# Adventure sports for fat people??



## Filly (May 11, 2010)

Hi everyone,

I did a quick search to see if this has been discussed before but didn't find much.

I am a total adrenalin junkie. I love doing things that give me a rush!! Herein lays the problem...

I weigh too much to do a lot of the activities I want to do, such as sky-diving and parasailing. Well, I weigh too much to do those things tandem anyway. Have any of you guys managed to do these activities?? I have done a little research and have found that I might be able to get my skydiving or parasailing licence (as these are done solo - no tandem), however there is so much conflicting information out there I'm not really sure what to believe.

Surely there is a parashute out there that can hold my weight! Scheesh! And whilst I am not very fit, I am confident that my body would be able to handle the effort. 

If anyone has any tips I would be greatly appreciative.

Thanks


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## Webmaster (May 11, 2010)

I can't help you with sky-diving and parasailing, but since both deal with flying and weightlessness, have you considered scuba? I absolutely adore scuba, and there are a lot of fat people who are divers.



Filly said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I did a quick search to see if this has been discussed before but didn't find much.
> 
> ...


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## SuperSizedAngie (May 11, 2010)

I'm the same way, I love trying out new and exciting things. Haven't been able to go up in the air yet, but like the person above me said, scuba or snorkeling is always a fun way to go and is pretty darn fat friendly. 

Also there is always wrestling, though that may not be quite what you have in mind.    I love to wrestle.


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## Tad (May 11, 2010)

The only thing I'd mention about sky-diving and parasailing is, from what I heard from someone I knew who was into skydiving, you hit the ground fairly hard still. He commented on how easy it was to hurt your knee on the landing, and you had to learn how to sort of roll with your momentum. I'd imagine that the heavier you are, the more that would be a challenge....although perhaps there are varying sizes of chutes, giving you different falling speeds?

Anyway, good luck with this!

ETA: I just saw elsewhere that you are moving to Canada....you could maybe try downhill skiing? (need strong legs and good knees for heavier folk, but it is certainly possible)


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## Tau (May 11, 2010)

I'd second Conrad on this - do something in the water. I'd really rather not risk falling out the sky cos I'm too heavy for the parachute  That would be my absolute worst nightmare. White water rafting, water skiing, diving, snorkelling etc are alll mostly death free. And if you really want a thrill you can do the thing with the cage and the shark


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## TallFatSue (May 11, 2010)

I agree that water sports are mostly very fat friendly. I haven't tried scuba diving, but snorkeling in the Caribbean or in Hawaii is just plain awesome. Jet skiing is fantastic too. My husband also talked me into those big long waterslides at water parks against my better judgment, where you feel like you're falling off a cliff, and they were unbelievable. I have huge lungs, so the whole county probably heard me screaming. 

This is probably not what you had in mind, but every winter there are days when walking across icy parking lots trying not to fall on my big fat ass qualifies as a major adventure sport for this fat woman. A couple slips and slides give me more than enough adrenaline rushes to last all day. 

PS. I considered wearing golf shoes in the winter, but it tears up the carpet.


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## fatgirlflyin (May 11, 2010)

Snorkeling is good and can be pretty exciting depending on where you do it. Hiking is another activity that people of all shapes and sizes can do depending on the trail. I know I plan on hiking up Diamond Head this summer, and according to everything I have read about it, it's well within my fitness level. 

I think you just have to do lots of research on whatever it is you think you would like to do and go from there.


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## Filly (May 12, 2010)

Webmaster said:


> I can't help you with sky-diving and parasailing, but since both deal with flying and weightlessness, have you considered scuba? I absolutely adore scuba, and there are a lot of fat people who are divers.



Great suggestion. To be honest, I hadn't thought of scuba before! I'm kind of terrified of losing my breath though which might be a problem lol. I think I will give it a try though. The marine world really is beautiful, and I would love to see it in person rather than on the Discovery channel.



