Does diving actually make you younger?

[BoundForElsewhere]

I understand the gear. I carry that when cave diving, plus tow scooter at times. What I dont get is strapping all that on, standing up, and walking with it. Even in my younger wreck diving days, the idea of walking around on a rolling boat wearing twins, 2 stages and carrying a scooter never entered my mind, neither did doing a 2 hour 230' dive, decompressing, then climbing up a ladder with it all on. If you are trying that, it will not make you feel younger, particularly your knees, hips back and shoulders as you try to schlep all this junk around.

The key to feeling younger is getting someone else to carry all your sh*t for you.

 

[BlueTrin]

Wait! I no longer have to eat kale and blueberries after a dive??!!

rx7diver

Kale is good for buoyancy I guess.

You could keep a pack in your pocket, in case of BC failure.

 

[Wibble]

I understand the gear. I carry that when cave diving, plus tow scooter at times. What I dont get is strapping all that on, standing up, and walking with it. Even in my younger wreck diving days, the idea of walking around on a rolling boat wearing twins, 2 stages and carrying a scooter never entered my mind, neither did doing a 2 hour 230' dive, decompressing, then climbing up a ladder with it all on. If you are trying that, it will not make you feel younger, particularly your knees, hips back and shoulders as you try to schlep all this junk around.

When kitting up on a dive boat that's moving around on the sea, I prefer to sit down and clip everything on so I can run through my checks before jumping off -- bailouts, SMB reel, fins, etc.

Standing up isn't the problem as the bench, certainly on the dive boats I dive off of, tend to be higher so it's slide off into the standing position then reach out for the side rail and waddle sideways -- like a crab. Doesn't stress my knees as they're kept pretty straight.

The kit is heavy of course but you're not lifting anything as it's all on your back via the harness. Now everything's ready for the jump. Waddle over to the dive lift holding on to the siderails, squeeze into the dive lift and hold on. Run the quick pre-jump check (drysuit dump open, drysuit inflate, wing inflate, quick dil inject, long O2 inject, check PPO2 -- literally takes 5 seconds max). If with a scooter make sure the handle's not caught around the diver lift. When hooter goes, step off and swim to the shot line; dump the wing and down you go.

If it's quite rough then there may be others who can help you from the bench to the dive lift.


On returning to the boat, it's up in the lift/elevator and hopefully people will help remove your stages and fins. If not you perch down to take the weight off your back.

This picture might indicate there's something missing... only three divers on the boat that day; also very calm in the Channel. The dive lift's at the back left with the gate in place.

Different boat, similar layout... Diver on the lift about to jump.

 

[ofg-1]

Dive lift? That's cheating.

 

[BlueTrin]

Dive lift? That's cheating.

Work hard, not smart

 

[Wibble]

Dive lift? That's cheating.

Virtually every dive boat in the UK has a diver lift/elevator.

Cannot remember the last time I dived without one. Ah, that one time when the dive lift broke and had to climb out up the backup skeleton ladder.

Technical divers don’t do RIBs

 

[Searcaigh]

Never been lucky enough to dive from a boa with a dive lift. Here in the UAE most dive boats are 8-10m in length and it's a backward roll. The exception is diving from a dhow, which means a giant stride and my preferred entry to be honest, but the ladder is longer to get back on board.

I feel my knees getting weaker now, and have difficulty getting up with my gear on if my ass is lower than my knees, I frequently need a hand to grasp or a pole nearby to help pull me up.

I might consider selling my twinsets soon.

 

[Wibble]

When I started diving and used a single tank, I used to get a lot of back pain. Since moving to doubles and rebreather I just don’t get back pain even though the kit is considerably heavier than singles. The reason is that I *have* to use proper lifting techniques and will never be silly with weights that will break your back.

A good example is a single tank kit on the floor which you twist and bend to pick it up. This is completely impossible with a twinset and you have to use a chair or work step to get into the kit and harness.

Using a "work step" helps enormously. The best ones are the metal ones with fold out legs at either end, about 2ft/60cm high. Place the twinset/rebreather on it, sit, put it on, stand up.

 

[happy-diver]

Some times, when I do a quick one hour dive, on one side of the border
I surface across the border due to time difference only half an hour later

 

[ofg-1]

Work hard, not smart

That's the story of my life.