Monitor: If joint pain, rash, numbness → Call DAN.
Not a medical emergency alone, but respect the warning. Divelocked itch is a real, benign-but-miserable phenomenon of technical diving, likely from microscopic bubbles irritating deep itch nerves. It is not DCS, but it is a sign of significant decompression stress. Listen to your body, treat symptomatically, and adjust your diving habits — but never skip deco to escape the itch. That’s why it’s called divelocked . divelocked itch
| Risk Factor | Reason | |-------------|--------| | | Higher inert gas loading | | Long bottom times (>60 min) | More time for micronuclei formation | | Repetitive dives | Residual gas loads | | Cold water dives | Peripheral vasoconstriction traps gas | | Fast ascent rates (even within deco) | Supersaturation stress | | Dehydration | Slower gas washout | | Post-dive hot shower | Vasodilation + bubble mobilization | | History of mild DCS | Possible subclinical bubble predisposition | | High body fat % | Nitrogen solubility in adipose tissue | 6. Differential Diagnosis (What Else It Could Be) Before labeling an itch as “divelocked,” rule out these mimics: Monitor: If joint pain, rash, numbness → Call DAN
Resolves by 4 hours → Safe. Log it. Modify next dive (more hydration, slower ascent). It is not DCS, but it is a
During deco: Stay calm. Don’t scratch. Finish stops. Cool a glove if needed.
1. What Is Divelocked Itch? Divelocked itch (DLI) is a colloquial term for an intense, deep-seated, generalized pruritus (itch) that begins during the latter stages of a long decompression obligation or immediately upon surfacing, and which cannot be relieved by scratching . The “divelocked” part refers to the feeling of being trapped underwater or in deco, unable to escape the sensation, and the fact that the itch persists even when you try to scratch it — as if the itch is “locked” beneath the skin.