SuperSizedAngie said:


> Also there is always wrestling, though that may not be quite what you have in mind.    I love to wrestle.



haha fantastic!!! I don't know whether wrestling is for me, but I have to say that I LOVE to watch it!! Where I live, there is an ameture league (VERY amature), but it is so much fun to watch all the drama unfold. When I was in the US last year I was lucky enough to see the wrestling at Madison Square Garden. Good times!



Tad said:


> The only thing I'd mention about sky-diving and parasailing is, from what I heard from someone I knew who was into skydiving, you hit the ground fairly hard still. He commented on how easy it was to hurt your knee on the landing, and you had to learn how to sort of roll with your momentum. I'd imagine that the heavier you are, the more that would be a challenge....although perhaps there are varying sizes of chutes, giving you different falling speeds?
> 
> Anyway, good luck with this!
> 
> ETA: I just saw elsewhere that you are moving to Canada....you could maybe try downhill skiing? (need strong legs and good knees for heavier folk, but it is certainly possible)



Very good point Tad. My knees are pretty good, but I think you might be right as far as the difficult landing is concerned. Worst case scenario I could always aim to land on my well padded tuchas (hopefully without breaking my tail-bone in the process haha)! I will still look into the possibility of going skydiving and/or parasailing once I move to Canada. Which brings me to my next point... skiing!! I have only ever been to the snow once, and I didn't ski (only played around). I think it would be a slap to the country of Canada if I didn't at leat try my hand at skiing!! I have day-dreams of me skiing down a mountain after jumping out of a helicopter! Perhaps that is a little unlikely, but a girl can dream! If Bear Grills can do it.. so can I ;-)



Tau said:


> White water rafting, water skiing, diving, snorkelling etc are alll mostly death free. And if you really want a thrill you can do the thing with the cage and the shark



More great suggestions! Thanks Tau! I particularly like the white water rafting and water skiing suggestions. As I said, I'll be moving to Canada soon and I'm sure there will be lots of options for outdoor adventures there.

When I think about white water rafting, I am always reminded of a documentary I once watched where people with prosthetic limbs navagated a previously unmapped area of river. Great documentary, and very inspiring. 



TallFatSue said:


> I agree that water sports are mostly very fat friendly. I haven't tried scuba diving, but snorkeling in the Caribbean or in Hawaii is just plain awesome. Jet skiing is fantastic too. My husband also talked me into those big long waterslides at water parks against my better judgment, where you feel like you're falling off a cliff, and they were unbelievable. I have huge lungs, so the whole county probably heard me screaming.
> 
> This is probably not what you had in mind, but every winter there are days when walking across icy parking lots trying not to fall on my big fat ass qualifies as a major adventure sport for this fat woman. A couple slips and slides give me more than enough adrenaline rushes to last all day.
> 
> PS. I considered wearing golf shoes in the winter, but it tears up the carpet.



Yes, jet skiing is great fun!! I did that when I was last at the Sunshine Coast here in Australia. They can certainly gather up a lot of speed those things!! I was drenched by the end, but what a blast!!

haha I love your makeshift parking lot ice rink!! We don't tend to get enough water to develop ice here where I live, but I can imagine the hilarity!! Actually, a few months ago we had a very big storm here which I was caught in. Unfortunately, at the time I was weating thongs with NO grip... I ended up sliding around everywhere! Each time my feel slipped from under me I thought I was going to land on my ass and crack a bone! It was fun though ;-)



fatgirlflyin said:


> Snorkeling is good and can be pretty exciting depending on where you do it. Hiking is another activity that people of all shapes and sizes can do depending on the trail. I know I plan on hiking up Diamond Head this summer, and according to everything I have read about it, it's well within my fitness level.
> 
> I think you just have to do lots of research on whatever it is you think you would like to do and go from there.



Wow, what an adventure that will be!! I think you're right about having to do your research before you leap into anything. And hiking is definitely something that I love to do. I can do a lot of hiking/trecks, I'm just a little slower than others that's all. Last year I did a lot of hiking in Peru which was AMAZING!!

Gosh, you're the second person to mention Hawaii in this thread!! Sounds like that's the place to be!

Thankyou for all the responses everyone!! It sounds like water sports are an option I should look into more.


