Buying a backboard

[Don Burke]

It's time to get a backboard and I haven't shopped for them for years.

Any input on sources and the new designs would be appreciated.

 

[bridgediver]

backboard? As in a backboard for immobolizing the injured?

 

[Waterborne]

Don, if you are talking about a backboard as Bridgediver is referring to then check out www.galls.com. The have excellent prices and great staff to help you out. That's where my team gets our equipment from.

 

[Don Burke]

bridgediver once bubbled... backboard? As in a backboard for immobolizing the injured?

That's right.

 

[bridgediver]

Don

I think you'll find that backboards themselves haven't changed much but there are alot of options for straps and c-spine etc. If its just for stand by stuff and you aren't expecting to use it much you probably don't need these fancy straping systems - triangular bandages will be fine with a c-collar and blanket roll.

The board itself. They have some really nice plastic ones now that are light, easy to maintain and are virtually indestructable. Alot better than wooden ones

Something like this?

http://www.ferno.com/product.php?product_key=1911&solution_key=1&category_key=2

 

[n2diving]

What makes it time to get a backboard?
Your old one broken or just figured it's something you'd like to have? Not very practical for your everyday good samaritan to haul around "Just in Case". Do you ride for a local squad or work in the EMS field?

Bmer
P.S.
I met you this past summer when we attempted a beach dive on the Bay Bridge Tunnel.

 

[Don Burke]

n2diving once bubbled... What makes it time to get a backboard?
Your old one broken or just figured it's something you'd like to have? Not very practical for your everyday good samaritan to haul around "Just in Case". Do you ride for a local squad or work in the EMS field?

Bmer
P.S.
I met you this past summer when we attempted a beach dive on the Bay Bridge Tunnel.

I've recently started running a dive boat, "Sho-Nuff" out of Divers Unlimited in Norfolk. Part of that is completing PADI Divemaster, which means completing PADI Rescue Diver.

With a little looking around, I've come to realize just how hard it would be to get an injured diver out of the water without some sort of stretcher. The boat isn't really big enough to have a Stokes and a backboard onboard. One of the poly backboards would solve the problem of getting the diver on the boat (with or without a spine injury) and we would use someone else's stretcher to get the diver off the boat.

The last time I dealt with getting a backboard was on my first ship, back in the 80s. That was a plywood affair and the state of the art has advanced quite a bit since then.

I went to the site recommended by SCORE ResQ and picked up a little information and then went to Chesapeake Fire Station #4 to ask some questions. Fortunately, they are the primary water rescue station for the city. The nice young woman I met there took me to the ambulance and we looked at some of their backboards.

She gave me quite a few pointers about water rescue:

- The head support equipment is more important and tricker to operate than you would think.

- It is nice that the board is positively buoyant, but you need additional floats to have a victim on one in the water.

- The Velcro straps are really hard to work with and you're probably better off with a board with pins and "speed straps".

- If there is such a thing as too much training in water rescue, they haven't found it yet.

Now it's off to the site recommended by Bridgediver to learn some more.

-----

I want to take another shot at the the CBBT. This time we will be considerably closer to high tide and I'll be wearing a smaller tank. I 'll also have a tarp and a cart.

After the first of the year (when the Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass season is closed) I want to dive the "Yancy" wreckage just south of the first island. That will be another slack high water dive, but this time with the boat.

 

[n2diving]

Don Burke once bubbled...
I've recently started running a dive boat, "Sho-Nuff" out of Divers Unlimited in Norfolk. Part of that is completing PADI Divemaster, which means completing PADI Rescue Diver.

With a little looking around, I've come to realize just how hard it would be to get an injured diver out of the water without some sort of stretcher. The boat isn't really big enough to have a Stokes and a backboard onboard. One of the poly backboards would solve the problem of getting the diver on the boat (with or without a spine injury) and we would use someone else's stretcher to get the diver off the boat.

The last time I dealt with getting a backboard was on my first ship, back in the 80s. That was a plywood affair and the state of the art has advanced quite a bit since then.

I went to the site recommended by SCORE ResQ and picked up a little information and then went to Chesapeake Fire Station #4 to ask some questions. Fortunately, they are the primary water rescue station for the city. The nice young woman I met there took me to the ambulance and we looked at some of their backboards.

She gave me quite a few pointers about water rescue:

- The head support equipment is more important and tricker to operate than you would think.

- It is nice that the board is positively buoyant, but you need additional floats to have a victim on one in the water.

- The Velcro straps are really hard to work with and you're probably better off with a board with pins and "speed straps".

- If there is such a thing as too much training in water rescue, they haven't found it yet.

Now it's off to the site recommended by Bridgediver to learn some more.

-----

I want to take another shot at the the CBBT. This time we will be considerably closer to high tide and I'll be wearing a smaller tank. I 'll also have a tarp and a cart.

After the first of the year (when the Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass season is closed) I want to dive the "Yancy" wreckage just south of the first island. That will be another slack high water dive, but this time with the boat.

Ahh... very interesting!
Never considered any options other than folks pushing and pulling the patient onto the boat. Probably not the best plan! Thinking back I don't recall ever seeing any rescue equipment other than a firstaid kit and O2 on any of the dive boats I've been on. Cudos for considering the possibilities and being proactive.

Keep in touch concerning future dives.
I haven't talked to Steve ( the fella who initiated contact last summer) in awhile, but I'm sure he's interested in another attempt. I think Big Al, my friend from work has packed it in for good. He did not have a good time on the surface swim back to the beach! I can't recall much about our last buddy on the dive other than Florida was his dive destination of choice.
I'm not equip'ed for COLD water diving but am always interested in new dive locations.

Thanks,
Bmer

 

[Bob3]

There was an outfit at DEMA that had some kickbutt backboards rigged specifically for water/boat use; I have their catalog back at the shop.
Remind me if I don't post a link to them by Tuesday, eh?

 

[Don Burke]

Bob3 once bubbled... There was an outfit at DEMA that had some kickbutt backboards rigged specifically for water/boat use; I have their catalog back at the shop.
Remind me if I don't post a link to them by Tuesday, eh?

I'd appreciate that.

Here are the exhibitors who listed themselves under "safety and rescue" at DEMA 2003.

It would take me a while to wade through.

Abaco Dive Adventures
Advanced Design Engineering
Amer-Sea
Amoxtec, Inc.
Amron International
Aquatec (Duton Industry)
Aropec Sports Corp.
Buddyboats
DeepOutdoors, Inc.
Dive Rescue International
Dive Rite
Dive-Alert by Ideations
DiveAssure
Divers Alert Network (DAN)
Diving Unlimited International, Inc.
East Coast Plastics/Roll Control Systems
Eastern Academy of Scuba Education, Inc.(EASE)
Fox 40 Marine
HammerHead Industries, Inc.
Haskel International, Inc.
IDEA / PSDA
Island Hopper International Boat
Laerdal Medical
Manta-Bite LLC
Max-Air/ProSub
Medic First Aid International
National Foundation for Public Safety
NSS-CDS Cave Diving Section
O.S. Systems, Incorporated
Ocean Technology Systems
React Right
Rebreather Technology / 02 Dive Technology
Revere Supply Co., Inc.
Roman Echo Innovations
SAFE-D-STOP
ScubaDoRag/Susan Martin, Inc.
SDI & TDI & ERDI
SeaSigns, Inc.
Tektite Industries, Inc.
The Air Line by J. Sink Inc.
Titex Vertriebs-GmbH
Trelleborg Viking Inc.
TRI/Environmental
Trident Diving Equipment
Witherspoon & Associates
World Communication Center, Inc.