Do Piercings Affect Your Scuba Diving
Peter Letts Jan 28, 2022
Practical advice for pierced divers
Do Piercings Affect Your Scuba Diving?
Most healed piercings are compatible with diving. The important questions are whether the piercing is fully healed, your mask still seals and your equipment cannot snag the jewellery.
Body piercings do not normally prevent someone from becoming a scuba diver. Once a piercing is completely healed, the main practical issues are mask fit, access to your nose for equalising, pressure from straps or exposure suits, snagging and the possibility of losing jewellery.
A new or irritated piercing is different. It should be treated as a healing wound, and the ocean is not sterile simply because it contains salt. Healthdirect advises avoiding swimming until a piercing has healed, so postpone diving and follow the aftercare advice provided by your qualified piercer or health professional.
Piercings and scuba diving: common questions
Can I scuba dive after getting a new piercing?
Wait until it is fully healed. Pools, oceans, lakes and hot tubs can expose a healing piercing to microorganisms, while masks, wetsuits and other equipment can add friction or pressure. Healing time varies by piercing and person, so ask your piercer rather than relying on a fixed number of days or weeks.
Will facial piercings make my mask leak?
They can if jewellery sits under the mask skirt or stops the silicone sealing against your skin. Eyebrow and upper-lip jewellery can be especially relevant, depending on your face and mask. Test the dive mask with the jewellery you intend to wear and choose a model that seals without being overtightened.
Will a nose or septum piercing affect equalising?
A healed piercing does not normally change the pressure in your middle ears or sinuses. However, jewellery, tenderness or swelling may make it uncomfortable to pinch your nose or fit inside the mask's nose pocket. You must also be able to exhale through your nose to equalise the mask. If you cannot equalise, stop descending, ascend slightly and try again gently. Abort the dive if the problem continues, and never force equalisation through pain.
What about ear piercings, mask straps and long hair?
Control anything that can tangle or catch. Braid or tie long hair back, position the mask strap so it does not rub the jewellery and consider a lightweight dive hood to keep hair and healed ear piercings contained. Put the hood on and remove it slowly.
Can lip or tongue jewellery interfere with a regulator?
Jewellery around the mouth can rub against a mouthpiece or catch while the regulator is inserted or removed. Once the piercing is healed, use secure, low-profile jewellery that remains comfortable with your normal mouthpiece. Test the setup before the dive, and do not dive with oral swelling, pain or a healing piercing.
Will I lose my jewellery underwater?
It is possible. Threaded ends can loosen, and masks, hoods and wetsuits can catch protruding pieces. Check healed jewellery with clean hands before gearing up and leave valuable pieces ashore if they can be removed safely. Do not remove or change healing jewellery without advice from your piercer.
Are stretched ears or large jewellery a special concern?
Large hoops, tunnels, dangling jewellery and cords create more opportunities for snagging. Avoid adding rings or retainers that create another catch point. Once everything is fully healed, choose the lowest-profile secure option that works for you, or leave removable jewellery ashore. A hood may help contain healed ear jewellery, but it should not press painfully on it.
Do not dive if the piercing may be infected
Normal early healing can include some tenderness, but worsening symptoms need attention. Postpone diving and seek advice from a doctor or qualified health professional if you notice:
- Severe or worsening redness, heat or swelling
- Worsening or throbbing pain
- Thick, foul-smelling discharge or pus
- Excessive or persistent bleeding
- Fever, chills, dizziness or feeling unwell
- Red streaks or jewellery becoming embedded
Piercing-friendly pre-dive checklist
- The piercing is completely healed and comfortable
- There is no redness, swelling, pain or discharge
- Your mask seals with your normal jewellery in place
- You can pinch your nose and equalise comfortably
- No mask strap, hood or wetsuit seam rubs the piercing
- Jewellery is secure, low-profile and not valuable
- Long hair is tied back or contained
- You can remove equipment without catching the jewellery
Fit your equipment around your anatomy
Every face is different. A mask should seal comfortably without the strap being pulled excessively tight, and the nose pocket should give you enough room to equalise. Bring the jewellery you normally dive in and try several masks at the Abyss dive shop in Ramsgate.
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