# Scuba diving and fat people



## Webmaster (Dec 18, 2008)

I spent last week diving off Roatan island in Honduras. It was half work, half fun as I reviewed underwater cameras and rugged mobile computing equipment for my tech websites.

On dive trips people are usually assigned to boats, and one guy on our boat was a BHM with a very large belly. My guess is he was 6"1 and about 400 pounds. There was also a very short woman with very large hips. 

Now common wisdom would have it that scuba diving is not a sport for fat people. Fat floats and so fat divers would need a lot of weight in their weight belt or buoyancy compensating jacket. And wetsuits, which are a pain to put on for anyone, are not available in those sizes.

Well, the short woman had a suit that fit and was a very good diver. The BHM just wore a T-shirt to dive (the water was 80 degrees Fahrenheit) and used a conventional weight belt with maybe 22 pounds (I used 15). He also was an excellent diver with a uniquely elegant style.

I can imagine that diving would be a wonderful sport for fat people. When you dive, you fly. You are totally weightless and just glide above wondrous underwater landscapes. It's a miraculous world that few ever see, yet it is very accessible. And the peace and awe you feel while doing it is indescribable.

The two pictures blow show diving through an underwater canyon and the stunning plants and colors there are down there. 

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## Risible (Dec 18, 2008)

I think I told you I've snorkled in a couple places, a few times in Lover's Cove on Catalina, in the kelp forest. Even snorkling I got a sense of the flying that you described, as well as a delight from the freedom from gravity.

I'm not much of a sports enthusiast, but scuba is one water sport I'd love to learn.

Thanks for posting the pix; they're beautiful and evocative.


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## Mishty (Dec 18, 2008)

I've always wondered about the 'floatin fat issue...

I'm a really good swimmer and have always wanted to go scuba diving!
I'm just a bit reluctant because I don't know how some instructors would feel with a first time diver/fatty. 

I've never had a problem staying under the water like most of my fat friends, who always seem to float back up to the surface and can't stay down more than a few seconds. I've known how to push myself down and "fight the float" since I was 8! The big question is: Scuba suits in 5x?

I've searched off and on for years for a suit and a *Fatty Diving Group*...but alas no such luck. 

Those photos give me reason to keep up the hunt! :happy:


I've looked into scuba diving for people with a disability and there are a few people and groups.

Scuba Diving with a disability


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## BrunetteBeauty80 (Dec 18, 2008)

Risible said:


> I think I told you I've snorkled in a couple places, a few times in Lover's Cove on Catalina, in the kelp forest. Even snorkling I got a sense of the flying that you described, as well as a delight from the freedom from gravity.
> 
> I'm not much of a sports enthusiast, but scuba is one water sport I'd love to learn.
> 
> Thanks for posting the pix; they're beautiful and evocative.



I am in envy of you Risible! I have always wanted to snorkel in Catalina. It seems so lovely. I've never had the nerve to try it, based on my size. One day I will. It is on my "to do" list


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## sobie18 (Dec 18, 2008)

I have also seen some moderately plus-sized men & women on my diving, too. Like Conrad said, they will need some extra weight but once you are down there, it's just pure heaven.

Conrad,
Honduras? Awesome. My dive buddy was stationed down there @ Soto Cano and dove all over that place (Utilla, Roatan). I just spent my Thanksgiving in Palau enjoying that heavenly dive location...


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## Webmaster (Dec 18, 2008)

I've seen divers much more than moderately plus-sized. I hope more fat people will give it a try. Wetsuits can be an issue, but they are very stretchy. And in tropical waters it's often not necessary to wear a wetsuit at all. 

Diving in Honduras is great. I was on the south side of Roatan at a terrific dive-centric place that was more like a camp than a resort. I'd LOVE to go to Palau. 



sobie18 said:


> I have also seen some moderately plus-sized men & women on my diving, too. Like Conrad said, they will need some extra weight but once you are down there, it's just pure heaven.
> 
> Conrad,
> Honduras? Awesome. My dive buddy was stationed down there @ Soto Cano and dove all over that place (Utilla, Roatan). I just spent my Thanksgiving in Palau enjoying that heavenly dive location...



