Am I worthy to take lessons?

[deep_6]

I'm gonna be open and honest here as it concerns my health and what I'm about to do (which is take up dive lessons).

I'm 220 pounds. 5'8" height. I would say I'm 70 pounds overweight!

My wife says I'm too big and heavy to dive! We were looking at some bp/wings on the net and she jokingly tells me to get a stainless steel bp with the superwings! And that my gear would be cheaper than the rest as I don't need any weights!

I was able to trim down my weight back in '97 in preparation for USMC boot camp. Boot camp further decreased my weight.

During that time I was 230 pounds and after 3 months of hardcore running and calisthenics came down to 157 pounds.

I can do it...did it before...QUESTION IS DO I REALLY NEED TO DO IT AGAIN?

Thanks.

 

[verona]

I'm not a doctor or health professional but for your own safety you should be fit to dive. 70 pounds overweight is putting stress on your heart and your joints. diving can be physically challenging and can require stamina. So I think you do need to. You will see plenty of overweight and unfit divers out there but they are adding a risk factor.

Just my two cents worth...

 

[gehadoski]

I'm gonna be open and honest here as it concerns my health and what I'm about to do (which is take up dive lessons).

I'm 220 pounds. 5'8" height. I would say I'm 70 pounds overweight!

My wife says I'm too big and heavy to dive! We were looking at some bp/wings on the net and she jokingly tells me to get a stainless steel bp with the superwings! And that my gear would be cheaper than the rest as I don't need any weights!

I was able to trim down my weight back in '97 in preparation for USMC boot camp. Boot camp further decreased my weight.

During that time I was 230 pounds and after 3 months of hardcore running and calisthenics came down to 157 pounds.

I can do it...did it before...QUESTION IS DO I REALLY NEED TO DO IT AGAIN?

Thanks.

First
That person how told you that you will not need weights. he/she was wrong cause in Diving you are taking weights 10% from your wait. I will give you an example in Kilos because I don't know how to deal with pounds. If you weight 100 kilogram, you wear a weight belt with 10 kilogram of lead on it.

Second
If you really concern about your health. beeing overweighted will have side effects not just in diving, but in your all life. Being overweighted means week joint, rappid breathin rate, heart is doing alot of effort to pump blood.

Third
In diving being overweighted means more volume, more volume = more effort to move in water, more effort = more oxygen to be burnt, more oxygen = more breathing rate.

You said that have done it before, this means that you can do it again. Do it, cause if you don't you are harming yourself (in life) and you are missing alot (in diving).

 

[TechDiverWithHDcam]

I am 5'' fot 7 and 200 pounds. But I find diving and being on a steak only diet is forcing me to lose weight. Don't let you wife
discourage you. You are not to fat to dive. Good luck on buying a wetsuit thought as I barely fit into mine

I'm gonna be open and honest here as it concerns my health and what I'm about to do (which is take up dive lessons).

I'm 220 pounds. 5'8" height. I would say I'm 70 pounds overweight!

My wife says I'm too big and heavy to dive! We were looking at some bp/wings on the net and she jokingly tells me to get a stainless steel bp with the superwings! And that my gear would be cheaper than the rest as I don't need any weights!

I was able to trim down my weight back in '97 in preparation for USMC boot camp. Boot camp further decreased my weight.

During that time I was 230 pounds and after 3 months of hardcore running and calisthenics came down to 157 pounds.

I can do it...did it before...QUESTION IS DO I REALLY NEED TO DO IT AGAIN?

Thanks.

 

[Scubaroo]

First
That person how told you that you will not need weights. he/she was wrong cause in Diving you are taking weights 10% from your wait. I will give you an example in Kilos because I don't know how to deal with pounds. If you weight 100 kilogram, you wear a weight belt with 10 kilogram of lead on it.

I'm sorry, but this statement is way too generalised. Body weight has *nothing* to do with how much weight is required - exposure protection and tank buoyancy on the other hand do. A diver wearing a 7mm drysuit will have different weight needs to someone wearing a 1mm skin, and a diver wearing a heavy steel tank like a LP95 will need much less weight than the exact same diver wearing an Aluminium 80. I'm 105kg and only need 6kg of lead in a 7mm suit, because of my BC and tank choices.

 

[The Chairman]

Well, to say I am "overweight" is an understatement.

When I try to do a shore exit, beach goers will try and push me back in the water.

I get mistaken for a manatee all of the time... ("oooh lookie, there's another one, and it's blowing bubbles!")

As scubaroo said, trying to dive with 10% of your weight could make you WEIGH over weighted! In the springs I never dive with any weight. I just don't need it. In the ocean, I might add 4 pounds, and that's it.

More importantly, if you are at a health risk (I am not), then you need to consult a physician before you take the plunge or persue ANY physical activity. If not, then dive, dive, dive! I love being in the water as I don't feel the weight of this world on my shoulders. I think that's why the other whales stay there as well.

 

[deep_6]

I love being in the water as I don't feel the weight of this world on my shoulders. I think that's why the other whales stay there as well.

LOL!!! NetDoc, with that said...I think I'll love being in the water as well! Cheers!

 

[margorah]

deep-6,

As mentioned before being overweight can be a problem everywhere in your life not just diving. When I qualified I had to have a medical, which recorded specifics, e.g., height, weight, blood pressure, lung volume. This was to certify me to dive and was also stored on computer for decompression centres to access in case of problems. If you have one of these medicals the doctor will be able to advise you on your health for diving.

I myself am slightly overweight, but have found that through diving I have developed a passion for swimming. It's something I can do between dives, to keep in touch with the water and I like to think of it as dive training. The other advantage is it's helping me to lose weight.

As mentioned check with your doctor, and try and lose weight if you can. But rather than seeing your weight as an obstacle to your diving, see diving as an incentive for your weight loss.

Good luck

SM

 

[CBulla]

Deep_6 - I'm not to far behind Net Doc size wise (which is why he is leader and not me!) and I to can assure you that at my height and weight (5'5" and 221#) I do not have any problems diving... I find it to be an attribute for attracting large marine mammals and sea creatures to me with the curiosity as to what creature am I to be so big and noisy!

 

[gj62]

As an instructor, weight/height is not really a criteria I used when assessing if someone is fit enough to dive. HOWEVER, for people who were very obese (judgement call, I know), or who were physically over-exerted doing pool work, I would require a doctor's release to do the open-water dives and be certified.

Anyhow, there were several folks that after such consultation either (a) could not get a doctor's release, or (b) even with a doctor's release decided that they were better off not diving.

Deep_6, you may want to ask a doctor, or be honest enough with yourself if you get winded walking around the block, if you should pursue the sport at this time. Different people have different tolerance to weight, that's true, so I can't give you a cut-and-dried answer...