So what is too overweight to dive?

[Cacia]

Almity, I like how you roll, girrrrrrl.

I'll dive with the new you, the old you...and you can wear whatever you like...even a speedo.

Well, can I mention that I did todays dive with a physical specimin? ...just so you know...not that I care...he just happened to be a marvel.
See...funny thing...on the one hand you shouldn't talk about people's problems...just try talking about somebody who is perfect in even just one regard. It's even taboo to just mention it in passing.

I did not think DIR divers could post pictures like that. See? they can come out here and be all crazy....but return to the santitized home thread. No fair, but I have learned to tolerate that, lol. I'd like to see String recruited in there and put on a program.

 

[almitywife]

speedo!! im fond of the neoprene burqa actually as long as you dont ask me to wear thongs - you know they are suppose to be on your feet, right!

 

[adurso]

Warning....images might be graphic to some users. I'll gladly take them down if requested.

"So what is too overweight to dive?" People who look like this---

Through the Middle Ages these women would have been considered beautiful, they are resourceful enough to feed themselves, and would be capable of bearing fne children. Depends on how fit they are.

The woman in the pink, lower right reminds me of someone I dove with in the springs in FL during a cold snap several years ago, she humped her gear several hundred yards without having a stroke, had good bouyancy control, and was not cold, while I froze my tail off....

 

[telemonster]

I agree that fitness plays an important role in weighing up the eventual risks. Someone in good shape is going to be far less likely (one would hope) to end up being a problem than someone who takes no exercise and lives life out of a fast food restaurant. However - maybe it's my imagination but it seems that MANY accidents/fatalities are a result of heart attacks, and as is rather clear, they are often caused by lifestyle/overweight issues. I've seen enough discussions here about how safe diving with computers is...whether a BP/W is better....even basic gas management (important for sure....but how many people REALLY ran out of gas and died?) and somehow I wonder if we actually sometimes miss the wood for the trees. Personally I think that overweight is a rather serious underestimated issue that is a potential danger for the diver themself....but much like second hand smoke, also for the people they are with. I would be very hesitant to hit the water with someone I didn't think I had the physical strength to pull out if the poop hit the revolving door. That's something that you are already supposed to learn in rescue - disaster mitigation...i.e. don't voluntarily enter into dangerous situations.

The question therefore remains....what is too overweight?

I think I would rather have someone overweight, that is of absolute sound mind, high intelligence and that can handle situations over a model body builder who has disregard for proceedures, doesn't understand what is going on, or is likely to put me in danger. Of course, if it's a supermodel ... well we can work something out.

I believe the more overweight, the higher the risk of DCS. As far as heart attacks, yea I can see it. Mainly due to the wieght of the equipment getting in and out of the water. Also perhaps due to the generic fit of wetsuits and other gear, it can add stress.

 

[fisherdvm]

I think I would like to dive with someone who is overweight... Why?

1. Physically, they are stronger than me. They are carrying an extra 200 lbs more than myself on a daily basis.

2. They are positively buoyant. I am negative. If I am lost at sea, I will cling on to my buddy.

3. They are naturally insulated. They will survive longer in cold water, and will save my butt.

4. Their extra-extra large BC has plenty of reserve, so once they dropped their weight belt, we would likely have enough lift to float us anywhere.

 

[Kim]

Good Lord people......you really know how to miss the point. As I said many times through the thread......this was a question that I asked personally, regarding MY weight. All this PCness and crap about being stereotyped is completely ridiculous. I'm not talking about you no matter how much reading the word "overweight" sets your teeth on age. Enough already.

I'm talking about ME........diving with buddies who are often small (am I stereotyping Japanese now?), in particular my wife, who wouldn't have a snowballs chance in Hell to pull me out of the water right now. How you guys justify it to yourselves is your business, but I don't buy the "Oh it's OK just let me die if you can't save me....I knew what I was doing!" line. Are you honestly telling me that if you lose a partner or close friend like that - while you're right there but can't do anything to help - you not going to be completely traumatized and will shrug it off with a simple - "Oh well....it was their own choice....nothing I could do!" ??????? Maybe I raised the issue in a too generalized way as it was simply the way I was thinking about it for myself considering what is happening to me in my life right now. Maybe it would have been easier to understand if I'd boxed it into a tighter question about weight mismatched buddies. Maybe the solution is simple size matching for buddy pairs, or three man teams, or maybe something else. We're not going to get very far though if people simply get the hump (no pun intended) just because I use the term "overweight"!
Sure....overweight and age are NOT the only cause of heart attacks....just like smoking is NOT the only cause of lung cancer or clogged arteries or..........etc. I'll tell you something though....it's a bloody big one according to all the stuff I've ever read on the subject. Right now I weigh nearly 50lbs (22Kgs) more than I ever did in my entire life until I turned 50. I know I'm overweight, my wife knows it, my colleagues know it, my kids know it, the kids at school ask me how many months until the baby is born!!!!! and guess what....I'm thinking about it seriously......how it might affect me in the short term...in the longer term.
Those that are happy with their weight, fitness whatever....great. If I consider I'd have NO chance to get you out of the water on my own then I wouldn't dive alone with you......and what's more......if you couldn't get ME out of the water in the same situation I wouldn't dive with you either.
Someone said to me this morning:
"Somehow I don't think the family would be too impressed if I had to tow your butt back to port behind the boat because I couldn't get you into it!" (well....that's roughly what they said.)

 

[almitywife]

....... in particular my wife, who wouldn't have a snowballs chance in Hell to pull me out of the water ....

is the will signed? no worries then

......this was a question that I asked personally, regarding MY weight......

only you can answer the question Kim....... we can only continue to talk it to death

...... Right now I weigh nearly 50lbs (22Kgs) more than I ever did in my entire life until I turned 50. I know I'm overweight, my wife knows it, my colleagues know it, my kids know it, the kids at school ask me how many months until the baby is born!!!!! and guess what....I'm thinking about it seriously......how it might affect me in the short term...in the longer term......

SB Fitness Challange... every thursday is weighin, we have a exercise challange going on AND a 10lbs looser loser challange where this months prize is a $50 voucher at a dive shop!!!!

i'll be waiting for you to show up and in the meantime, have a hug.. rhs of my sig!

 

[almitywife]

so is the question: "is kim too fat to dive"

i think we're going to need a poll for that Kim

 

[Kim]

so is the question: "is kim too fat to dive"

i think we're going to need a poll for that Kim

LOL. Around here they wouldn't really know about the diving part, (until I see if the wetsuit still fits! ) but you'd get a 100% on the.."Is Kim too fat?"

 

[Cacia]

lol.. KIm fat? I thought he was a little skinny mean man.

All this PCness and crap about being stereotyped is completely ridiculous.

I agree, I never got that.

Well, you fixed the smokin problem, so now..fix this. You need goals anyway.
Did your operation slow you down? Maybe you aren't up to speed yet.