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## stan_der_man (Dec 19, 2008)

Incredible pictures Conrad! The closest I've gotten to such an adventure is snorkeling off of Key Largo. The ocean is a wondrous place!

I don't know that much about scuba diving, but I think your observation of large sized people participating in an activity such as scuba is interesting because it shows that given equipment which fits, or other items sturdy enough to support heavier weights, fat people can do the things that "average" sized people can do.


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## Webmaster (Dec 19, 2008)

fa_man_stan said:


> ... I don't know that much about scuba diving, but I think your observation of large sized people participating in an activity such as scuba is interesting because it shows that given equipment which fits, or other items sturdy enough to support heavier weights, fat people can do the things that "average" sized people can do.



Exactly, and I think a lot of fat people would find the experience of hovering weightlessly over a miraculous seascape thrilling. It is eminently doable. Below is a picture of the big guy in our group, swimming over a wreck we visited, and more of the incredible colors found beneath the surface. 

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## Tarella (Dec 19, 2008)

Great photos Conrad! This thread really makes me ache for the water. I have always loved the water, particularly how it makes me feel so graceful and carefree. I was an avid swimmer and the only real nickname I have ever had growing up was "fish". People used to say to my parents that I had to be cold/warm blooded because I would stay in the water for hours. I ended up finishing all my levels in watersafety and swimming lessons very young. When I turned 16 I became a lifeguard and water safety intructor. Then when I was 18 I did my National Lifesaving accreditation...and then onto Scuba certification. I was a smaller BBW at the time probably 190-200 lbs. I love the blue calm water. Its very hard to describe the feeling of freedom, peace, and sound of the bubbles and breathing. Silent except for that. Rythmic......constant. I also like the way the pressure feels.... against my body. These days I doubt if I would fit a suit. I also how the bouancy moves my fat around so effortlessly. I create bigger splashes .....much to the delight of my son....he is always asking for me to "Cannonball me mom" LOL. 

Again, thanks for the photos, took my mind back under the water. Youtube has some great scuba videos. I have had a few chances recently to scuba again but I didnt make the opportunity happen really because I didnt know what to expect with a suit and being over 300 lbs. I have made my mind up to go again....Thanks!!

Tara


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## bmann0413 (Dec 19, 2008)

Oh, man, I'd love to do that! Now only if I wasn't so afraid of being underwater for a long time... lol


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## moore2me (Dec 19, 2008)

Missblueyedeath said:


> The big question is: Scuba suits in 5x?
> 
> I've searched off and on for years for a suit Those photos give me reason to keep up the hunt! :happy:
> 
> Scuba Diving with a disability



Dear Missblueyedeath,

There are some places that sell men's and women's scuba suits up to a 6XL.
Here are some examples (there are others).
Womens suits.
http://www.junonia.com/detail.htm?sid=537510&tl=3&ldid=2&sdid=16
Both sexes
http://www.tommydsports.com/products/pages/8802.htm

And the following companies also *sell custom made scuba suits*. They will make one to fit your measurements.
http://www.eaglereef.com/
http://www.liquidfit.com/


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## electra99 (Dec 20, 2008)

I got my scuba certification when I was about 280lbs and I will tell you that squeezing into the too small wetsuit that was available at the time was not much fun nor was the getting to the water with an overloaded weight belt but once I was in the water the experience was well worth it. 

Thanks Moore2Me for the links, I have have been wondering where I could get an affordable wetsuit. 

