New diver, simple question.

[Insta-Gator]

John, diving can be as easy or as hard as you care to make it. Some folks are VERY adventurous and push themselves and their skills (that's their thing.) Most of us just like blowing bubbles, seeing 'pretty things' in the water (don't know their official names), and experiencing the 3D feeling of weightlessness while diving. It's not rocket science, you don't have to be a marathon runner, and you don't have to be able to bench press your own weight. You'll need general conditioning and some basic fundamentals you will learn in class to keep you safe, after that it's all good.
A word of caution, if you only dive 20' - 30' in a lake you may soon get bored. Be sure to schedule a trip to some warm, clear tropical waters where all the 'pretty things' live. It will change your life.

 

[moose200x]

I really appreciate all the answers. This is the friendliest board I've ever visited.

I used to weigh in around 475 at my peak, so I am sure moving around with 75 lbs of gear won't be TOO bad.

Step 1 I am guessing is contact a school. I will search the boards for a guide on how to do that (I am sure you don't wanna see another "which school" topic)


Thank you so much

 

[Insta-Gator]

I really appreciate all the answers. This is the friendliest board I've ever visited.

I used to weigh in around 475 at my peak, so I am sure moving around with 75 lbs of gear won't be TOO bad.

Step 1 I am guessing is contact a school. I will search the boards for a guide on how to do that (I am sure you don't wanna see another "which school" topic)


Thank you so much

Visit any local Scuba shops in your area. Try to get a gut feel for their willingness to work with you and teach you, but also seek out a mentor (Scuba instructor or very experienced dive buddy) to offer you encouragement and guidance. Spend lost of time in the pool until it feels like second nature. Have fun

 

[Krazyklaws]

Hi John,

When I started diving, I was seriously obese. It didn't stop me getting my Open Water Certification but I did find it difficult. Trying to stand up in full kit whilst carrying a lot of weight isn't easy, and for me was very embarassing. All that said though - I did it.

What diving did for me, is give me a massive incentive to lose weight. I did maybe six dives on that first trip and I was totally hooked. None of them were what could be considered 'advanced or exciting' by most stories you'll read here, or what I've seen since but the sheer joy of seeing exactly what was under the water for myself was enough to keep me going back for more!

In the 12-18 months after certifying, I dropped over 60lbs.

Losing weight just makes it all easier - your skills are easier to do, your air lasts longer, your wetsuits take up less luggage allowance

So I'd say yes, provided you are fit and healthy you can dive overweight, but if you get the bug it will give you a hell of an incentive to lose the excess pounds!

I would echo what everyone else has said - find a club or a shop and get wet!

 

[PatW]

Well, your proposed kind of diving may be tougher than you think.

Your lake dives all sound like shore dives. Shore dives can be tough because you have to get your gear on and get into the water. The gear weighs quite a bit and it is not easy to get around in. If you entry is a bit tricky - stuff to climb down, climb over, soft bottom, muck and so on, it can be very demanding. If it is a beach entry, it should be reasonably easy.

Since you are talking lakes, I would not expect significant currents or surf.

Depending on where you live, the water could be really cold. Diving in cold water can up the difficulty factor.

Another thing, is fresh water often has terrible visibility. Here in FL, we think of bad visibility as 40'. You would be lucky to have that in a lake dive and probably a lot less.

However, 30' is pretty shallow. So that puts you on the easy side.

So on the easy side of the tally we have depth, current and chop.

On the challenging side we potentially have difficulty of entry on the shore dive, visibility and water temp.

Of course, difficulty in SCUBA is all self inflicted. If conditions are dicey, you just don't do it or call the dive when you realize that it is more than you want to fool with.

 

[2 Big 2 Fail]

Hey. One of the nice things about diving is that you only have to do the sorts that you enjoy and want to do. That's enjoy AND want. If you don't like it and don't want to be doing it, no obligation to be doing that kind. And you're not obliged to spend every spare moment diving, just because some people do.

