Weight Limit on NCL Bonaire Dive Excursion

[robinbtigger]

We are cruising on the NCL Dawn in a few weeks.  My DH loves to dive, but it's been over a year since he's been in the water.  I think that he will take a refresher course in Curacao while I book something else on my own (I like to stay on the top of the water).  The next day we will be in Bonaire and I know that he'll want to dive again because I've heard it's *beautiful*.  The Dawn is only in port from 7-2 so I thought that a ship's excursion would be better since he would be guaranteed to get back in time.  The issue is that the excursion says there is a weight limit of 265lbs.  He weighs more than that but is otherwise in very good health.

Is there anyone we can contract about this?  Could he possibly bring a medical report from his doctor?  I'm open to booking a dive excursion on his own for him but I am a bit nervous about the early departure of our ship.

[Underwatr]

Sometimes dive operators will have divers complete a health questionnaire similar to this one (PDF). Since I'm over 45 and have high cholesterol for which I take prescription medications, the form indicates that my fitness to dive should be signed off by a medical professional. Each year as part of my annual wellness visit with my doctor I take the form in and ask her to review and sign the form. If your husband has none of the health issues identified on the form it would still be a good idea for the doctor to sign off on it in case anyone has concerns about his weight.

 

You may also find that the diver operators aren't as stringent as the excursion description implies (they're independent contractors). Last year I took a dive excursion in Grand Cayman while on a Holland America cruise. The excursion description said that the excursion was open to divers under age 65. My dive buddy told me that he was 75 and that no one on the dive boat seemed to care (I'm a rescue diver so I cared a little).

[mystkittsdivebuddy]

The issue here I think is access to the dive boat.

In the case of an emergency a diver may have to be lifted onto the dive boat, this can be extremely difficult if the person is heavy.

There was I believe a case in the US where an operator was sued because a diver was too heavy for them to recover from the water after an accident. These sort of rules are there to protect the operator, or more likely the cruise line as they can be held responsible.

Although you say your husband is healthy, being so heavy puts him at great risk from DCS, if he/you understand the risks and he continues to dive then that is fine but I would travel with a Doctor's sign off saying he is fit to dive.

Edit.

Found this article for you

http://divermag.com/obese-divers beware-‘saturated-fat’/

Edited November 10, 2018 by mystkittsdivebuddy
Could not find the accident link but I did find this article of the issues involved

[zqvol]

On 11/8/2018 at 4:47 PM, robinbtigger said:

We are cruising on the NCL Dawn in a few weeks.  My DH loves to dive, but it's been over a year since he's been in the water.  I think that he will take a refresher course in Curacao while I book something else on my own (I like to stay on the top of the water).  The next day we will be in Bonaire and I know that he'll want to dive again because I've heard it's *beautiful*.  The Dawn is only in port from 7-2 so I thought that a ship's excursion would be better since he would be guaranteed to get back in time.  The issue is that the excursion says there is a weight limit of 265lbs.  He weighs more than that but is otherwise in very good health.

Is there anyone we can contract about this?  Could he possibly bring a medical report from his doctor?  I'm open to booking a dive excursion on his own for him but I am a bit nervous about the early departure of our ship.

 

I suspect that it has more to do with equipment size than anything else.

[robinbtigger]

On 11/23/2018 at 8:56 PM, zqvol said:

 

I suspect that it has more to do with equipment size than anything else.

 

Maybe, but he's never had a problem before.  Good news is that I double-checked with him and he's actually under the weight limit so everything is good!

[robinbtigger]

Oh!   I just saw the other responses.  I'm sorry, I didn't get a notification.  I'll pass on the suggestion that his doctor sign off that he is healthy enough to dive just in case the tour operator asks for it.

[mac66]

So did he dive?  How'd it go?  Inquiring minds want to know.