Im 6'7 (two meters) Anything I need to know

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Hello,

Im getting my OW in October in Thailand. It will be my first time diving.

I was wondering if I need to know anything before hand since I am 6'7. Will there be any problems with gear or anything because of my height?

Thanks very much for your help!
 
I was diving in Egypt some years ago. The airline however had sent my luggage to Marseiile in France. I'm 1.94 m The problems I had were mostly to get fins/shoes in my size and of course if you want to wear a full size wetsuit instead of a shorty, you might have a problem. So send the operator a mail and ask them if they have booties in your shoe size and also if needed find out what size wetsuit you need at a local dive shop and tell them in Thailand.
 
Objectively, how many 6'7" dive customers do you think are in Thailand? I think you'll have problems in 2-3 areas.

Are you just tall or also big? If you're tall but thin it's better than if you're heavy since that brings BC sizing into play.

Fins might be one issue if you have proportionally sized feet. Many shops only rent full-foot fins and may not have them in your size. If you're pretty sure you plan to do this you might buy boots and open-heel fins locally to get the proper size/fit. It's likely you'll have to buy/provide fins/mask/snorkel for your class anyway so invest in good gear. If you do buy a mask, do that locally since fit is the only concern. A $15-20 snorkel will be fine for class (required) and may be the last time you need one.

Most wetsuit sizing stops at 6'5" or less. I'm not sure if you can get 2" of stretch out of one. Maybe if it's lightweight (2-3MM) it might. Of course if a shorty wetsuit is all you need in Thailand (that's a possibility) you might be OK with a rental. Or buy one here first, they're under $100. Lots of choices here: Buy scuba gear, scuba diving and everything underwater from LeisurePro.com if you don't have a local shop nearby. They offer their PFF (Personal Fit...) guarantee so you can return something undamaged if it's too small.

Even if the water is warm, you want some exposure protection since doing multiple dives will lower your core temperature. And you'll be spending a lot of time in class in the water doing skills and waiting around for everyone else to finish. Also there are a lot of sharp (coral) and stingy (jellyfish, fire coral, urchins) things you might accidentally brush up against so some protection is good to have.

One thing you might do is try to find the tallest 1MM full suit you can buy and see if it will stretch enough. I have one sized for 6'2" and I'm 6'4" and it's tight but works. Another option is a Lycra dive skin - they aren't typically sized as large but if you could find a tall one it would help. Lycra is a lot stretchier than neoprene.

Look under skins and wetsuits on the LP website for options. Or check Scubatoys.com, DiversDirect.com, Diverssupply.com, diverightinscuba.com or scuba.com.

For a BC, typical rentals are jacket models. With velcro and adjustments, many are a pretty universal fit. In your case your tank (and weight) might be a little higher from your center of gravity than standard but as a new diver, you'll hardly notice. If they have some larger BC rentals, less of a problem also. I use an XL at my height and I have a long trunk and short legs. Stock sizes go to 3XL from several common mfr's who supply rental gear. With a jacket rental, you'll probably rent a weightbelt also so that weight will be in the correct location.

Later when you're diving, you might look into a Backplate/Wing BC. They're modular so components can be sized to fit. One vendor - DSS - sells a "long pattern" backplate that is probably one of your better options. https://www.deepseasupply.com/

If you don't do any of this, I'd communicate your size needs up-front to the shop you plan to certify thru - if you have one selected. If not there are resources here in the Thailand Forum to help with that.

You might sign up and do the e-learning before you go, that allows you to only have to do the skills training and certification dives when in Thailand. Check with the shop on that also as sometimes they provide an e-learning code that links your results to them.
 
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rental will likely be a sub-par experience, and owning will be expensive versus the "off the shelf" folks (I hate them)....

I'm 6'7" too..... yep, cursed....

Seriously, consider the DSS long pattern (or the X-long) BP, and go BP/W (that is a backplate & wing) rather than the conventional jacket BC that is sold to the masses. No, a jacket will not fin the way they are supposed to. I'm a slender build, so that added to the impossibility of "hey, an XXL should work"... Over the years, I spent a bunch on stuff that didn't fit right. Don't let shops tell you its "tech gear", its a BS line to sell you what they have.

All of my exposure protection has been custom made (two wet suits and a dry suit). No, off the rack likely isn't going to work with 38" sleaves. I'm blessed with small feet, so booties and fins were not a problem (you know what they say about guys with small feet.... they wear small socks..:D...).

Good luck!
 
I can't believe that nobody is thinking about reminding him to duck for the doorways if he doesn't want a headache. Geez people, get serious will you.
 
I ditto what several others have said. I would start off with a backplate, one piece weaved harness, and a wing for your buoyancy system. Nothing anywhere says you have to use a jacket style BC for your certification dives. You can start out from the get go with the backplate and wing system. Also, thermal protection is most likely going to have to be custom made due to your overall length. Fins maybe an issue too depending on manufacturer and style. But all this is easily doable. Don't let it discourage you at all. B.

P.S.
If you do decide on the backplate wing system you might want to consider an aluminum plate. Because they are lighter it makes traveling easier since every airline gets crank anymore if your bags are over 50 pounds. So going with an aluminum plate will save you travel weight. And that is important. Because while you may be under 50 pounds going to your vacation spot, coming back you will be about five to seven pounds heavier due to the water soaked gear. I always have problems with baggage weight coming back from vacations. Stainless backplates are the "bomb" especially for cold water diving. But heavy for traveling.
 
I've been diving all over and never ever have I stuck wet equipement in a suitcase. As you will not dive within 24 hours before flying, the gear is dry.
 
Okay, I don't put dripping wet gear into a suit case and I'm glad you don't either. Even 24 hours alter there is still some water retention. I have packed my bags in an identical fashion coming to and from. But on the way back from a trip my gear bag is always heavier despite the fact it is not carrying any more gear. So I always have to move gear from my dive bag and either stuff it into my carry on or my garment bag so that my gear bag will make weight. The only denominator that is not constant is the water. Maybe you have had better luck, but I have not. B.
 

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