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## Tad (May 13, 2010)

If you can arrange your flight to Canada to have a lay over in Hawaii, I'd go for it! I think you'd like "The Big Island" in particular, as you could go hiking through a volcanic crater  But anywhere in Hawaii has good snorkelling (and of course surfing, although I'm told it is not the easiest for bigger folk). Although....there is pretty good snorkelling and surfing in parts of Australia, so mabye not such a rare treat for you?

Canada is a decent place for white water rafting. Not right near Toronto, but within weekend trip range for sure.

And while thinking about things to do in Canada, maybe not a sport per se, but you could go winter camping, and even sleep in a quincy (vaguely like an igloo, but its a hollowed out mound of snow, rather than built of ice blocks). I'm sure that in Toronto you could find some sort of club that arranges events like that.


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## Lamia (May 14, 2010)

I have a dumb question. Snorkeling do you have some sort of weights? I imagine the tank weighs a bit. I am almost entirely fat so it's hard for me to not bob up out of the water. How do people keep from popping back up to the top.


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## Dr. Feelgood (May 14, 2010)

Tad said:


> And speaking of clubs and Canada -- since you like to hike -- have you considered taking up cross-country skiing? Combining that with winter camping ought to make a memorable outing!


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## Dr. Feelgood (May 14, 2010)

Lamia said:


> I have a dumb question. Snorkeling do you have some sort of weights? I imagine the tank weighs a bit. I am almost entirely fat so it's hard for me to not bob up out of the water. How do people keep from popping back up to the top.



You don't pop up to the top unless the shark burps.


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## joswitch (May 14, 2010)

Lamia said:


> I have a dumb question. Snorkeling do you have some sort of weights? I imagine the tank weighs a bit. I am almost entirely fat so it's hard for me to not bob up out of the water. How do people keep from popping back up to the top.



Yeah you have to wear a weight belt to keep you under...


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## joswitch (May 14, 2010)

Filly said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I did a quick search to see if this has been discussed before but didn't find much.
> 
> ...



Hey Filly, it's been *coughcough* years since I did my static-line round chute jump from 2,500 feet....

A few things - yes there are chutes that will hold your weight... (there's a but, later) If you think about paratroopers they tend to be big, solid fellas in the 12 to 16st (170 - 224lbs) kinda range and often have a backpack weighing a further 45 to 90lbs... Certainly the new USA military chute is specced for a load of 400lbs....http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d42_1268826469&c=1 .. not to mention they can drop Jeeps under chutes!

BUT the civilian sky-dive centres I've looked at seem to specify a max weight of about 13.5st (189lbs) for tandem and 15st (210lbs) for solo skydiving... Which just tells you they're selling a standardised product... simple maths tells us that the tandem chutes they have would be suitable for someone weighing up to 27st (368lbs) but there are probably insurance issues or some such balls...

Re: hitting the ground - as I understand it the modern square chutes allow you to "pull up" slightly at the last minute as you come in (I've seen vids of sky divers landing safely tip-toe on one foot - NOT advised)... whereas under the old-style round chute that I jumped under - you came in quick enough that getting your Parachute Landing Fall (PLF) right was a big deal!... The weekend before a guy from my college broke his leg when he got it wrong ... Basically it's both legs tight together, knees slightly bent, let your legs bend further on impact and fall to the side along one thigh, hip and let your momentum flip your legs over... I got all but the last bit right and didn't break anything... I weighed 144lbs back then...

In a nutshell I'd be surprised if you can find a civilian centre that'd be adaequate / willing for your needs parachuting-wise... Which is a shame...

Hot air ballooning might be a good one - the weight limit for those 12 in a basket trips is 16st (224lbs) I think? But when you hire the entire balloon just for a couple of people - which is more expensive - I believe it's less of an issue...?

Conrad's point re. scuba is good one... Also how about white-water rafting? Body / boogie surf boarding? Weight is much less of an issue with water displacement craft... (I live on a 12tonne iron and steel boat)...


