diving with some what of a bad back?

[nitrochad]

How bad is diving on ones back?

 

[vladimir]

I arch my back and bend my knees in horizontal trim. On a long day of diving I might feel some muscular tightness in my lower back from the exertion. Carrying heavy tanks, wieghtbelts, etc., might be the real problem for you, because you'll still have the full burden of your body weight while you do that. While underwater, that strain will be alleviated.

 

[dhuskins]

The PADI medical statement makes the following comment about physical lifting or strain measurements.

Relative impairment of mobility, particularly in a boat or ashore
with equipment weighing up to 18 kgs/40 pounds must be
assessed. Orthopaedic conditions of a degree sufficient to impair
exercise performance may increase the risk.

 

[Web Monkey]

How bad is diving on ones back?

It's somewhere between horrible and wonderful, depending on what you do and how you do it.

There are ways of entering and exiting the water that are very easy on your back, however there are also things that are amazingly stressful.

SCUBA does not need to place much stress on your back at all, if you plan your dives that way.

If you have a bad back, make sure your instructor knows about it before class so he/she can make appropriate arrangements.

Terry

 

[nitrochad]

thats just it, will I be able to take the ow dive class? I had surgery on my lower back but i still do everyday activity. just got done bowling 3 games. I did not have a fusion on the lower back just some trimming of the disk. once in the water their isn't that much weight on the back right?

 

[RJP]

thats just it, will I be able to take the ow dive class?

Not medical advice, but recreational diving with an aluminum tank is not particularly demanding physically. If you can bowl three game I think you'll be OK, but do check with your doctor.

 

[Sas]

I have a bad back (lower back) from a car accident in 2006. Diving didn't seem to affect it one way or another when I was diving with a single tank. The pain was always there, niggling a bit and occassionally I would have quite bad days that didn't seem linked to anything in particular.

Though since starting to dive with twin 100s I have had no back pain Other than after I didn't use them for about two weeks when they were on loan to someone... I would have thought it would make them worse and my partner cracked it when I bought them but had to conceed later on after seeing me be pain free for the first time in years. I presume they just have strengthened my back, which I probably could have achieved from some kind of exercise at the gym but diving is more fun than the gym. That's just my experience though! I would imagine YMMV significantly depending on what is wrong.

 

[dmoore19]

I have had surgery on my back. 2 discs removed, 3 vertibrea fused. Diving is a wonderful experience because of the weightlessness and freedom in the water. Follow your doctors advise for lifting, if you need, make arrangements to get help carrying or lifting and TIP the HELL out of the people who help you! Most are glad to help out.

 

[merxlin]

I ruptured a disc and only have about 40% of the disk left between L4 and L5 after my surgery. Get and stay "in shape" and you won't have any problems- I've been on pitching boats, done the trail to Old Marineland (about a half mile and fairly steep) with an HP100 and had no issues. But get in some core work or you'll be hating life.

 

[fisheater]

When I had pulled a back muscle was in pain 24/7, the ONLY time I was pain free was when I was diving.

I had someone carry my gear into and out of the water and I doffed and donned there.