Big Adventure is a plus-sized focused diving group that might be a good resource for anyone interesting in taking up diving. http://www.bigadventures.net/index.php


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## Adrian (Dec 20, 2008)

I have been to four of the islands of Hawaii (Hawaii, Kauai, Maui/Molokini, and Oahu) and there have always been many BBWs and SSBBWs around. Hawaii is not a place that size is frown on as much as many other places in the USA.
I have only been on one dive tour and that was to Molokini Crater (a semi-submerged volcanic crater between the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe) and there were several SSBBWs on the tour with my wife and I. No one was rude or anything but, I was prepared to step forward and challenge any guy mis-behaving towards any BBWs. I have done it before and I am willing to do it again. (Something to do with being father of four daughters, grandfather of six granddaughters, a former Girl Scout Leader -troops #740 and #905, girls soccer, softball, track and field coach.) The waters around the Hawaiian Islands is around 80° most of the year and most snorkeling and inshore diving is done without wet suits.

Conrad, thank you for the photographs. -Adrian


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## sobie18 (Dec 20, 2008)

Yeah, you could say I'm spoiled here, diving on Guam with warm water. I just did 4 dives today and I'll see if I can get some more pix up. 

View attachment Resize of PICT6592.JPG


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## URTalking2Jenn (Dec 20, 2008)

electra99 said:


> I got my scuba certification when I was about 280lbs and I will tell you that squeezing into the too small wetsuit that was available at the time was not much fun nor was the getting to the water with an overloaded weight belt but once I was in the water the experience was well worth it.



My dad is a big hobby guy and when he picks up a new hobby he goes all out. He is a BHM and he got his scuba diving license and of choice I got mine too. I was about 260 at that time. Lucky I was able to fit into a 2XL wetsuit, which was the same same as him. So I didn't have to buy any of the equipment. 

Since we were both fat people we needed a lot of weight, so we made our own, the process was very cool to learn. Since I floated a lot, I used about 25lb on my hips and anther 10lb on my feet. Lets just say I was very thankful to have hips, it keep the weight on, unlike my dad, it keep falling off. 

We did most of our diving at Monterey, Ca where it is very cold. I stopped scuba diving because it was a lot of work walking from the beach with all that weight. Plus squeezing out of the wetsuit really sucked. It just got to hard for me. I haven't been diving in about 7 years and I miss it. It was a lot of fun in the water:wubu:.


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## moore2me (Dec 20, 2008)

URTalking2Jenn said:


> My dad is a big hobby guy and when he picks up a new hobby he goes all out. He is a BHM and he got his scuba diving license and of choice I got mine too. I was about 260 at that time. Lucky I was able to fit into a 2XL wetsuit, which was the same same as him. So I didn't have to buy any of the equipment.
> 
> Since we were both fat people we needed a lot of weight, so we made our own, the process was very cool to learn. Since I floated a lot, I used about 25lb on my hips and anther 10lb on my feet. Lets just say I was very thankful to have hips, it keep the weight on, unlike my dad, it keep falling off.
> 
> We did most of our diving at Monterey, Ca where it is very cold. I stopped scuba diving because it was a lot of work walking from the beach with all that weight. Plus squeezing out of the wetsuit really sucked. It just got to hard for me. I haven't been diving in about 7 years and I miss it. It was a lot of fun in the water:wubu:.



Dear Jenn, 

I know what you're talking about on that walk to the water at Monterey, CA. I was visiting there once (about ten years ago) and decided to take a guided walking tour of a beach to look at some seals. The walk was soooo long it was really tough on this fat girl. Especially since it was mostly thru deep sand, weather was warm, and there were no benches along the way to sit down and rest. But wild seals on the beach were neat to see. Then we had to walk back. I image it would have been much worse carrying weight belts and/or SCUBA gear.


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## Just_Jen (Dec 20, 2008)

WOW those pictures are amazing. i would love to go scuba diving one day ^_^ I've been snorkeling (only at discovery cove haha) and really enjoyed it. i think when i build up some cash i may have to try it somewhere more exotic ^_^


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## Webmaster (Dec 20, 2008)

I think a lot of fat people may be afraid to try scuba because they think equipment and wetsuits won't fit, and because things like having to shlep tanks across a sandy beach.