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## fatgirlflyin (May 14, 2010)

joswitch said:


> Yeah you have to wear a weight belt to keep you under...



I didn't have to wear anything to stay underwater while snorkeling, so maybe it just depends on the person?


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## joswitch (May 14, 2010)

Snorkelling is on or close to surface - no weights needed... Scuba = deeper diving and so weights are required... How much depends on your personal bouancy... 
Snorkelling = minimum kit but high pay off in the OOoooh! factor...  At least thats my recall from the Red Sea (back before pollution killed the reefs)...


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## Lamia (May 15, 2010)

joswitch said:


> Snorkelling is on or close to surface - no weights needed... Scuba = deeper diving and so weights are required... How much depends on your personal bouancy...
> Snorkelling = minimum kit but high pay off in the OOoooh! factor...  At least thats my recall from the Red Sea (back before pollution killed the reefs)...



Maybe salt water is different. In swimming pools when I was younger I used I used to dive under the water and swim. Now when I try that it's just me on the surface with my face in the water...I can't seem to swim below the surface anymore. :doh:


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## Wild Zero (May 15, 2010)

Both Autocross and Rallycross are fun adventure sports that are very easy to get into. You can find your regional SCCA and check out their upcoming event schedule.


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## Fat Brian (May 15, 2010)

My favorite sport is Krispy Kreme roulette.


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## indy500tchr (May 15, 2010)

Webmaster said:


> I can't help you with sky-diving and parasailing, but since both deal with flying and weightlessness, have you considered scuba? I absolutely adore scuba, and there are a lot of fat people who are divers.



Do they even make wetsuits to fit fat people?


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## Webmaster (May 16, 2010)

indy500tchr said:


> Do they even make wetsuits to fit fat people?



It depends on the size. Wetsuits stretch quite a bit and I found that they usually fit people far larger than the size chart would suggest. Drysuits are usually custom-cut, and they make them in whatever size you are. And a lot of scuba diving is done in water warm enough not to require a wetsuit at all. 

Lead weight needed to be able to sink can be an issue. The weight can be worn either in a weight belt, or placed into pockets of the BC (Buoyancy Compensator) jacket.

While scuba is not for everyone, there are a lot of fat scuba divers. The best diver in a group I was with in Honduras was well over 400.


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## wreckless1967 (May 16, 2010)

I am a keen scuba diver and have been doing it for about 28 years on and off, dived all over the world in all conditions seas , quarries etc. I think it would be okay diving in calm easy shallow reefs, ie Red Sea, Maldives etc, for heavier people say over 200lbs??. But if you really wanted to take it up properly and go wreck diving in challenging sea's etc, then its best to be very fit and in shape properly. My GF is around 300lbs and I would not expect her to dive (nor does she want to), she just could'nt cope with it physically carrying tanks weights, swimming against a current in a rough sea etc. But I do love her dearly, mad sports for me, sedentry lesiurly life for her.


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## warwagon86 (May 16, 2010)

i wanted to do a skydive over hawaii this summer but im too heavy and its unrealistic to lose the desired amoutn in that time!

howver i now plan to lose that amount by november and i will sky dive in syndey australia woohoo


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## Wild Zero (May 17, 2010)

Wild Zero said:


> Both Autocross and Rallycross are fun adventure sports that are very easy to get into. You can find your regional SCCA and check out their upcoming event schedule.



Silly me, in response to Filly (who's Australian) I provided a link to the Sports Car Club of America.

Anyway, you can find a local car club via CAMS website and get involved in Motorkhana (which is analogous to Autocross in the United States)


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## Tad (May 17, 2010)

Dr. Feelgood said:


> And speaking of clubs and Canada -- since you like to hike -- have you considered taking up cross-country skiing? Combining that with winter camping ought to make a memorable outing!



A quick note about cross country skiing and BBWs....my wife has issues because her thighs are full enough that she cannot easily follow narrow pre-set track. If she is making her own tracks through fresh snow she's fine....just can' easily have her two skis just inched apart! So depending on your legs, may or may not go easily.


