How to Getting Fit for Diving?

General Diving Fitness

Read any diving manual or book and they all emphasize on the fact that you should be physically fit and healthy. Some manuals will really stress that divers should practice regular exercise of all sorts to improve their overall diving ability. While it is true that the more physically fit you are, the more your diving ability will improve, you don’t need to be an Olympian or major athletic competitor. Initially the most basic forms of exercise will improve your diving ability and safety almost exponentially.

Physical considerations when diving

When it comes to scuba diving, divers are putting their body through intense pressure, even though at the time it may not seem so.

Firstly come the physical stresses on the body; diving equipment is heavy and moving in and out of the water while carrying equipment stresses the body. Once in the water, swimming again places a load on the heart and lungs as well as the muscles of the body that have to work to propel the diver. This load can increase enormously when having to deal with currents or adverse weather conditions, coupled with additional stress on the body due to breathing denser gases at depth.

Secondly come the psychological stresses of being in an alien environment, which can lead to an increase in adrenaline production, elevated blood pressure and heart rate, which in combination with physical stress can lead to panic, or even worse.

Why being fit improves your diving

Arguably, the key improvement to diving safety by improved physical fitness is the reduced susceptibility to DCS. By increasing your lean body mass and reducing the fat content in the body, you improve the body’s capacity to carry oxygen and improve circulation. This leads to a greatly reduced susceptibility to DCS. Research has shown that hyper fit individuals know a much reduced incidence of Decompression Sickness.

The second improvement to diving is the diver’s ability to physically cope with adverse conditions. A diver may struggle working hard in a current, and end up with a serious problem caused by his lack of fitness. On the other hand, a fitter, stronger individual will be able to navigate the situation much more easily since his body can better cope with the stresses placed upon it.

The first step—smoking

Quitting smoking is the first step any diver should undertake to improve their diving and overall health. Aside from the normal side effects of smoking on the health, it causes some serious ramifications for divers. Smoking strips the surfactant in the diver’s lungs, causing the alveoli to stick together, which reduces the ability of the diver’s lungs to transfer gases in and out efficiently. Smoking also generates Carbon monoxide in the blood, which can greatly interfere with the blood’s ability to carry Oxygen around, and thus makes off-gassing very inefficient. Overall the drawbacks of smoking from a diving perspective are alone worth quitting for dedicated scuba divers.

Workout

Working out will greatly improve a diver’s ability and comfort levels. Generally, the best forms of exercise for divers are ones that increase lean mass, reduce body fat, and increase the body’s ability to carry oxygen and transport gases around the body. However, there is no specific workout for diving, any exercise that improves the
body’s general condition will help improve safety and ability in the water.

Nutrition

One key aspect of training in general (not just for diving) is nutrition. Consuming a balanced diet that is oriented towards your goals, is almost half the battle in terms of achieving your fitness goals. Generally, most balanced diets are relatively low on carbohydrates, fats, and sugars, and high on protein. Obviously, it is highly recommended to get help from a professional to develop a training and nutrition plan to get you where you want.

What types of training should I undertake?

Can I weight train when diving?

Will quitting smoking improve my air consumption?

What is the best training split I can use?