How important is it to be fit as a Diver?

[WaterRat]

Fitness is very important, this coming from an overweight diver working to get fit. However, I know it helps SAC rate, offgassing, lugging heavy dive gear, panic reflex, stamina, etc...

Ron

[texdiveguy]

Very important to stay as fit as possible....the more technical your diving becomes the greater your fitness level needs to improve or maintain.

[fire diver]

I think fitness is very important for everyone. If you have a physical hobby such as SCUBA, you need to be fitter than the average person. Tanks and gear are heavy, lugging them over rough terrain for a shore dive can take alot out of you. If you should have the need to swim against a current, cardiovascular as well as muscular endurance can mean the difference between success, or being swept out to sea and doing the whole "Open Water" thing until the boat finds you.

Not to mention it helps lower your SAC!

FD

[TxHockeyGuy]

I think your level of required fitness depends on the conditions you dive in. I believe the certification agencies got things right with requiring a 200 yard swim (I'm against the 300 yard mask/snorkel/fin PADI allows). That's a good starting point and should let you dive easy conditions with confidence. As you enter more dangerous and trying conditions you need to adjust your level of fitness appropriately.

Someone had mentioned the DAN article on obesity and diving accidents. This was discussed in length over on ScubaBoard and I don't put too much faith in that article. For one the method in which we determine obesity is incredibly flawed. I just ran the numbers for the Dallas Stars lineup through the BMI calculator and virtually everyone came up as overweight and at least one came up as obese. If you go try this on a football team I bet the vast majority of the team will be shown to be obese. Our method for determining obesity is flawed and therefor the usefulness of articles concerning obesity has to be called into question.

[Queen]

Originally Posted by TxHockeyGuy

I think your level of required fitness depends on the conditions you dive in. I believe the certification agencies got things right with requiring a 200 yard swim (I'm against the 300 yard mask/snorkel/fin PADI allows). That's a good starting point and should let you dive easy conditions with confidence. As you enter more dangerous and trying conditions you need to adjust your level of fitness appropriately.

Someone had mentioned the DAN article on obesity and diving accidents. This was discussed in length over on ScubaBoard and I don't put too much faith in that article. For one the method in which we determine obesity is incredibly flawed. I just ran the numbers for the Dallas Stars lineup through the BMI calculator and virtually everyone came up as overweight and at least one came up as obese. If you go try this on a football team I bet the vast majority of the team will be shown to be obese. Our method for determining obesity is flawed and therefor the usefulness of articles concerning obesity has to be called into question.

Agreed, I'm a big ol gal and have low cholesterol, low BP, low resting pulse, I'm in excellent shape, am pretty strong (never need help with my gear), and can sip on a tank of air til the cows come home...but I'm still fat.

[DougNR]

I think the important thing is diving within your physical abilities. Clearly an unexpected situation could occur that might require physical ability beyond those any individual has. That is why we plan our dives, and stick with our plan. I'm 53 so I don't try to dive like I have the stamina of a 25 year old.

[yeroks]

Judging by what I've seen on most of my dives, I'd say the high numbers that DAN refers to are more than likely fat people and not Brian Urlacher types that qualify as obese due to the somewhat flawed logic of most BMI calculations.

[TxHockeyGuy]

Originally Posted by yeroks

Judging by what I've seen on most of my dives, I'd say the high numbers that DAN refers to are more than likely fat people and not Brian Urlacher types that qualify as obese due to the somewhat flawed logic of most BMI calculations.

True, but the vast majority of big divers I dive with are in good shape despite their weight, better shape than many of the divers that are in the "normal" category. I'm a big diver and am considered obese by BMI but I can easily out swim the majority of "normal" divers I've been with. I am overweight, I know it, and I am working on that although not as hard as I should be. Then again I'm also 28 and active so I am not that likely to have a heart attack, even being "obese". In fact I'll be headed to the gym here shortly, got to work off that pizza I had for dinner.

[Disneymom]

I learned the hard way on this one - I'm a middle aged secretary type person, and am NOT in shape. Probably about 30 lbs overweight. When I did my first pool dive I wound up physically exhausted and mentally exhausted about half way through. Granted, I'd already done my swim, which just about kicked my butt.

2 months later and I'm swimming 700 - 800 yards in my pool every few nights, and going to a gym almost every day for cardio and weight training. Back in the pool about 3 weeks after starting this regimen and it was a breeze. I'm still "fluffy" and still middle aged, but I sure as heck wasn't winded this weekend after a 3 dive day.

I'm a firm believer that fitness is important (and you can be fluffy and fit, you're just fluffy on top of the fit...I'd love to be just fit but don't see that happenin' soon). I expect to see my SAC rate decrease as my stamina continues to increase over the next few months.

[rktman26]

I believe it's "situationally dependant". As long as you can haul your own gear and are safe in the conditions in which you dive, then you're fine.

Fitness is important to me not solely because I dive, it's somewhat who I am and what I do. I ran a marathon last year, and I'm running it again this year. I run 3-4 times a week, and I swim a mile tice a week. But that's just me.

I think some people forget that SCUBA diving is a "recreational" sport. You don't need the best equipment, or to be in the perfect dive location, or be in the best shape. If You enjoy your diving, then it's fine for you.

Let me throw out this disclaimer- I'm a newbie, I may not know what the heck I'm talking about.