Why I won't dive with you.

[NadMat]

With swimming, healthy eating, and portion control, I've only been able to drop about 25 lbs.... and haven't been able to drop any more weight. Losing weight is not easy, by any stretch. I even checked out the bariatric surgery (though it's dangerous) and insurance declined to pay for it because I didn't have enough risk factors... frankly, I didn't/don't have any risk factors except the weight.

As the "rare exception" (as you say) to obese divers, I've never appreciated being judged by how I look. I'm incredibly active, very strong (mind and body), and high stamina. Believe me, I'm not "happy" to be fat... but for goodness sake, give a person a chance.

I could be the one saving your butt someday.... then would you dive with me?

I am sorry if I have offended any but as for being judged by your looks, if I am looking around on a dive vacation for an instabuddy because I am solo, all I have to judge by at first are looks, so forgive me if I assume a 'morbidly obese' looking diver is likely to be in less than top condition, or that the diver who is unable to set up their own gear may be less than experienced. I am always willing to be proved wrong, but until then will err on the side of caution. If you are as fit as you say, I would be glad to dive with you, provided I felt I was capable of managing you in an emergency situation. If you were 300 or above lbs and we were diving at a remote location with few possibilities of assistance should you need emergency care, I would not feel comfortable with my abilities to provide assistance. Your fitness level means little if you are out cold and I cannot get you out of water and to help.

So until I had seen your fitness level demonstrated for myself, I would have to assume it to be below what you have described, as that has been my experience with those who are 'morbidly obese' to date.

 

[DiveKitten]

If you can't handle the day to day curveballs that live throws at you, no way am I diving with you. A friend of mine recently got certified and she has no idea why i refuse to dive with her. This is the same girl who flips out when she forgets to charge her cell phone. I don't have too many dives under my weightbelt and I admit, I can get a little nervous when I dive new waters. But I ALWAYS let my buddy know my experiance and areas I'm a little iffy on, like when I got a new wetsuit and was having a bouyancy issue. But in all honesty, I'd rather dive with a know it all then someone who can't keep a level head

 

[sasscuba]

Anyone who thinks their camera equipment and photo oppoutunities are more important than manners and being alert to the sealife and other divers.

Amen to that!:lol:

 

[Yazrick]

This has been a very interseting thread to read on the eve of my departure to the great open waters of the South African east coast...

I am a new Diver...
I am a solo diver (in terms of not having regular dive buddies/school I dive with)
.....but will never dive on my own (not yet)
I am also a nervous diver...

The question that comes to mind after reading this post is "Would you dive with me?"

I am not in perfect physical shape, though I am slender and have a BMI of 28, run charity marathons twice a year and smoke 10 cigs a day (on average). I defiunately can't do 40+ laps in pool...

Because of the fact that I have only had 1/12 dives that made me feel a part of the environment I was in, and the fact that there is often something I am battling with when I dive, I am not comfortable with myself.

I want to do as many dives as I can to get to know myself underwater and better myself for the sake of the environment, my buddies and the fun of diving. I have found a charter that has the best person-to-person skills I ever encountered on a trip (and diving with them again now when I go down) , but that only lasts while we are above water. Once you drop backwards of the boat, it's you and you alone.

I check for my buddies, always know where they are, where they are going - but what do I do when they wonder off ? (Follow them or the DM)
When I have issues with my boyancy, who do I ask to wait for me? (My buddy or the DM)

I have terminated several dives and surfaced on my own because it's to much to ask of a buddy to surface with me.

Am I the only one that feels this way ?

Reading your responses - you have pretty high standards that you expect of your buddies. How does that fit in with the new guys?

Anyways - I am off to the coast till sunday and hope to get back here with pics and stories to share and show why we all love diving

 

[Mo2vation]

If you can't handle the day to day curveballs that live throws at you, no way am I diving with you. A friend of mine recently got certified and she has no idea why i refuse to dive with her. This is the same girl who flips out when she forgets to charge her cell phone. I don't have too many dives under my weightbelt and I admit, I can get a little nervous when I dive new waters. But I ALWAYS let my buddy know my experiance and areas I'm a little iffy on, like when I got a new wetsuit and was having a bouyancy issue. But in all honesty, I'd rather dive with a know it all then someone who can't keep a level head

Personality issues are very important - just as important as skills and watermanship.

