Farting or flatulence is natural, as we all feel it on a daily basis. A study by scientists shows that we can pass gas up to 15 times a day, and though most of us like to do it discreetly, it is not the same case when scuba diving. Farting while scuba diving, known as “Fart While Scuba Diving,” adds an interesting twist to this natural bodily function. The gas we pass varies from person to person in the power of odor and noise it creates. While some will acknowledge their farts with pride, the natural phenomenon can embarrass some, especially in the unique setting of scuba diving.
Imagine being underwater, surrounded by marine life, and suddenly releasing a fart that echoes in the silent depths. It can certainly catch other divers off guard and create a memorable, albeit amusing, experience. So, even in the underwater world, farts manage to make their presence known, reminding us that human nature follows us wherever we go, even beneath the waves.
You might wonder how farting works underwater or ask yourself what happens if you scuba dive. In this article, I will answer this question and more frequently asked questions surrounding the topic. I will also take you through tips to prevent farting while scuba diving and teach you interesting facts.
What Happens If You Fart While In a Scuba Diving Suit?
As said earlier, farting is natural as we can produce between 500 to 200 milliliters of gas a day. It is only natural to feel the urge to pass gas while scuba diving if you spend most of your day underwater. Diet, environmental factors, and possible health issues you experience will influence the quantity of gas passed.
The process of passing gas is no different while scuba diving compared to land. This is because gas produced during digestion will build up and eventually feel the urge to expel it. The gas released into the water will rise, similar to exhaled air bubbles.
Dry Suit Vs. Wet Suit
The effects of a fart when scuba diving will mainly be influenced by the exposure suit worn and depth. While utilizing a dry suit, it is crucial to bear in mind that they possess a watertight characteristic. If you happen to release gas while wearing a dry suit during a dive, it will remain trapped inside the suit., and it will be better for you not to unzip close to your friends as all the gas released will still be trapped.
When using a wetsuit, the only issue that may arise is extra bubbles. A wetsuit has three main openings: neck, wrist, and ankles. When you fart at shallow depths, you will likely release the gas behind your neck, which is the highest point while diving.
It can be released through your wrist when deflating your BDC, as your arms will be at the highest point and will likely be raised holding the inflator hose. The gas passed will form bubbles and rise to the surface as it is lighter than water.
Depth and Farting
The deeper a person scuba dives, the harder it gets to pass some gas. One will start experiencing problems farting as soon as they reach a depth of 7.5 meters and become more challenging when they reach 10 meters. This is because the deeper you go, pressure increases and makes it harder to do so.
Can Scuba Diving Make You Gassy?
With pressure changes while scuba diving, most divers wonder if scuba diving can make them gassy. The answer to this question is possible. This is because, other than digestion, farting can also result from air swallowing.
We swallow some air as we swallow food, drink, or saliva. When the air builds up in the digestive system, it will combine with digestive gasses and eventually have to be removed through burping or farting.
The process in which gas accumulates in the gut is known as gastric squeeze and often occurs while diving as the air inside the diver expands during ascend and swells during descent.
Symptoms
The common symptom of being gassy while diving is feeling bloated and in pain. If it is impossible to pass the gas, the diver will be at risk of intestinal tissue rapture or severe enough to cause fainting.
A diver can avoid this problem by being selective of their diet before diving to reduce the possibility of having intestinal gas build-up. Avoiding carbonated drinks, beans, and spicy foods will go a long way toward feeling gassy while diving.
To remedy gastric squeeze symptoms, you need to vent up the gas and stop the ascent. This will help in relieving bloating and pain you are experiencing and only continue the ascent when symptoms subside. Medical attention for feeling gassy after diving is rarely required; however, you can visit a doctor if symptoms persist.
Gastric Squeeze vs. Decompression Sickness
While most divers might confuse having gastric squeeze and decompression sickness, their effects are far from each other. Decompression sickness, also known as Bends, results from the formation of gas bubbles in the body due to diving.