That can be an issue, but it isn't always. I've exerted myself hefting big 130 cu-ft tanks up a steep ravine at Lake Tahoe, but boat diving in the ocean is nothing like that. There, the crew puts the tanks and equipment onto the boat and all you have to do is gear up and jump into the water. Those who may have a problem getting out of the water and back onto the boat can take their gear off in the water and hand it to the crew. 

The training agencies (PADI, NAUI, etc.) are actually very concerned about making scuba accessible to everyone. The educational materials constantly make reference to handicapped divers and those with special needs. You may still have a bad experience, of course, but by and large, I'd say less so in scuba than in just about any other activity.

As for weight, for those unfamiliar with scuba diving, every diver needs some weight either inside pockets of their buoyancy compensating jacket or on a weight belt in order to sink. Fat people need a bit more as fat has a low specific density. The big guy in our group wore a standard weight belt under his belly. Apparently that worked just fine for him as he was a terrific diver.

I wish more fat people would consider scuba. There's simply nothing like it. Imagine slowly and peacefully flying in a wonderland, totally unaffected by gravity at all. 



URTalking2Jenn said:


> My dad is a big hobby guy and when he picks up a new hobby he goes all out. He is a BHM and he got his scuba diving license and of choice I got mine too. I was about 260 at that time. Lucky I was able to fit into a 2XL wetsuit, which was the same same as him. So I didn't have to buy any of the equipment.
> 
> Since we were both fat people we needed a lot of weight, so we made our own, the process was very cool to learn. Since I floated a lot, I used about 25lb on my hips and anther 10lb on my feet. Lets just say I was very thankful to have hips, it keep the weight on, unlike my dad, it keep falling off.
> 
> We did most of our diving at Monterey, Ca where it is very cold. I stopped scuba diving because it was a lot of work walking from the beach with all that weight. Plus squeezing out of the wetsuit really sucked. It just got to hard for me. I haven't been diving in about 7 years and I miss it. It was a lot of fun in the water:wubu:.



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## KendraLee (Dec 20, 2008)

I would love to try diving someday


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## AtlantisAK (Dec 23, 2008)

Oh wow...I've always wanted to go scuba diving. I love the water and I would practically live in it if I could. In the summertime I used to get up early, dive on in to the water and stay there until sundown sometimes, only to come out to eat quick and go right back.
It'd be so nice to go down there and see for myself whats there. Pictures probabaly don't do it justice.


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## Von_Pudge (Dec 23, 2008)

I always wanted to try that!
Good pics btw


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## Webmaster (Dec 23, 2008)

AtlantisAK said:


> ...
> It'd be so nice to go down there and see for myself whats there. Pictures probabaly don't do it justice.



You can. Imagine quietly and weightlessly flying through this: 

View attachment scuba_dim3.jpg


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## AgentSkelly (Dec 24, 2008)

I remember in Hawaii seeing lots of BBWs and SSBBWs also do snorkeling.


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## AtlantisAK (Dec 24, 2008)

Webmaster said:


> You can. Imagine quietly and weightlessly flying through this:




Mister Webmaster, that just makes me smile to think about.  Nice, quiet, pretty...

Hopefully I won't have to imagine for too long. Maybe by the time I get a chance to go, they'll have more fat friendly gear.


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## Your Plump Princess (Dec 24, 2008)

I Have Always Loved The Water. If I could live underwater I think I would, Lol.

But Alas I have never been able to go Scuba Diving.
I Always thought because I was fat, that I would not be able to do such a wonderful thing.

This has restored my dream.


<3 Thank You For Posting This.


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## SocialbFly (Dec 24, 2008)

there is a place on ebay that sold wet suits that would fit me, i remember saving them, thinking if...when.....

thank you Conrad for the pictures/article...maybe i will be brave enough to find someone to take a class with me and see about doing it...


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## Tarella (Dec 24, 2008)

Webmaster said:


> You can. Imagine quietly and weightlessly flying through this:




That is just stunning. Thanks Conrad


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## URTalking2Jenn (Dec 26, 2008)

View attachment l_5960cc7524b0e5efcf7c2ddf96612037.jpg


My friend(in the pic above) is a SSBBW and she goes diving. She only does boat diving because it's easier on her. I need to do some refresher classes before I go out again, but I would love to try boat diving.


