Overweight Divers

[russp]

Originally Posted by freeski4ever

The incident to which I was referring was at a local quarry, Clear Springs Scuba Park. I witnessed several guys with dicky-do's (when your belly sticks out farther than your dicky-do) scuba diving. Something about a gut hanging over a weight belt just doesn't seem right to me (right hand release or not).

That's why I wear an integrated weight BC. I have lost 5 of the 20 pounds of excess belly that I squeeze into my current wet suits.

[boogerm45]

Just sounds to me that there is some underlying predjuces comming out here, I smoke and have the gut, and am 50 years old, love to dive, and would bet that the arrogence of the initiation of this thread couldnt out do me by much in the two mile run!! LMAO

[cummings66]

If you can run two miles you're better than me. My knees won't take it.

I myself could care less about factors like this, I figure it's your life to lead as you wish. That's how I am, I'm not about controlling anybody other than myself because I'm a handful and can't do much more.

[Kingpatzer]

Originally Posted by boogerm45

Just sounds to me that there is some underlying predjuces comming out here, I smoke and have the gut, and am 50 years old, love to dive, and would bet that the arrogence of the initiation of this thread couldnt out do me by much in the two mile run!! LMAO

I haven't read the whole thread, but I'll add my $.02 from what I have read:

Diving has a few dangers, the two most common of which are DCS and cardiac events. Being over weight, smoking, and other unhealthy lifestyle choices (and they are choices unless you're one of the 0.5% of the population with legitimate glandular problems) puts a person at significantly greater risk.

Since diving is, in general, something you do with other people, those who do not care for themselves properly are not only are placing themselves at risk, they are placing those who will have to rescue them at risk as well.

I have no problem diving with most anyone who wants to dive (though I have done so with a few folks whose health was clearly sub-standard), but I don't understand how anyone can care so little about themselves as abuse their body the way so many do.

[USF_Diver]

I didn't read the whole thread either. And I do agree likes others have said some people have extra weight but there cardio is great and I think that is the most important thing since sometimes you have to kick hard to get out of some currents or to swim back to a dive boat not close.

Its the people that struggle with really bad cardio overweight or thin that are a dive accident waiting to happen.

[UofTOrange]

I'm overweight and I know it. I'm working towards it and every pound I lose seems to help me diving. But, the more important thing for me is cardio for stamina

[cruzan]

My husband is a bit rounder than would be considered acceptable. Low blood pressure, low cholesterol ect. he can hang in any position he wants and has great control underwater. It seems that acceptable weight and shape is subject to individual considerations.
As he trains for DM he has begun to slim down though.

[LittleOtter]

Hey guys sorry I hatn posted in a while but, I have to agree with cruzan that acceptable is different for everyone. I can do 100 pushups, run 5 miles, and play ultimate frisbee and other sports besides diving and even though i'm medically considered "overweight", I consider it acceptable as I don't break the scale and am only 5'8 so i'm kinda short.

[Darthwader]

Originally Posted by GodivaGirl

The reason is simple . . . . fat people want to see cool things under water just like you do!!!

Fat people can be active people too. They just eat more than what their activties burn.

I am considered fat to some people since I am about 10-20 lbs overweight but I still want to dive. I don't have a lot of endurance so I choose dives that aren't as strenous as some. Consider where you are diving. A quary isn't exactly a difficult dive. A shore dive off the west coast is a bit more physically taxing and I'd be willing to bet that you won't see as many very overweight people diving there.

One other thing to consider. Diving is something that even people with physical problems can do. In other words, say someone has back or knee problems. Those problems limit their physical activity on land therefore they don't burn as many calories as someone with no problems that can go for a jog or play softball or whatever else they want to do. But people with those problems CAN swim and dive because in water they are pretty much weightless and they don't have the impact on their joints like on land.

my first and probably lasting impression of scuba diving is the classic double-hose toting UDT frogman. that's iconic to me. I've since realized that the physical range of divers is so much more diverse (hmm, "diverse divers. . ." I gotta do something with that!). all the different ages, fitness levels, and varying degrees of handicaps makes the diving community much richer (and more interesting) than My original schema.
I guess when it comes to fitness, as with any other aspect of diving, all I'm concerned with is that one should make sure to dive withing one's limits.