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## moore2me (May 17, 2010)

*The following is part 1 of my response to Filly's thread. Part 2 is coming soon.*



Lamia said:


> Maybe salt water is different. In swimming pools when I was younger I used I used to dive under the water and swim. Now when I try that it's just me on the surface with my face in the water...I can't seem to swim below the surface anymore. :doh:





Lamia said:


> I have a dumb question. Snorkeling do you have some sort of weights? I imagine the tank weighs a bit. I am almost entirely fat so it's hard for me to not bob up out of the water. How do people keep from popping back up to the top.


*
Lamia, Perhaps Old Physical Science Teacher Moore can help. First, salt water does make it easier to float. The saltier the water, the easier it is to float. Some bodies of water like the Great Salt Lake are tourist attractions because everyone floats.*
*
Second, fat tissue floats on water. The more fat we have, the easier it is to float. I swim a lot for fun and have learned other tricks. If I make my body near round shape (like a fishing bobber), I can be completely still and float indefinitely in calm water. I can even float upright with both hands out of the water.*

*I used to dive and swim underwater too and found a few things to help overcome the fat buoyancy. Stand on edge of pool in deep water. Dive in head first & use gravity and momentum to help carry you down. Also, try not to have too much air in your lungs. The more air in your lungs, the harder it will be to stay down (or blow air out when you get to bottom). My pool also keeps a few bricks laying around for people like us to hold and help weight us down. We just drop them on the bottom. (Plus, they're fun to retrieve.)*

*Safety Note: This bit of trickery with holding/not holding air in your lungs just applies to indoor/outdoor pools with 9 or 10 ft of water. When you start getting deeper (snorkling or scuba diving) messing around with your breathing can cause nitrogen bubbles in your blood which can cause serious health issues in your brain or lungs or heart. Bad - Don't Try. Check with your instructor about your correct breathing procedure especially during decompression -coming to the surface.*



Dr. Feelgood said:


> You don't pop up to the top unless the shark burps.


*
Doc, This must be the vicious Oklahoma land shark I have heard so much about - the one that gives out Candygrams.*


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## Filly (May 25, 2010)

Hi again everyone. Thanks for the further great responses!




indy500tchr said:


> Do they even make wetsuits to fit fat people?


 


Webmaster said:


> It depends on the size. Wetsuits stretch quite a bit and I found that they usually fit people far larger than the size chart would suggest. Drysuits are usually custom-cut, and they make them in whatever size you are. And a lot of scuba diving is done in water warm enough not to require a wetsuit at all.



I'm really glad you brought that up the wetsuit size issue indy500tchr! I've just done a google search and can't seem to find any companies that make them in larger sizes. Webmaster - do you have any suggestions for wetsuit brands?



Wild Zero said:


> Silly me, in response to Filly (who's Australian) I provided a link to the Sports Car Club of America.



That's ok Wild Zero, I will be travelling for the next little while so it's good to get tips and pointers relating to the US. It looks like great fun!


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## Tau (May 25, 2010)

Lamia said:


> Maybe salt water is different. In swimming pools when I was younger I used I used to dive under the water and swim. Now when I try that it's just me on the surface with my face in the water...I can't seem to swim below the surface anymore. :doh:



LOL! Me too - I miss that sensation of being under the water more than I can say. But the reality is that fat floats so there's no way you're going to stay down there without something weighing you down


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## moore2me (May 25, 2010)

Filly - I'm really glad you brought that up the wetsuit size issue indy500tchr! I've just done a google search and can't seem to find any companies that make them in larger sizes.
________________________________________________________________

*Moore's response.*

*Here's a few I found. (There's more - around the world!!)
Wetsuits &#8211; Custom Made*

http://www.nemowetsuit.com/index.php
http://www.wetsuitwearhouse.com/page/WW/CTGY/custom-wetsuits
http://www.mispedia.org/Wetsuit.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/103716-buoyance-wetsuit.html
http://www.horizonwetsuits.com/

Made to order is not the same thing as custom fit wetsuits. Made to order means you pick and choose your own wetsuit style, color options, and add-ons features:


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