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## stan_der_man (Dec 27, 2008)

URTalking2Jenn said:


> View attachment 55939
> 
> 
> My friend(in the pic above) is a SSBBW and she goes diving. She only does boat diving because it's easier on her. I need to do some refresher classes before I go out again, but I would love to try boat diving.



That's a great picture of your friend Jenn! It looks like they had a fun time.



SocialbFly said:


> there is a place on ebay that sold wet suits that would fit me, i remember saving them, thinking if...when.....
> 
> ...



Mentioning wet suits reminded me... A female colleague of mine who I'd estimate is around 400 lbs or so, went on the "Swim with the Dolphins" behind the scenes adventure at Sea World San Diego. She said they had a good range of sizes in wetsuits and had one on hand that comfortably fit her. Sea World appears to be well prepared to handle large sized people for those who might want do this.


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## AlethaBBW (Jan 2, 2009)

One of my best friends is an SSBBW diver. Now I see what she sees in it...


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## Deidrababe (Jan 6, 2009)

Oh Conrad! 

I so would love to dive in the ocean! Your photos are fabulous and I'm VERY jealous!

I have snorkeled many times in the ocean, off beach and off a boat too - love it, love it, LOVE it! I wish I didn't float quite as much in the ocean - only because if it's a little choppy, I end up getting sea sick from my own floating ability!!! LOL

I DID take Scuba lessons once - At a FAT CAMP (ironically) I went to in Brewster, MA a long ass time ago - we started in the pool, and I remember I ended up on my back like a turtle with the weight of the tank - it was funny - I was 220 lbs. at the time (I was 14). When we got to the ocean - we only did one dive that was short and VERY supervised. I loved it though.

If I had the opportunity to Dive again - I'd put on as many belts as they wanted me to to sink this floatation device I like to call Deidra - LOL

My dream is to someday dive with sharks! Call me crazy, but it's what I like!

XOXO

Deeds


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## Webmaster (Jan 6, 2009)

Based on what I have seen in my diving, it'd be an absolutely wonderful thing for many fat people, and it is eminently doable. As I related in my initial post, perhaps the best diver in our group was a big guy who probably weighed around 400. It can be done. I'd say if someone can travel and get on a boat, diving itself is a piece of cake.

I did some underwater video, too, and a small excerpt is at here. It shows approaching and exploring a wreck.

I almost got to swim with sharks on my last dive trip. There is a special encounter event where you take a Zodiac boat out onto the sea and then dive down to a reef at about 70 feet where the sharks are. I wanted to go, but it was already booked out.


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## Tarella (Jan 6, 2009)

Webmaster said:


> Based on what I have seen in my diving, it'd be an absolutely wonderful thing for many fat people, and it is eminently doable. As I related in my initial post, perhaps the best diver in our group was a big guy who probably weighed around 400. It can be done. I'd say if someone can travel and get on a boat, diving itself is a piece of cake.
> 
> I did some underwater video, too, and a small excerpt is at here. It shows approaching and exploring a wreck.
> 
> I almost got to swim with sharks on my last dive trip. There is a special encounter event where you take a Zodiac boat out onto the sea and then dive down to a reef at about 70 feet where the sharks are. I wanted to go, but it was already booked out.



Loved the video....very peaceful and relaxing. You looked pretty darn cute too Conrad


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## imfree (Jan 6, 2009)

Webmaster said:


> Based on what I have seen in my diving, it'd be an absolutely wonderful thing for many fat people, and it is eminently doable. As I related in my initial post, perhaps the best diver in our group was a big guy who probably weighed around 400. It can be done. I'd say if someone can travel and get on a boat, diving itself is a piece of cake.
> 
> I did some underwater video, too, and a small excerpt is at here. It shows approaching and exploring a wreck.
> 
> I almost got to swim with sharks on my last dive trip. There is a special encounter event where you take a Zodiac boat out onto the sea and then dive down to a reef at about 70 feet where the sharks are. I wanted to go, but it was already booked out.



