So what is too overweight to dive?

[Kim]

you really should extend that argument to smokers and people with bad family histories as well. It starts to get absurd very quickly.

I don't know about bad family histories but at least for smoking the DIR folks (GUE) already do. Is that absurd? In fact...with a rather limited understanding of that philosophy I thought that that was extended in principle to any "unnecessary" risk. It's one of the things that I originally had a problem with GUE over (then being a smoker myself and therefore excluded from what I perceived to be their "club"), but worked through to understand! (for the record....I WAS a smoker and actually gave up about 8 months ago now.) How can something that can be detrimental to peoples safety ever be absurd? Further......how can a buddy pair, or even a DIR team, ever be solidly founded if it's relying on the fact:
"he's not terribly worried about it, since we almost always dive where there are lots of other people"?
I'm not getting personal here....it's just a good example of justification that we all seem to make. Let's face it...people are REALLY good at underestimating stuff that they don't want to accept if it's going to cause them to have to either make a serious change to, or give up completely, when it's what they want to do. I do it....you do it...we all do it.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Personally, I think I am in more danger from one of the high risk people you speak of having a heart attack on the highway driving at high speed in let's say an 18 wheeler as I'm on the way to the dive site or resort...

But to answer your question, I think there are a lot of other factors including age, that also play just as important a role in assessing risk but it's a good question.

 

[427Dave]

I saw a woman in Aruba on a dive boat, next to us, that got into the water and then could not get down and paniced, she was so large it took two people on the boat and two in the water pushing to get her out. She was on a introductory dive. I have no idea why that dive shop even agreed to take her much less why she would want to. NOW THAT IS TOOOO BIG!!! Guessing, 350-400 lbs.

 

[frankc420]

I have an uncle that stopped diving, because he is just too big to dive now.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Most people don't want to talk about this stuff and if they do they box it up comfortably by using words like obesity. The divers that seriously do what it takes to maintain a high level of conditioning... or even a good level of conditioning... are few in number.

Take a look in Dive Fitness forums... not a whole lot going on there.

I can understand why infrequent recreational divers don't pound it out... but it bugs me to see serious divers and those that do the hardcore stuff not make conditioning and total fitness a number one priority.

 

[String]

I saw a fair few divers working this summer that needed 2 belts joined together.

I saw a lot of qualified divers that had blatently lied on their self-cert medical about fitness to dive.

Some qualified divers who were out of breath and near unable to move simply from kitting up or a 15m surface swim.

In short, since most countries abandoned the mandatory GP medical for diving there are a lot of people diving who should not be as they aren't fit.

 

[Kim]

Most people don't want to talk about this stuff...

snip....

I can understand why infrequent recreational divers don't pound it out... but it bugs me to see serious divers and those that do the hardcore stuff not make conditioning and total fitness a number one priority.

"Bugs me" is possibly not quite how I feel. Worried yes.

For the rest though I agree...most people don't really seem to want to address the issue. That's why it seemed like a better topic than where my mask goes. I have to admit that in the 8 months or so that I quit smoking I've put on around 20 lbs. I'm not even overweight by most people's standards (according to my height), but it's triggered some serious thought. At 55 years old....6ft 1....216lbs seems like a lot to me. I know I'm probably still reasonably safe but I wonder where the problem REALLY starts. I mean.....50 years old......5ft 11.....290lbs, would probably have me straight out of the water! I know it's all rather case dependant...how much exercise and everything - but where is the line between common sense and responsibility, and stupidity? I already said where my personal limit sits regarding my buddy (can't save 'em? don't do it!)....but where should it sit regarding myself?

 

[Diver Dennis]

I already said where my personal limit sits regarding my buddy (can't save 'em? don't do it!)....but where should it sit regarding myself?

I have actually been thinking about this very question lately Kim. I'm not getting any younger and at 47, I am looking to start a more regular workout regime and to live a healthier lifestyle.

 

[Kim]

I have actually been thinking about this very question lately Kim. I'm not getting any younger and at 47, I am looking to start a more regular workout regime and to live a healthier lifestyle.

Then I'm glad I brought it up Dennis!

I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad.........just think!

For me...stopping smoking was a HUGE advance in the "healthier lifestyle" department - so OK...it's thrown up a new problem! I'm hoping that'll be somewhat easier to deal with...(but I REALLY love Japanese food so it's quite hard!)

 

[markfm]

I'm +10 in the month and change since I stopped smoking (a gift to myself for my 47th Bday). The plus side is I know I'll knock it back down, am doing the right things (cranked up the workouts, started to watch intake), just a drag that I need to.