I would like to hear from overweight female divers...

[Dapher]

I recently returned from Coz and was really surprised to see that I was not the only woman there with a few (much laughter) extra pounds. Infact I did not see any of those bathing beauties from the pictures! I made sure I had all my gear ahead of time so I would not have to do the embarassing try on thing, so all I had to get from the dive shop was tanks & weights, and no one even looked at me twice when I got all that weight. Go have fun and by the end of the week you won't even think twice about running around in your bathing suit and sarong.

 

[scubandrea]

Be proud of yourself for getting out there and doing something that you love and that is good for you!!! Everyone is self-conscious about something, the important thing is to not let that stand in the way of doing something you love!

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't
matter and those who matter don't mind.
--- Dr. Suess

 

[cowdog77]

....and the main thing to keep in mind:

Those who can do....the rest just talk about it!

 

[Maya]

As long as you are safely diving within your own limitations, don't worry about it! You can't put your life on hold because you are not our society's vision of what a woman "should" look like. I commend you for going out and living your life, diving, having fun, etc. But remember, the more self conscious YOU feel, the more others will pick up on your feelings - so - enjoy yourself, love yourself as you are, and BE the unique beauty that you are. Rude, mean people are not worth one minute of your concern.

 

[ladyscubanutt]

luvspoodles
I have the same problem, but I won't let it stop me from diving. Go for it, Coz is beautiful diving. I have never had anyone say anything about how much weight I need to carry or lose. I do have my own wetsuit though, it was well worth it. Have fun.

 

[Hoyden]

I am a 40-something slightly overweight woman and I just got back from diving in Florida - no problems - and no body builders on any of the boat trips. The thing that has helped me most with my body image is regular swimming. I swim four or five days a week and could probably easily out swim most of the "fit" guys I might encounter on a dive trip - knowing that make me feel lots better (it also makes e very comfortable in the water). The other way that swimming has helped me has been a surprise to me. I usually swim in the middle of the day and at that time of day the pool is frequented by lots of seniors - they could care less what others think about them and they are out there being active and some of them are amazing swimmers. I find them quite inspiring. Take a lesson from those folks - go do what you want - have a good time and don't worry about the opinions of other.

Jackie

 

[scubacoz22]

Hi luvspoodles,
I am overweight. I haven't seen a size 16 in a couple of years. I am 38 and smoke. Guess you could say the epitome of outa shape! I started diving in august this year and love it. I understand how you feel about being self conscious more than you can know. BUT. 1) I am doing something that I never dreamed I would be doing in my life. 2) I am doing something outside (finally found outside activity I enjoy because I am really sensitive to heat). 3) After seeing some of the speedo wearers, snot comming outa peoples noses when they come up, and that none of us look like super models in our gear. I don't care what I look like. Yes you may find the naysayers but ignore them. You are diving for you and doing something you enjoy. Most of those people on the boat, you will not see again. I just completed

AOW in San Antonio and my instructor kept telling me that he was proud of me for being out there doing something and not staying hidden behind my computer. He has no idea how much that means to me.


I am overweight too but not as bad as i was 3 years ago, i have lost 45 lbs and need to loose about 20 more. I have never had anyone say anything to me while diving about being overweight. I have seen plently of overweight people out there diving so dont worry. I lost my weight prior to my double knee replacement last year and have kept it off but would still love to loose more. Its had to do alot of aerobic exercises so i have to stick to the bike, swimming, diving and diet. Diving is great exercise. Get your own wet suit so you wont have trouble getting into one of theirs, and like someone said wear a dark 1 piece suit and bring something to cover up your suit when you are not diving or swimming it could be a see through cover up or even a t shirt. Good luck and stop worrying there are lots of overweight people diving out there.

Kathy in texas

 

[Ishie]

I'll just add another post that says don't worry about it!!!!! I just got off a dive boat where I was the *only* female and even that didn't draw comments except for one guy who said "Wow, she can really keep up with the guys, even when we're all falling over, she's still going in." Everyone was very encouraging and not nasty about each other's appearence, ideal weight, or habits. There were smokers on board. They were not harassed about their habit. There were body types ranging from your young ripped-muscle, 3% body fat guys to guys with beer bellies and custom wetsuits to accomodate them without any trouble. I've seen countless overweight divers, male and female, and they've dived all over the place. Since I dive in Monterey, no one is really raising an eyebrow about how much lead others take down since the prevalence of drysuits and quarter inch wetsuits means that seeing guys who take 30-40 lbs with them is common. Often someone takes down more weight in more tropical environments simply because they're used to diving with more stuff on, not that it's any of their business how much weight you're taking down anyway.

