Explore

Why do divers often drink a sip of fish sauce before diving?

It may come as a surprise to many that fish sauce - an indispensable condiment in every household's kitchen - is closely linked to the work of divers.

Administrator

26 December, 2023

145

What do sailors and divers drink fish sauce for?

According to experienced sailors and divers, the ocean is full of dangers; only those with experience and deep understanding of the profession can overcome them.

The habit of drinking fish sauce before going to sea or diving to the bottom of the ocean is formed from valuable lessons drawn from many generations in fishing villages, aiming to keep the body warm and prevent fatigue when diving underwater for a long time.

Not only when diving, but also on cold days at sea, fishermen often drink fish sauce. The type of fish sauce they drink before diving is often homemade, with a high protein content, called “core fish sauce” in many places. It is thanks to this protein-rich component that fish sauce has helped protect fishermen when they go to sea and when they dive into the ocean.

According to the explanation of scientists, fish sauce is a mixture of salt and amino acids converted from protein in fish through the hydrolysis process, with the catalyst being the enzymes present in the fish intestines and salt-resistant bacteria. Thanks to the enzymes, the protein from the fish is “broken down” into amino acids, which can be directly and easily absorbed by the body.

The amino acids and polypeptides in core fish sauce have the ability to provide energy, keep the body warm for fishermen and divers. The higher the protein content in fish sauce, the higher its ability to keep the body warm.

Drinking core fish sauce before diving helps warm the diver’s body, so they don’t feel cold when underwater, avoiding the risk of hypothermia from staying in the water for a long time. In addition, it also helps prevent blood clotting when exposed to very low temperatures.

When diving deep underwater, the body is under high pressure, making it difficult for blood to circulate to the cells, and the blood vessels are compressed. Fish sauce with high protein content will increase heart rate and blood pressure, resist water pressure, helping to avoid fatigue, muscle stiffness, and drowning. That is why divers drink fish sauce before diving. They also sometimes drink core fish sauce when they return to the shore to keep their bodies warm.

Depending on the protein content of the fish sauce, they drink more or less, the higher the protein content, the more suitable it is for keeping the body warm, and if the fish sauce is too light, they need to drink more. Those who are not used to it may feel dizzy if they drink too much core fish sauce at once, also known as “fish sauce buzz.”

In addition, experienced fishermen have shared some tips when going to sea:

Do not let your stomach be too empty or too full when going underwater. It is best to eat a little something and bring along some sweets, fruits, and canned food, as swimming will consume a lot of energy.

If you have itching, feel cold, abnormal fatigue, headache or backache, tingling, visual disturbances, signs of abdominal distension, pain in the shoulders and knees, you must immediately find a way to get to the shore.

Stay calm, close your eyes, hold your breath so that your lungs do not drown in water, and become a buoy to push yourself up. Use your hands or feet as paddles, splash water to push your head out of the water. With this method, you can survive underwater for a long time, waiting for rescue or taking advantage of the current to swim to shallower water.