Bends mainly affect divers who transition rapidly from high-pressure environments to lower-pressure environments. Unlike gastric squeeze, which results from gas in the digestive system, bends result from gas bubbles forming in the tissue.
When divers explore lower altitudes in deep seas, the compressed air they breathe is in equal pressure to the surrounding water, leading to their bodies absorbing more compressed air than they can handle, forming air bubbles in the tissues.
The result of this sickness can lead to convolutions, numbness, and sensory abnormalities, among others. To treat the bends, the diver needs to go into a hyperbaric chamber followed by gradual decompression, but it will not reverse the damage done to the tissues.
Does Farting in My Wetsuit Affect My Buoyancy?
Buoyancy is essentially an object or diver’s ability to float. Many factors affect the buoyancy of a diver. Though it might seem like a confusing concept, I will take you through a brief overview so that you understand whether passing gas can manipulate buoyancy.
At a basic level, divers carry weight to help their descent. They use Buoyancy Control Devices (BCD) at their desired depth and fill it with enough air to slow down their descent. Divers use the device as the air in their bodies and scuba gear compresses, causing bodies to lose buoyancy. As divers deal with drastic change when ascending or descending, you might wonder if farting can have any effect.
Logical reasoning will show you that farting is the release of gas from the body, which means you will become less buoyant. With that said, to conclude that there is an impact due to a fart’s small volume. It is also important to note that the average volume of the gas someone passes is about 90 ml, while the inspiratory capacity is 3 liters. Since there is a large difference between breathing and farting, there will be hardly any effects on a diver’s buoyancy.
If you are still learning to scuba dive, you will probably use a wet suit because it is more buoyant. The gas that you will pass will find an opening through your suit to escape. If you pay close attention, you will see bubbles forming, and there will be a change in pressure as they rise. Though farting technically is supposed to affect a diver’s buoyancy in a wetsuit, it does not do it significantly.
Even if you are wearing a wetsuit that traps air inside, it will stay trapped until you ascend and remove your scuba gear. If you fart in a dry suit, there will be no change in buoyancy as it is loosely fit and is designed to vent out pressure during ascent.
Tips to Prevent Farting While Scuba Diving
Before I take you through tips on preventing farting while scuba diving, let me take you through how to safely fat while diving. It is important to note that farting is natural, and in some cases or situations, you will have little or no control over it. If you are at a depth where it is safe to pass gas, here is some advice that you should be aware of:
- Never force a fart, as putting too much pressure on your gastrointestinal tract can cause a hernia.
- Try to relax and lean back slightly when you feel like farting while diving.
- Don’t push too hard; you can leave more than gas on your suit.
- Avoid farting on a dry suit.
- If you get cramps from a fart, you may be too deep to dump some gas. Ascend slowly above 33 feet to safely do it.
It is also important to note that despite putting up any preventive measures, it is impossible to fart at greater depths. Below are some important tips that will help you reduce or prevent passing gas while diving:
- Eat slowly and properly chew meals to reduce the amount of air you swallow, causing it to be trapped in your digestive tract.
- Avoid fizzy drinks, besides the sugar rush they offer, as they increase farts and burp. This includes drinking beers, which you should avoid anyway before a dive.
- You may want to keep off baked beans and dairy products. This is because some foods cause the human body to produce and release more gas.
- Finally, get in shape. Exercising not only helps your digestive system, but it also helps in reducing the urge to fart.
Final Words
To sum up all the frequently asked questions about farting in relation to diving. Yes, you can fart underwater when you feel the urge to pass some gas. It will not inflate your wetsuit and make it look like a balloon. However, numerous factors can lead to gas build-up and feeling like farting while diving, but most are preventable.
Depending on the depth of your descent, the increased water pressure will compress the gasses in your body and reduce your urge to fart. However, the gasses will expand during ascension, and the urge to fart will make you want to fart.