I've seen women far larger than a size 16 diving and have never heard a single comment thrown their way. I also don't see the majority of divers being gorgeous, model-material young people. I've also seen model-material young people being hauled out of nasty surf by their overweight divemasters and DIs.

Go to Cozumel, have a great time, and remember that you're doing something that nearly 60% of Americans aren't doing: exercising. If anyone makes a rude comment (which they shouldn't), point out one of the things they have that isn't good for their diving-- overweight themselves, smoking, drinking, taking birth control pills, pushing the deco limits, blind reliance on their dive computers, not having a trim dive profile, ascending too quickly, messing with marine life, etc etc etc. There is no perfect diver. Those too critical of others should look to their own lifestyle and diving style first. I'd much rather dive with someone who was a little overweight rather than with someone in perfect condition who took unnecessary risks.

Ishie

 

[scubagirl15]

In my experience, someone's size (ie appearing to be overweight or not) has nothing to do with their fitness level. As someone else has pointed out, there are skinny size 3's out there that almost go into cardiac arrest just walking up a flight of stairs.

My personal anecdote: I did my dive master course with two other people - a skinny guy who looked fit and a heavy girl. Skinny guy keeps making fun of heavy girl being out of shape; I told skinny to zip it, that he will likely have to eat crow when she kicks our butts in the stamina test. Guess what: she did. Heck I beat him, and I don't consider myself in top shape.

One more example: some of the most accomplished female divers out there look overweight. Obviously, being apparently overweight did not stop them from being incredibly skilled divers who could dive circles around these internet divers who said you shouldn't be diving.

There! That's my $0.02...Canadian...LOL

 

[Lynn CA]

I am an overweight (about size 22), over 50 female diver. i love it, I am not heavy once in the water, I hope to still be doing this when I am 80. I have been on 2 weeklong liveaboards, and lots of dayboats, and no one, has ever said anything to make me feel bad, but I have gotten comments about how good I am once in the water that made me feel great.

Some of the things I have done to make it easier on myself: Have my own wetsuits (both 7 ml for California, and 3 ml, for the tropics, and a microprene skin for very warm water, or under the 7 ml when it is very cold). I bought Henderson hyperstreach for all 3 because it is so streachy that even though I am size 22 in clothes, I am size 12 (can you belive it - not since I was 14 years old!) in the Henderson, and it fits perfectly over my big stomache & wide hips. I also have my own weight intergrated BC. That way I don't have to be embaressed by trying on gear at the shop, that doesn't fit, and I think it is safer too, since I know my own gear. I also dive NITROX, and stay very well within the air (not NITROX) tables, to give myself a big margin of safety, since I too worry about DCS. The weight intergrated BC means no one knows how much weight I have on, just goes in the removeable pockets. From reading about dive accidents, the biggest risk seems to be heart attack from long stressful surface swims, so I only do boat dives, and work hard on my navigation skills, so I always come up at the lader, no surface swim. Sometimes I have missed the boat, then I use my safety sausage and make them come get me, if I am far away. If I am close I just take it slow & easy back to to boat, or go down 5 feet and do it underwater (I leave enuf air that I can do that).

Sometimes my very skinny husband gets too cold, or tired to want to continue diving so then I have to find another buddy, and this has never been a problem, no one has been reluctant to dive with me, cause I am as good as they are once in the water.

Because of my excess weight, and age, I have 3 bad disks in my back, and can't lift or carry anything over about 10 lbs. So I can't wear my gear out of the water. On every dive boat I have been on (lots) the divemasters have been friendly & helpful about bringin me my gear as I sit on the edge of the dive platform, and holding the weight off my shoulders (weight intregrated allows this) while I buckle up, then I do a forward roll into the water. When I come up, I hand up the weight pouches, then the BC, then my fins, then climb the ladder. Everyone has always been helpful and accomodating, and made this feel normal, and no one has ever said anything to make me feel bad. On my last liveaboard (at the great barrier reef) there was a woman who was much larger than me, and she had over 1000 dives, and had ther respect of everyone on board for her diving knowledge and skill.

Go for it, have a good time, and be safe. No one is likely to make you feel bad, and all will want to help you have a good time.