena
• Pescaditos
• Taqueria coapenitos

So enjoy all the Mexican cuisine has to offer while you’re in Mexico and enjoy all are dive sites we can offer in cenotes and in the ocean.