SoCal dive fitness

DaveZee · Apr 12, 2005

Please feel free to move this where you will, but I think it applies especially in the land of the 7mm wetsuit and weight belts with actual weight on them:

What do you do to keep in scuba shape? Any specific excersises or activities, besides swimming and diving, that work really well?

headhunter · Apr 12, 2005

Hi Dave,

Welcome to ScubaBoard! :dazzler1:

This thread is fine where it is. I don't see any reason to move it since it is specific to SoCal's flavor of diving. It's a good question.

I find that 2 non-diving activities are helpful.

First, I find that mountain biking helps me get in shape for the diving itself. I haven't really done enough of this lately. I'm sure road biking would be just as good.

Second, hiking in the mountains around L.A. both with or without a pack helps with the access to the beach for shore diving. We have a special brand of shore diving around here where we often have some steep path or a long flight of stairs down to the beach. I find that hiking with a pack makes me more sure footed because I get used to carrying the extra weight.

I'm sure others will have other excercises to share.

Hope to see you at a local dive sometime soon. We're just starting to plan our monthly Wrinkles Dive and BBQ for May which will be in La Jolla. It's quite a friendly group and if you don't have a buddy people are always willing to dive with you. Now that I think about it, I think most of the 30 - 40 people that show up come solo.

Dive safe!

Christian

DaveZee · Apr 12, 2005

I could see how going up and down Switzer's Falls could prepare you for some of the stairways in Laguna! I know I have to do something, because just chasing my 3 year old isn't cutting it, cardio-wise or muscletone-wise...

SNOBORDJON · Apr 12, 2005

DaveZee:
I could see how going up and down Switzer's Falls could prepare you for some of the stairways in Laguna! I know I have to do something, because just chasing my 3 year old isn't cutting it, cardio-wise or muscletone-wise...

Welcome to the board. 100 pushups before dinner mixed in with some situps, dumbell curls and shoulder raises. 15 minutes of stuff helps out!

John

abrown203 · Apr 12, 2005

SNOBORDJON:
Welcome to the board. 100 pushups before dinner mixed in with some situps, dumbell curls and shoulder raises. 15 minutes of stuff helps out!

John

If you don your weight integrated BC + steel 120 tank like John... I would suggest lifting a 45 lb weight over your head for 15 reps, 4 times a week.

Seriously though... backpacking and running stairs would be great to prepare you for the stairs that almost always go with beach diving. Ocean or pool swimming would prepare you long surface kicks and air consumption.

Aaron

scottfiji · Apr 12, 2005

DaveZee:
Please feel free to move this where you will, but I think it applies especially in the land of the 7mm wetsuit and weight belts with actual weight on them:

What do you do to keep in scuba shape? Any specific excersises or activities, besides swimming and diving, that work really well?

Dave, some of us have taken a different approach. Myself and some of my dive buddies (melvin, cesar, and others) have tried to do less non-diving activities, and more diving-related workouts, such as diving deadman's reef, marineland, and point dume. We seek out large cliffs, steep hills, and long surface swims.

Sure, you are sore the first couple times, but you get used to it quickly. The first few times you may need to abandon your weight belt and bring it up on a second trip (I've had to do that). But it's guarenteed to get you in scuba shape faster than anything else!

For you, I recommend 2 sessions of back-to-back dives at Malaga cove, beach entry. See how you feel after the second session and we'll talk then.

hope this helps!

Scott

ps -this reminds me of a true story - I was taking karate a long time ago, and I asked my teacher - how do I get better at jumping front kicks? do I do jumping jacks? weight? stretching? and he said - do you really want to get better at jump front kicks? and I said "yes!" - and he said "then the best way is to do more jump front kicks".

headhunter · Apr 12, 2005

I agree with Scott 100%. The best way to get in better shape for diving is to dive more and search out the hard stuff.

That said... for those of us that don't actually live at the beach and usually have to drive an hour to get there, I think it's a good idea to do other things in between dives.

Christian

pasley · Apr 13, 2005

As Scottfiji said, beach dive often in a vareity of settings is my preferred workout Pont Dume, Deadmans and Flat Rock will keep you in shape. Between beach dives daily routine:
70-100 push-ups
70-100 sit-ups to keep the stomach out of view and streamlined
Run 2 miles in 1630 or less. Target is 1430-15:30 at my age of 51.
Always take the stairs instead of the elevator for 10 floors or less - both ways.

Mo2vation · Apr 13, 2005

DaveZee:
Please feel free to move this where you will, but I think it applies especially in the land of the 7mm wetsuit and weight belts with actual weight on them:

What do you do to keep in scuba shape? Any specific excersises or activities, besides swimming and diving, that work really well?

You're getting a lot of strength and endurance answers. Both are important to being in "dive shape."

Flexibility is also very important - you can be strong as an ox, or have the endurance of a marathon runner - but if you can't reach back to your valve and turn it back on you're going to have a very bad day if the absent minded DM turns it the wrong way.

Same with being able to reach behind you and find that piece of mono that's hooked on the cut in your tank boot, or reaching down to grab the kelp off your fin strap. Or if you're a photographer, being able to contort yourself into a crack to get that killer macro, or quickly follow the playful sealion and compose the shot. Or holding an arched back throughout a 70 minute dive to keep your trim good and the silt clouds to a minimum as you hover 4" off the bottom.

I do a lot of cardio / endurance training (5 - 7 times a week) and a reasonable amount of strength training (2 - 4 times a week) - being able to do long swims is important, and so is using less gas. Being able to don and doff in a pitching sea or climb out of the surf is important. But having the flexibility to manage small emergencies and annoyances has proven to be valuable, too.

---
Ken

SNOBORDJON · Apr 13, 2005

Mo2vation:
You're getting a lot of strength and endurance answers. Both are important to being in "dive shape."

Flexibility is also very important - you can be strong as an ox, or have the endurance of a marathon runner - but if you can't reach back to your valve and turn it back on you're going to have a very bad day if the absent minded DM turns it the wrong way.

Same with being able to reach behind you and find that piece of mono that's hooked on the cut in your tank boot, or reaching down to grab the kelp off your fin strap. Or if you're a photographer, being able to contort yourself into a crack to get that killer macro, or quickly follow the playful sealion and compose the shot. Or holding an arched back throughout a 70 minute dive to keep your trim good and the silt clouds to a minimum as you hover 4" off the bottom.

I do a lot of cardio / endurance training (5 - 7 times a week) and a reasonable amount of strength training (2 - 4 times a week) - being able to do long swims is important, and so is using less gas. Being able to don and doff in a pitching sea or climb out of the surf is important. But having the flexibility to manage small emergencies and annoyances has proven to be valuable, too.

---
Ken

I agree it does involve alot of things. I am in very good physical shape and can do situps and pushups like crazy. my cardio is good and my pulse is 60. But for some reason I use tons of air...thus the pst 120 tank that aaron gave me a hard time for. I frequently get whooped in air consumption, so its not only physical shape that matters.
My air is getting better though!

John

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