Thanks Chief, that was visually and technologically breath-taking!!!


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## URTalking2Jenn (Jan 6, 2009)

Deidrababe said:


> I wish I didn't float quite as much in the ocean - only because if it's a little choppy, I end up getting sea sick from my own floating ability!!! LOL
> 
> ...we started in the pool, and I remember I ended up on my back like a turtle with the weight of the tank - it was funny - I was 220 lbs. at the time (I was 14). When we got to the ocean - we only did one dive that was short and VERY supervised. I loved it though.
> 
> My dream is to someday dive with sharks!



I floated too well when I started. I had to use a lot of wights to hold me down. I had to have wights in the pool because I could not drive down into the bottom of the pool with out popping to the top. My problem is when I went driving my feet would float up and I was floating upside down, which had me laughing at first. So now I put wights on my ankle and that works for me.


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## midnightrogue (Jan 7, 2009)

I teach Scuba diving in thailand. we get loads of obese customers. dont let any thing hold you back! 

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## imfree (Jan 7, 2009)

midnightrogue said:


> I teach Scuba diving in thailand. we get loads of obese customers. dont let any thing hold you back!



Hi Midnightrogue, I have a question for you, regarding oxygen.
I'm a non-swimmer, so it's very unlikely that I would ever dive.
I'm not directly affected, but I'm still curious. Is there a way
to connect medical oxygen to a diving regulator system?


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## SpecialK (Jan 7, 2009)

I'm going to Hawaii in March for my sister's wedding. I may have to take the opportunity to try to snorkeling, even though I've never done it before. I bet my family would love to try as we all love to swim.


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## Webmaster (Jan 7, 2009)

imfree said:


> ...I'm not directly affected, but I'm still curious. Is there a way
> to connect medical oxygen to a diving regulator system?



Interesting question, and one where things quickly get into diving physics. Regular air has 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen and about 1% of other stuff. However, as you dive, the air you breathe from the scuba tank has a higher pressure to counteract the water pressure your body is subjected to. At a depth of 33 feet, the pressure compared to the surface has doubled and you're actually breathing in twice the oxygen molecules. In diving terminology, there is now a .42 partial pressure oxygen. At 66 feet, it's .63, at 99 feet .84 and so on.

Now the partial pressure of nitrogen also increases with depth. Nitrogen does two things. First, as an inert gas it dissolves into the body's tissues, and then comes back out as you ascend. That is why divers must not ascend too quickly or stay at depth too long. Second, at depth, nitrogen can have an intoxicating effect called nitrogen narcosis. This affects different people in different ways, but it's obviously best not to experience it.

This is why some divers fill their tanks with a gas that has more oxygen and less nitrogen. It's commonly called "Nitrox." Diving with Nitrox means that the body absorbs less nitrogen, meaning you can stay down longer and pretty much eliminate nitrogen narcosis. Problem is that high partial pressures of oxygen can become toxic (and lead to convulsions), which means that diving with Nitrox imposes depth limits.

The above is all background to the answer to your question: scuba regulators can handle higher percentages of oxygen. As a rule, a standard scuba regulator _can_ safely handle mixes that contain up to 40% oxygen. Beyond that, you can still use a standard regulator, but it must be "oxygen-cleaned" to prevent possible explosions.


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## SocialbFly (Jan 10, 2009)

midnightrogue said:


> I teach Scuba diving in thailand. we get loads of obese customers. dont let any thing hold you back!




when you come back to visit in the states, you can teach a big group of us big people how to scuba dive, deal????


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## ashmamma84 (Jan 10, 2009)

SpecialK said:


> I'm going to Hawaii in March for my sister's wedding. I may have to take the opportunity to try to snorkeling, even though I've never done it before. I bet my family would love to try as we all love to swim.



I've gone a couple times and LOVE it! It's a whole other (interesting and beautiful) world down there. You definitely want to go when you're in Hawaii. 

