How much weight am I carrying?

[Scared Silly]

For some divers it is SOP that their weights, fins, mask, camera, lights, all get handed up before they exit the water. That basically leaves the tank/bcd/reg and most importantly their hands fully free for climbing on board.

Others ditch everything. The only time I have seen the crew grumble when hauling a tank/bcd/reg up is when they have integrated weights.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Yes, and that is easily solved by handing up your weight pockets first.

 

[RyanT]

I've been gravitating towards operators that I like. On one boat I dive regularly, the mates are really good. They are waiting on you to climb back on the swim platform. If they notice you struggling, they'll reach down, grab your valve and hep hoist you back on the boat. If you were to explain to them ahead of time, your struggles, they would be more than happy to either have you ungear in the water or give you a strong assist as your climb the ladder. It sounds like you might want to search out these kinds of operators.

Another trick- when climbing the ladder, lean in and get your body as close to the ladder as possible. If you have you body away from the ladder, you are cantilevering the weight of the tank and that multiplies the force required to hoist the weight up the ladder. I learned thisthe hard way the first time I climbed a ladder in doubles. I couldn't figure out why I was at my absolute limit trying to get up the ladder. Then it clicked. On the next dive, I hugged the ladder and it was way easier.

 

[nolatom]

This will become more of an issue as we Boomers age up and get weaker while our 50 pounds doesn't get any lighter. I predict more in-water don and doff (particularly the latter) as we creep up in age and diminish in strength.

Sit near the back of the boat so you have fewer steps, and are nearer to the DM or deckhand who's usually at the stern. Yeah, tipping before the dives rather than after ain't a bad way to go. They may still have to share it with rest of crew but you'll have gotten the deckhand's attention.

Use handholds! "One hand for yourself, and one for the ship!" is still good advice. Stay hydrated, you don't want cramps on top of muscle loading.

I, at age 68, just did a day of skiing again for the first time since forever, and while I could still handle the Intermediate and single-diamond slopes technically, my quadriceps were really unhappy, and lit themselves on fire in protest ;-). I was glad it was a day trip and not two days as originally planned... we just gotta adjust, but it can still be done.

 

[TMHeimer]

I agree with northernone about ungearing in the water. Of course with shore diving that could become a little messy depending on exit and surf conditions.
You don't have any choice anyway as to how much weight you wear of course.
I've been dry for over 2 months due to us moving. Will probably dive next week and wonder what diving shape I'm in.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Please excuse the error in my title. I’m on my iPhone and there’s no option to correct the title.

Fixed it for ya.

 

[txgoose]

My wife needed help climbing the ladder during our one boat trip. I spoke with the captain and the DM before hand. After each dive, I took off her weight belt and handed it up. She then took off her BC and lifted it up bit to aid the DM to get a hold of it. What wasn't discussed ahead of time was how over weighted I would be when I grabbed her (at the time) 18lb weight belt. First time I sank before I could get the belt secured in one hand and pop my reg in. The current was away from the boat so I hit the infiltrator until it purged. I apologized sheepishly for being a newb when I popped up. The DM kind of guffawed and complimented that I surfaced with the weights at all, and a reg in. Max BC inflation before helping others!

 

[dmaziuk]

For some divers it is SOP that their weights, fins, mask, camera, lights, all get handed up before they exit the water. That basically leaves the tank/bcd/reg and most importantly their hands fully free for climbing on board.

Others ditch everything. The only time I have seen the crew grumble when hauling a tank/bcd/reg up is when they have integrated weights.

I think I've mostly seen people hand over big cameras and fins. IIRC we only took everything off once when diving off a small boat without big sturdy ladder.

On a related note, AllWest over in Curacao fixed the stairs down to the beach. Now you can climb the thousand nice even unbroken steps in full gear (but the tank is usually empty, thank Heavens for small mercies).

 

[mattia_v]

Squats and deadlifts will do wonders. I was in decent shape before, but started weight training a couple of years ago. Investing time in gaining core strength (and legs, but that was never a weak spot for me) means exits are easier than ever.

If you've never done any training of this type, find a group or trainer to get you started. Compound exercises (squats, deadlifts, rows, etc) look simple, but aren't if you've never done them. And doing them incorrectly can lead to injury.

 

[woodcarver]

My gf broke her back in a wreck the year after we got certified. She routinely doffs her bcd in the water boat diving. She's fine getting in the water, but can't climb out geared up. Shore dives have me taking her rig out to water deep enough for it to float and carrying it out at the end.
We've always found the DMs and boat crews more than happy to help. There was a lady on one of the boats that could not stand in her gear. She would go sit on the platform, the DM brought her gear to her and she put it on sitting on the platform. Then she would do a forward roll/flop into the water. Took it all off at the end and they pulled it aboard. She did tip well I noticed and thanked anyone that assisted her.