Why Isn't There Fat Guy Gear?

Why Isn't There Fat Guy Gear?

This is a question that is near and dear to my heart for a multitude of reasons, but particularly because I am the fat guy to whom I am referring.

In the last few years, I have reignited my love for Scuba Diving, and I have taken my Open water certification that has seasoned over the last 36 years to new levels. In my quest to obtain the Master Scuba Diver Certification (don't hassle me on that), I have delved into worlds that I've only previously dipped my toes into, literally and figuratively. Keeping that in mind, and believe it or not, I am a little less fit and trim than I was in 1987.  

So as the stage is set in front of me, it consists of such places as Blue Grotto, Rainbow River, Devil's Den, and perennial favorite Lake Denton. I failed to mention that the average ambient temperature at this time of year is about 43 degrees. While water that is spring fed is 72 year-round, it is still damn cold. Thus the foundation of my "problem" comes screaming to the forefront. How/where does a 5'11" tall, 280-pound guy get an exposure suit that is good enough to help keep him warm?  My trek to find a wetsuit began.

Ultimately I ended up with a 5XL Akona suit from my good friends at Calypso Divers of Tampa (it was the one "really big" suit that had in rental inventory). As it was, I was able to shoehorn myself into that suit and was comfortable enough to do the dives I needed to and not freeze to death. Comfortable enough is the key phrase. The Akona website says a 5XL (the largest they make) fits a guy with up to a 58" chest, 53" waist, 6' 6" tall and 300 pounds. Based on that, I should have been in heaven but based on reality, I was 10 pounds of feed in a 5-pound sack.

I googled and searched for days looking for wetsuits that would fit me by the numbers, only to find out that the reality of the matter is, that numbers lie and basically nothing was comfortable. Also, what is considered a 5XL in Asia where many of these products are manufactured, is really what we here in the plump US call 2XL. The same is true for my dive partner, as she does not buy her clothes "off the rack" being a little shorter than some, a little rounder than others and let's face it, she's a girl and a bit more shapely in certain places than I.

Our choices were clear, get custom-made wetsuits that were tailored to fit our bodies and not necessarily fit our checkbooks, continue our hours-to-day long search on the web, or, develop a real answer. The real answer is where you are reading this blog post. The real answer is Fat Guy Scuba Supply.

Fat Guy is founded on the premise that we will be a one-stop shop for everyone that is "big and tall", "portly", "curvy",  XXL to 10XL, or "BBW". We are searching for vendors that can fill our orders for equipment and gear that will fit up to any size. 

Welcome aboard. We hope you find a home here. We hope you find all the gear you need. If there is something you want or need that you don't see, drop us a line and we will do all of the leg work for you!

Happy bubbles...