If we hit some current on the way back to the boat, and buddy freakout is starting to chuff their gas, will they hold it together or bolt to the surface, or tear off my mask reachijng for my reg when they still have 900 in the can??

This is important stuff.

Besides: we all know a level headed person would never pee in their wetsuit.... whilst on the deck.

---
Ken

 

[dherbman]

This has been a very interseting thread to read on the eve of my departure to the great open waters of the South African east coast...

I am a new Diver...
I am a solo diver (in terms of not having regular dive buddies/scholl I dive with)
.....but will never dive on my own (not yet)
I am also a nervous diver...

The question that comes to mind after reading this post is "Would you dive with me?"

I'd dive with you under certain conditions. It sounds like you have a realistic outlook on your abilities. People that know their limits are typically safer than those that have inflated opinions of their abilities.

 

[erparamedic]

NadMat...

I understand what you are saying about providing emergency care. It just makes sense...

Let me also say that I spent 10 years on a fire dept prior to the ER (only left the FD due to better pay/benefits... also met my hubby there)... and spent a period of time weighing more than I do now. I am female and could keep up with the guys just fine... and had all the respect of my peers. Myself and my various ambulance partners have many times carried 300 lb + people down flights of stairs, pulled them out of mangled metal heaps (previously known as a car), etc. I understand safety, and the toll that a person's size can take on another.

Let me say, I weigh less than 300 lbs (and look like I weigh less than what I do)... but I would not hesitate to dive with someone that was 300 lbs... providing they took at least all the safety measures that I do (predive planning, staying with buddy, not pushing the limits, etc), and are always willing to learn... I learn something new on every dive I make. Now, that said.... ANYONE, regardless of weight, that can't carry their own equiptment, gear up without getting winded, make the swim out before decending, etc, etc... COULD be a risk to dive with.

One shouldn't get cought up on another's weight. We are all out there to have fun. You are completely entitled to your own opinion. I would hope though, that when among fellow divers, that you don't voice your opinions about obese divers out loud. I have thick skin, but others may not.

 

[rottielover]

This thread has NOT gone down the tubes, This is a thread about people you won't go diving with, and being a public forum you should be expected to be challenged on, and evaluate your views. It's the mark of a good diver (insert any keyword for diver) to always evaluate the situation and your viewpoints, in a nutshell, to "keep an open mind". I do not see how challenging a viewpoint is degrading this discussion in anyway. Rather I feel it's helpful to evaluate.

Now that being said:

You really reduce the chances of getting burned on a dive if you select healthier buddies. You can't argue with that. C'mon.

What, are you hooking every instabuddy up to an EKG? Are you making them blow into a BAC meter (Blood alcohol content)? (Yes there really are people that can look and act stone cold sober whilst being drunk). I don't understand how you can x-ray vision an instabuddy and know their health / fitness level.

"keep an open mind" is code for what, dive with anyone regardless of their fitness, safety, or dive objectives? Please.

No code, it's common sense. Of course you use your own judgment; I'm just trying to get people to open their eyes and minds to possibilities. If you see someone pass out from trying to get into a wetsuit, you probably wouldn't want to buddy with them. If you see someone jump off the boat without a tank on their back, they probably don't have good safety check skills. If the objective of the dive is "to get wet", that's probably a good sign of things not going to go well. See how silly this is?

While I can't look at someone and instantly know if they'll be a good buddy, I can look at someone and instantly know if they'll be a high risk buddy. Its that simple. And diving with someone who is 100+ pounds above their ideal weight puts them, and me at a higher risk on this dive. I choose to pass.

So that guy on the boat with 6-pack abs that knows exactly how to setup his gear, completes all the dive safety checks etc. is going to be a good buddy, cause everything you've observed on the boat tells you so. Despite that you jump in and find that they cannot control buoyancy at all.... I don't see how looking at someone, assuming that they are over ideal body weight (you hooking them up to a BMI as well?), automatically makes them "high risk".

My mind is quite open. I simply won't compromise on my three no-dive principals.

An open mind is open to at least the POSSIBILITY of being wrong, and thus the posibility of change.

 

[Yazrick]

I'd dive with you under certain conditions. It sounds like you have a realistic outlook on your abilities. People that know their limits are typically safer than those that have inflated opinions of their abilities.

You made my day
Thanks

 

[erparamedic]

Rottie....

You have a great sig line! And it seems to fit much of this thread.

It's not the size of the dog in the fight... It's the size of the fight in the dog!