I’m just starting this new hobby and would love some advice for other divers who are overweight.
I’m currently 300 pounds and concerned about ability to rent equipment that will fit me. Especially since some of my diving will be done in remote areas of Asia and Latam. Given that I was wondering the following:
1) any reco on wetsuit manufacturers that fit our size. Most seem to tap out at high 200s. I did see that the Pinnacle Cruiser suits had King versions which seemed like they would be a good fit. Anyone have experience with those suits or could recommend another?
2) besides wetsuit, mask, fins, what other equipment would you recommend. From what I could read BCDs might be something because size might not be available everywhere plus the ability to be more planned and ready with weight placements. But I’m just not sure. And when I do the reading, many recommend the backplate. Thoughts/recos on BCDs or any other equipment I should consider buying
3) lastly, during my first lake dive, I noticed two things: 1) used up a lot of air quickly. I attributed it to nerves cause the lake was dark and this was a mew hobby. But I have been reading that overweight people use air faster. Is that a true statement and if so, any tips on how to improve or gear reco. Secondly, it was hard to dial in how much and where to place weights. I think my dive master was not as familiar with working with people my seize and I think I created a new challenge for him. Any advice here.
Thanks in advance for any advice/thoughts.
Rudy
HI Rudy, Welcome to the Wonderful World of SCUBA !
1-Consider purchasing a Backplate/Wing...The benefits of this system is that the BCD Fits all as the harness is a one piece looped webbing that is specific to the diver. A BP/W is truly a one size fits all. Find a dive shop(s) that sell
BOTH Conventional BCD's
AND Backplate/Wing systems that will allow you to try out the gear before purchase. (
Keep in mind some shops can be biased toward the inventory they carry and have in stock) Also, by owning your own gear, you will be able to be more familiar and comfortable with your kit which in turn helps with improving your diving skills.
2-The other benefit is that the weight of the backplate is aligned along the plane of your back. Trim and Buoyancy are excellent as the backplate weight is aligned and evenly distributed along the plane of your back. For extra weight, just add some pockets to the waist strap. The other benefit of BP/W is should you need to adjust the size of your BCD it is only a matter of adjusting the harness/webbing. Plus, the parts of a BP/W , Harness, Wing, C-clips, added pockets, etc....are easily changed and adapted to your individual needs.
3-OK...Give yourself a break and know that starting off with Newbie Nerves is truly understandable. We ALL had to start somewhere and MANY MANY MANY divers start off with some anxiety. Actually, there are MANY experienced divers that continue with Anxiety...however, dealing with it can actually be one of the positive things about SCUBA. In taking the time to confront the issue and finding the solution to the problem is very rewarding. The result is that in doing so, the acquired skill is rolled over to other situations in life. Now, the issue you have presented is using up air quickly. Yes, this is very common...especially when just starting out.
There are so many reasons why people use up air quickly.....HOWEVER....being overweight is not necessarily one of them. Most importantly...
-Get your buoyancy under control....This will take time and practice. Getting your gear set up, improving breathing, comfort level and other diving skills will help you get to mastering buoyancy
-Using up Air.....Again, being overweight is not necessarily the reason divers use up air....There are MANY overweight/larger divers who can beat the air tanks off of teenie tiny folks. I will tell you, when I started out I had an even more "Fluffier" makeup ...I even had this DORK Diver on a boat mention to me that he thought I probably used up alot of air because I was a larger lady...I just smiled and said that he was not to worry about me. Well...he found out about my air consumption after he had to surface due to low on air and then wait for me 30 more minutes to join him topside....I continue to today with 70-90 min dives and usually not much less than 1000 PSI.
So, how to make the most of using air ? Hubby Buddy and I started diving with a Cozumel Divemaste named Pedro Pablo Pech 20 + years ago. This gentleman now has well over 15,000+ dives and continues to be the Master to Divemasters to many divers. We listened and learned and improved our skills with his guidance. One thing he taught us was to take things
"Very Very Slow". Breathing...IN Slowly...OUT Slowly....Movements, Kicking, Looking around...Keep it SLOW....Allow your body to adapt to the current and work on conditioning your body to RELAX..Work on keeping your arms still and your kicking slow and purposeful. Add to this all of the above points about gear and buoyancy and you can improve your air use...It will take time...be patient. Oh....and Watch the Fish and Coral....you can learn alot from just observing their behaviour and how they handle current and navigating in their habitat.
As far as finding the perfect weight distribution this too will take time. As you gain experience and skill you may find you can shed lead. One way to find out what weight you need is to do a buoyancy check.
How to Perform a Scuba Buoyancy Check
- Enter the water (fully geared up) with your BCD fully inflated with the regulator in your mouth.
- Once you are comfortable, breathe in and hold a normal breath.
- While you hold your breath, slowly let all of the air out of your BCD.
- If you are correctly weighted, you should float upright and at eye level with the water.
Add or remove weight a little at a time to find the proper amount needed.
Best Wishes to you as you start your SCUBA journey. Happy and Safe Diving !
Double S