As a professional PADI scuba diver, I’ve collected a treasure trove of skin and hair hacks that have kept me feeling great while working in the diving industry. Now it is time to share these tricks of the trade to help you dive with confidence and maintain your skin and hair’s health when scuba diving!
1. It all starts before the dive:
Before you go scuba diving, preparing your skin is essential.
- Hydration is Key. Start drinking water well in advance of your dive. Well-hydrated skin is more resilient and less prone to dryness and irritation. You may not realise it, but we use a huge amount of water when scuba diving. A scuba diver can loose water from swear, urination and even breathing! So it is very important to replenish this water and keep your skin hydrated.
- Use a lightweight, non-greasy moisturiser to create a protective barrier on your skin. This helps retain moisture and prevents saltwater from drying out your skin during the dive. I always try to avoid moisturiser on the mask area of my face. I leave this until after the dive as it can prevent your mask creating a tight seal on your face.
2. Fresh water:
Sadly our hair is porous. This means that our hair absorbs salt water completely when scuba diving, and as we all know, salt water wreaks complete havoc with our hair.
You should soak or rinse your hair in fresh water before you go diving. By doing this your hair absorbs all the fresh water so it won’t be able to absorb as much salt water during the dive.
3.Go loco for coco:
A trick of the trade is to smother your hair in coconut oil before your dive. Don’t be shy! Really work a lot of that Coconut goodness into your hair and then opt for a dive proof hairstyle. After the dive you won’t even need conditioner! Just run a brush through your hair in the shower and your hair will be feeling amazing and smelling even better.
4. Lip balm is essential:
Saltwater, sun and wind are surefire ways to dry out your lips. As soon as you are out of the water, pucker up and apply a generous amount of lip balm (bonus points for lip balm with SPF) and put some moisture back in those beauties!
5. Don’t skip a post-dive skin care routine
After your dive, don’t forget to give your skin a little love.
- Rinse your body and face with lukewarm freshwater to remove salt, sand and any impurities.
- Now follow up with a moisturiser to lock in hydration and prevent skin dryness.
So there you have it: a couple of trade secrets that will enrich your diving adventures and make your next diving vacation more comfortable. So what are you waiting for? gear up, dive in, and stay salty! X