Overweight Divers

[WetHog]

I'm with Big Budd.

I too am over 6 foot and pushing 300 lb. I played ball, wrestled, and hold a Second Degree Blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do. Am I happy with my conditioning all the time??...No, who does not want to run faster, kick higher, do one more push up, one more pull-up, one more crunch, etc.
I would put my conditioning up against many a "skinny man" any day.

And he he beats me...I'l just beat him. heh heh

[obrules15]

I don't really know how to respond to this post. I am fat and I dive. I am not fat like 10# fat, I was up to 100# over my ideal weight at one point. What I don't understand is why that should mean I shouldn't dive. I have always been active and gone to the gym regularly, regardless of my weight. On a recent dive trip I proved how much better shape I am in than a skinny smoker who sucked air and nearly had to be rescued. But in terms of what you see you never know where people are in there fitness quest so how to judge. You may have someone who went through an illness or a personal tragedy and ballooned up or someone who finally decided to take control of their body and is eating well and exercising and slowly loosing weight which is the recommended speed and is re-incorporating physical activity into their life. One of the scariest divers I have EVER seen was in his late sixties and his BC (not rented) was buckled at his nipple line. I saw him out of the water and started to review the CPR and ACLS recommendations but when I saw him underwater and I saw how graceful and beautiful he was in that environment I began to understand that to him diving was so important and so much a part of him that it was worth the risk (I still kept reviewing how to do CPR though)

If the question is why are there so many overweight divers, the response is because we as a nation are becoming increasingly overweight. If the question is how dare I put on a wetsuit and be seen in public if I am fat then the response is "bite me". However, I believe that while we live in this society with fast food on every corner and preservatives in everything we eat we are not going to be able to get control of the obesity epidemic

[MSilvia]

Originally Posted by freeski4ever

I can't understand ... how divers who smoke must feel while physically exerting themselves underwater.

If you're assuming divers need to maintain a high level of fitness so that they can exert themselves underwater, I think that might be part of the reason you're suprised by overweight divers. In my experience, the best divers are often the ones who've learned how to AVOID exerting themselves underwater. If you're working hard you may be doing it wrong, and fat people are often well suited to relaxing.

That aside, fat provides insulation, and isn't nearly as encumbering underwater as it is on land (compare an elephant seal on land to one in the water). Lots of overweight people really enjoy the extra freedom of movement they get while diving.

[divingbuddy]

I always figured God made me fat and furry just so I could be a good cold water diver . Since I started diving I've lost about 80 pounds, and I really have to admit that I kind of miss the warmth on some early season or deeper dives.

[Martin2]

Originally Posted by obrules15

If the question is why are there so many overweight divers, the response is because we as a nation are becoming increasingly overweight. If the question is how dare I put on a wetsuit and be seen in public if I am fat then the response is "bite me". However, I believe that while we live in this society with fast food on every corner and preservatives in everything we eat we are not going to be able to get control of the obesity epidemic

Thank you.

I'm not horribly overweight, but I'm not a stick either. I don't need anyone's praise to be out and active, but I certianly don't need anyone's criticism regarding my weight when I'm out diving. If you don't like it, go elsewhere. I am working on getting in better shape, but that's for me. Certainly not for anyone else.

[Eurodiver]

Originally Posted by freeski4ever

I hear you on that one!! I used to smoke when I was in the Army, but fortunately, I was able to kick the nasty habit. Now I can't stand the smell of cigarettes smoke, or being around other smokers for an extended period of time. I can't understand how I used to ski and smoke, or how divers who smoke must feel while physically exerting themselves underwater.

I must be the exception to the rule I smoke and there are many times I have been snowboarding and smoke while going down the slope or smoke right before a dive. It isn't physically exerting. I don't huff and puff. I am sure I could blow the house down.
What I don't understand is people that are stereotypical and think they are better than other just cause some of us haven't stopped YET!

And to the guy that said people in the Military are fit, I say
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha you must not have been around it much lately. There are so many "over weight" people in the military right now. Most do it because they know they can get out and the military will pay them. "We're sorry you can't lose weight here is $25,000 to make it all better."

[RoyN]

I want to look skinny and sexy in a wetsuit.

[Bigg_Budd]

Originally Posted by RoyN

I want to look skinny and sexy in a wetsuit.

Impossible. You're a man. The male form looks disgusting in a wetsuit, regardless of what shape you're in.

The only creature that can come REMOTELY close to looking sexy in a wetsuit is a woman.

[azdiver]

Originally Posted by Bigg_Budd

Impossible. You're a man. The male form looks disgusting in a wetsuit, regardless of what shape you're in.

The only creature that can come REMOTELY close to looking sexy in a wetsuit is a woman.

I don't know about that.... I've seen some very sexy looking men wearing skin suits!

[emcbride81]

Originally Posted by Bigg_Budd

Impossible. You're a man. The male form looks disgusting in a wetsuit, regardless of what shape you're in.

The only creature that can come REMOTELY close to looking sexy in a wetsuit is a woman.

Ahhh...women in wetsuits....happy thoughts.....

Men in wetsuits.....well....it's like naked guys in the locker room...you don't want to see it, but it has to happen