How "Fit to Dive" do you consider yourself?

We have to be careful with some terms that mean one thing to us and something else to another. I recently posed a question on another forum where I used the term 'fit' in conjunction with some BCs-for-women I was intending to test. It seems 'fit women' means something entirely different to people in the north of England - more akin to women that are often seen on pornographic web-sites or going into night clubs scantlily clad!.

geeze john, and after all i wasn't going to mention the senile thing... but after that post....

Yes, well I have always considered you to be a fit young man!

...and another thing. I have always felt that I was fat on the inside. Well, I may be right! New research shows: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6162721.stm

I think there are several levels of fitness that we need to be concerned with. Just back from Fiji with a group of 40 year olds, with minimal cardiac fitness. Most of the dives were quite easy but on two there were long swims back to the boat where cardiofitness was important. Muscle fitness was more about putting on your gear, climbing back to the boat and so on. Finally I think the most important point is that people who are fit i.e. in good cardiopulmonary and good muscle shape are more likely to be comfortable performing when there is some stress around. Certainly the medical community is split on the DCI vs. fitness story but it seems clear (J Appl. Physiol, 2002, p 1349) that out of shape divers were worse off than more physically fit divers. I think that being comfortable doing physically challenging things is one of the most important aspects of staying in shape so things like riding a bicycle outdoors is probably a better way to stay fit than the same distance/duration on a trainer.

BVA

Do you have or have you ever had high cholestoral?

 

I'm one of the unlucky ones in life whose cholestoral has always been a little high and I now take medicine for it. However, if I answer "yes" on that form a lot of dive shops have a policy of not letting you dive. Now, I suppose I could haul around a medical approval form but its one more thing to get lost. ...

I have the same problem. What I do is keep a note from my doctor, on his prescrption stationary, that he certifies me as medically fit to dive. I keep this in my camera bag (so it won't get lost) and so far I haven't had to show it to anyone. I have never known any dive shop to use high cholesterol as a reason to prohibit someone from diving. Remember, they have a vested interest to let you dive (i.e. they don't get paid otherwise). I have seen them take people diving that the REALLY shouldn't.

The only story I heard about was in the DAN's Alert diver magazine. An 80 year old man wrote in that he was prevented from diving in Australia for high cholesterol, but I suspect that they were just using it as an excuse to prohibit him for diving because of his age.