scuba diving banded?

Heatherz88 · October 13, 2007

I m having my surgery soon but i am a scuba diver. Does anyone know if that is an issue?

skinnyafatbody · October 13, 2007

i have no idea specifically - however one would think once you have lost weight it would be better for you, given Nitrogen has an infinity for adipose tissue - thats got to make SCUBA safer in the long run.

jfran · October 13, 2007

my doc said there should be no problem with such activities. I have heard of people getting tight after scuba diving and flying but other than that there should be no harm to the band. You might want to research it more to be safe, though.

Heatherz88 · October 14, 2007

Thanks a bunch! I will find out more.

KimInMD · October 14, 2007

Hi Heather!

I have been banded 1 1/2 years now, and scuba often. I have had NO restriction problems at all. I am a little tight for a day or two after flying to a destination, but have had no underwater issues. As you lose weight, you will continually have to make adjustments as to how much weight to use. You will even notice your weight distribution may change. I make sure I write it all down in my log so that I have a starting point for the first dive at the next destination. The first dive I always have to re-adjust to find my new neutral buoyancy point. As you lose weight you'll also be changing sizes in your BCD, wet suit and yes, even fin size! Oh, and don't forget to adjust your mask too!

The only other thing I noticed is that I now get cold faster without as much body fat. You may find you need to make an adjustment in the mil thickness of the suit that you normally wear.

Hope this helps!

Happy diving! - Kim :ip:

Heatherz88 · October 15, 2007

Thank you so much! That helps a lot. I was worried. But wow flying too huh? Tightens up. Interesting because we fly a lot also. We will be going to Spain on our honeymoon in Feb. So what does the "tight" feel like when you fly?

KimInMD · October 15, 2007

Remember that not everyone gets tight when they fly, but I know there are a number of threads/posts where people say they do. I can't speak for everyone, but I think the stress of travel adds to normal altitude tightness. Did I pack everything? Do I have all my documents and gear? etc. To answer your question, I don't "feel" anything. I just notice that I can't eat much solid food flying day and for much of the day after. I'm usually back to normal by evening the second day. I stick to Soups, Protein Drinks and soft foods until the swelling goes down and the band loosens up.

You have so many new and exciting things to look forward to! Best wishes on your upcoming wedding and your banding. You'll have to share a wedding photo with all of us! Oh, and a trip to Spain sounds WONDERFUL too! My hubby and I are headed off diving in 3 weeks, but nothing as exciting as Spain! In my pre-band days, I was using 21-22 pounds of weight. Last trip (in the summer) I was using 16 pounds. I am most sure I"ll be able to drop another pound. After this trip I've got to get some new gear, and a thicker suit - BRRRR!