Do it, do it, do it! You won't be sorry you did.


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## Uriel (Jan 14, 2009)

sobie18 said:


> Yeah, you could say I'm spoiled here, diving on Guam with warm water. I just did 4 dives today and I'll see if I can get some more pix up.



Volitan!!!

I miss my Fuzzy Dwarf Lion (He died in a bizarre heater accident)


-Uriel


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## Hathor (Jan 19, 2009)

This post makes me feel better about appearing in a swim suit. I love to swim and have always wanted to learn scuba diving, but fear has kept me away from beaches and pools.


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## Webmaster (Mar 26, 2009)

Last week I went wreckdiving off San Diego. This was very different from the Caribbean. The water was cold and murky and I wore my thickest dive suit as well as a hood and gloves. The descent to the wreck of the HMCS Yukon was along a rope that disappeared into the greenish, opaque water below me. I made my way down into the darkness as it got colder and colder. Then I saw ghostly dark shapes appear, the wreck.

Diving it is an otherwordly experience. The water was 49 degrees down by the wreck, it was almost totally dark except when you looked up and saw faint green, and the visibility was no more than may 10-15 feet. Divers had their lights on, illuminating this part of steel or hull or that, everything overgrown with corals, anemones and kelp. But when you trained your light on it, the coral was bright-red or fluffy white.

Later I was diving the kelp forests. It was cold and fairly murky again, but I saw incredible beauty and exploding colors that I never expected from such an unfriendly place.

Later, I did a factory tour of a dry suit maker, and they, again, emphasized that many of their customers are fat, and they make dry suits no matter what the size. 

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## fatgirlflyin (Mar 26, 2009)

I spent a week in Hawaii in February and while I was there, I went snorkeling. Not the same as scuba diving, but oh my god what fun it was! It took me a little while to get used to the idea of breathing under water but after I relaxed it was totally cool! 

Thanks for sharing your pictures and stories, makes me want to learn to dive!


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## fatgirlflyin (Mar 26, 2009)

SpecialK said:


> I'm going to Hawaii in March for my sister's wedding. I may have to take the opportunity to try to snorkeling, even though I've never done it before. I bet my family would love to try as we all love to swim.




Where in Hawaii? I realize March is almost over but I just saw your post. I was in Honolulu and I went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve cost like $5 to get in. Very pretty, and lots of fish to see.


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## Sandie S-R (Mar 27, 2009)

Amazing pictures, Chief! You're right about the colors being so vibrant. Glad you hear you had such an interesting time in San Diego.


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## sobie18 (Mar 27, 2009)

Beautiful pic of the nudibranch there.

I am no longer in Guam and I MISS the diving really BAD. 

Stuck here in Georgia now...


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## mel (Mar 28, 2009)

perfect timing post! we are going to Hawaii in a couple of months and thought about scuba diving but wasn't too sure if I would be able to do this with the family. It's definitley something we will revisit as a possibility to do


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## SocialbFly (Mar 30, 2009)

Beautiful pictures, thank you for posting Conrad...


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## Tau (Mar 30, 2009)

I want to learn sooooooo badly. I love the water and the sea - going down right into it is my idea of pure heaven. Thanks to everybody who posted all those amazing pictures :smitten:


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## Webmaster (Aug 16, 2009)

This picture is real. I took it last week while diving off the Turks and Caicos islands in the Caribbeans. The shark looks bigger than it actually was because it is in the foreground, but it was pretty big and a bit scary. 

The first time I saw a shark on this trip, it just cruised by, with amazing elegance, power and ease. It was clear that the shark considered itself on top of the food chain.

On the next dive, there were several sharks, just appearing out of nowhere. You'd turn around and there was a real life shark just cruising by, only feet away from you. I expected to be hugely nervous and my heart pounding, but none of that happened. It does get a bit disconcerting as they tend to cruise toward you then sort of turn around you, disappear, then appear again and swim a closer circle. It was an incredible experience, and unless at some of those places where they feed sharks for special shark trips, the ones I saw were totally wild. 