It is not a hard thing to learn. Certainly, you can get into advanced areas that will obviously seen harder to more and more people as it gets more strenuous and technical. But my wife and I piddle around in shallow water and quite enjoy it. She's the least likely person to ever have decided to dive on her own, but she's brave enough and open enough to try it if I wanted to. And she turned out to be a better learner in some areas than I did and is perfectly comfortable. She has a bad leg from childhood polio (giving away our ages there), and it turned out she couldn't fin in the usual way. The two ended up working against each other. Lots of activity, no forward motion. A realistic accommodation was worked out for the one skill this was a real problem with.

It's true there are people who can't do it. But they're few, and it seems to be mostly things that you couldn't even know were problems until the course, and very, very few can't be overcome. About the only absolute, assuming no medical condition that rules out diving, is inability or unwillingness to follow basic rules and take it seriously, kind of like everything else.

 

[Cave Diver]

Dear Scuboard,

I have recently became interested in scuba diving. After reading through some FAQs I am now worried that this sport may be too advanced for me. What I am interested in doing is getting my cert then doing some very basic dives in lakes, going no deeper than 20-30 feet max. Nothing exciting like going to caves and such. Just simple looking around.

Would you consider diving like I said would be easy for anybody to learn or is it still really hard?


Love,

John

I really appreciate all the answers. This is the friendliest board I've ever visited.

I used to weigh in around 475 at my peak, so I am sure moving around with 75 lbs of gear won't be TOO bad.

Step 1 I am guessing is contact a school. I will search the boards for a guide on how to do that (I am sure you don't wanna see another "which school" topic)


Thank you so much

Welcome to the board John!

I'll reiterate what some of the other people have said about diving not being for everyone. But usually that comes from a fear of water, claustrophobia or other issues.

Your weight can be an issue as diving is a physical activity. One thing I would suggest is that you talk to your doctor about it from a health standpoint. You might also contact DAN (http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/ You don't have to be a member to ask them questions) and ask if they can advise you of a doctor in your area familiar with diving physiology who can give you a better picture of it from this point.

Also, as others have mentioned gear may be an issue. As far as a buoyancy compensator goes, if nothing else a back plate and wing can accommodate a large range of people if you can't find a traditional style BC that you like in your size. Exposure suits may be a concern as well. Other than that, I don't see too much issue with equipment that can't be overcome.

I would recommend that you check with a local shop and see if they will allow you to try snorkeling in the pool so you can get a feel of whether you like being in the water. Then you might be able to arrange a Discover Scuba Diving course (DSD) that allows you to have a supervised trial.

Finding an instructor you like, with good teaching skills is important. There are some stickies at the top of the New Divers and Basic Scuba forum that will help you with that. Be sure to explain to them your concerns and make sure they're addressed. You may also want to check out this forum: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/dive-into-fitness/

I don't think anyone here can truly advise you whether you can or can't learn to dive, we can just point you in the right direction for you to find out for yourself.

Good luck on your journey!

 

[canadianwingnut]

Welcome John

I felt JUST like you...I took a Discover Scuba the other weekend. I would not describe
myself as a strong swimmer but I can do the skills.
After that second breath...I new i could do it..It was one the the best days of my life.
I found it very relaxing. I will be in the first OW coarse I can be In..Give it a TRY
Wingnut

 

[moose200x]

I found a class. It costs $375 but says NOT INCLUDED: Rental equipment ($85.00) or your Personal Snorkeling System for openwater dives ($140.00 to $300.00)

So, $500-$700. Is that an ok price? They also do SSI or PADI. Any preference?

 

[Cave Diver]

I found a class. It costs $375 but says NOT INCLUDED: Rental equipment ($85.00) or your Personal Snorkeling System for openwater dives ($140.00 to $300.00)

So, $500-$700. Is that an ok price? They also do SSI or PADI. Any preference?

Your personal equipment is normally going to be extra, because well, it's your personal stuff. There is lots of advice about choosing quality stuff here without buying the most expensive thing they offer.

Most classes I've been involved with offer the basic rental gear as part of the class. The cost of the class and the inclusion of rental gear may vary by region.

Both PADI and SSI are large recognized agencies. It's really more important to find a good instructor that you feel comfortable with. If possible you may ask to observe part of a class especially a pool session before you make your decision and read the sticky about how to choose a good instructor.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...ering-diving/283566-who-responsible-what.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...ng/287780-how-find-excellent-scuba-class.html