Too Fat to Dive? Safety Concerns for Overweight Divers

Are you overweight and want to know if it is safe to go scuba diving? Keep in mind that this activity does not place any weight requirement, but it does not mean that being overweight is not a factor. Let us take a look at the most important aspects concerning safety as an overweight diver.

Equipment

As most pieces of diving equipment are designed for average-size individuals, your decision between getting your own gear and renting such will be crucial. As you can see, there will be are issues with regards to weight and buoyancy that you will likely have. There is also the issue of configuring the set-up of your equipment.

Fitness

Being overweight, diving can create serious safety concerns, such as the lack of endurance that can eventually lead to fatigue, which in turn causes you to make poor decisions that would result in a state of panic. As you can see, it is very important to breathe naturally and easily to remain calm while underwater, or else you will have a safety problem that can be life-threatening. With this in mind, it is best not to fret too much about your weight and rather focus on improving your fitness and your ability to dive. Most importantly, you should work on your cardio.

Now, if you feel that you are fit with your current weight, then most likely you will have a little difficulty performing this activity. But if you are overweight and out of shape, then you will definitely have bigger problems when underwater.

Maneuverability

Having excess fat in your body will make maneuverability a big issue when scuba diving. In this activity, you have to be sure that you are able to perform all the necessary skills and movements to enjoy the best experience. This would mean that you have to get more practice and make significant modifications to your diving equipment.

With these bits of information, you will have a good idea on safety when diving as an overweight diver.