View attachment shark_big_700.jpg


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## rainyday (Aug 17, 2009)

Conrad, what a cool experience!

Is there any indication that a person is safer down there with sharks completely immersed where they can see your whole body and size than if they're you're say at the surface where they can only see a couple limbs churning in the water at a time?

I think I remember reading somewhere that a lot of shark bites are the result of them taking a chomp to kind of figure out what a person really is, which would make sense if they couldn't see all of you.


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## Shosh (Aug 17, 2009)

I love sharks. They are much maligned for no good reason I feel. We as humans have to recognize that we are visitors to their habitat and have respect for that.
It is the sharks natural instinct to hunt for prey, and we as humans need to be mindful of that fact, instead of hunting down and killing sharks who were only following their instinct.


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## Webmaster (Aug 17, 2009)

It was a cool and unique experience. And you are right; most shark attacks are on surfers and swimmers where the sharks aren't quite sure what it is and go for a little taste. 

Also, I realized that there are sharks and there are sharks. Just as there are beagles and there are rottweilers and pit bulls. We saw nurse sharks and reef sharks (like the one in the picture), and that is a far cry from, say, bull sharks, hammerheads or great whites. While I definitely want to see the reef sharks again, I have absolutely no desire to ever be in the water with a great white.

That said, all sharks are capable of doing significant damage. I think I wasn't afraid because I had this sense that there was absolutely nothing I could do should the sharks decide to go for me. They are just so sleek and majestic and though the sharks may not realize it, underwater a scubadiving human is thoroughly outgunned by a shark. Most of the sharks we saw had what seemed like fresh bites and marks themselves, and they probably came from larger sharks. And the boat crew's theory as to what happened there wasn't pretty.

Also, if humanity continues to slaughter sharks wholesale just to get their fins, the miraculous experience I had will soon be a thing of the past. 






rainyday said:


> Conrad, what a cool experience!
> 
> Is there any indication that a person is safer down there with sharks completely immersed where they can see your whole body and size than if they're you're say at the surface where they can only see a couple limbs churning in the water at a time?
> 
> I think I remember reading somewhere that a lot of shark bites are the result of them taking a chomp to kind of figure out what a person really is, which would make sense if they couldn't see all of you.


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## EtobicokeFA (Aug 17, 2009)

Webmaster said:


> It was a cool and unique experience. And you are right; most shark attacks are on surfers and swimmers where the sharks aren't quite sure what it is and go for a little taste.
> 
> Also, I realized that there are sharks and there are sharks. Just as there are beagles and there are rottweilers and pit bulls. We saw nurse sharks and reef sharks (like the one in the picture), and that is a far cry from, say, bull sharks, hammerheads or great whites. While I definitely want to see the reef sharks again, I have absolutely no desire to ever be in the water with a great white.
> 
> ...



First that is cool swimming with the shark. But, I guess that sharks just another thing people misunderstand.


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## Ernest Nagel (Aug 17, 2009)

Just FYI: http://www.shark.ch/Database/EndangeredSharks/index.html

I think humans will eventually eradicate everything else at the top of the food chain. We'll keep moving down until we're all that's left. Apex predators are just the first to go. :really sad:


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## Littleghost (Aug 17, 2009)

Webmaster said:


> It was a cool and unique experience. And you are right; most shark attacks are on surfers and swimmers where the sharks aren't quite sure what it is and go for a little taste.
> 
> Also, I realized that there are sharks and there are sharks. Just as there are beagles and there are rottweilers and pit bulls. We saw nurse sharks and reef sharks (like the one in the picture), and that is a far cry from, say, bull sharks, hammerheads or great whites. While I definitely want to see the reef sharks again, I have absolutely no desire to ever be in the water with a great white.
> 
> ...



It's pretty funny how the biggest shark there is, the whale shark, is just a harmless filter feeder, but the bull shark is rather small and considered to be the most aggressive one. I've seen sharks in aquariums that look just about the size of a decent tuna.


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