Dodging aches and pains?

[chris kippax]

Try some Yoga and maybe invest in some 300bar 7 litre tanks for shallowish shore diving.

 

[Saboteur]

Try some Yoga and maybe invest in some 300bar 7 litre tanks for shallowish shore diving.

#1 on the yoga and try to stay as mobile as possible. Yoga doesn't have to cost a cent. There are lots of free lessons on YouTube. Personally I like Sean Vigue's style.

 

[uncfnp]

I learned to ask and accept assistance.

I learned to accept, mostly, that I will not be able to do everything that I want to do.

I start a limited course of oral steriods 2 days before a dive trip.

 

[AdivingBel]

I don't know if this counts but it keeps me from rolling around on the ground during ironshore entries/exits and THAT reduces a lot of pain ...PVC canes. I made a couple for my wife and I prior to a trip to Bonaire a couple of years ago and they have been a godsend. As we have aged we have slowly shied away from some of the more challenging sites due to becoming less stable when geared up. The addition of these canes has completely reopened the island to us. It's amazing how much more enjoyable dives are without the niggling insecurity of worrying about whether or not we'll step in a hole or get over balanced and "go down" while exiting. As we get older, we adapt. I guess we aren't monkeys that just happened to fall out of trees.

 

[uncfnp]

I don't know if this counts but it keeps me from rolling around on the ground during ironshore entries/exits and THAT reduces a lot of pain ...PVC canes. I made a couple for my wife and I prior to a trip to Bonaire a couple of years ago and they have been a godsend. As we have aged we have slowly shied away from some of the more challenging sites due to becoming less stable when geared up. The addition of these canes have completely reopened the island to us. It's amazing how much more enjoyable dives are without the niggling insecurity of worrying about whether or not we'll step in a hole or get over balanced and "go down" while exiting. As we get older, we adapt. I guess we aren't monkeys that just happened to fall out of trees.

Pics?

 

[TMHeimer]

I've never dived doubles so will not comment. For me, the obvious:
Gear up sitting on van trunk. Car as close to entry as possible. Choose easy entry, exit over hard ones.
Choose good weather, calm surf.
All of the above when possible, of course. If not possible, pain may be.

 

[AdivingBel]

Pics?

Sure... Here's info & pics for those interested...it's pretty basic...

PVC shore diving cane
Part list:
1 - 28 inch - ¾” sch 40 pvc
2 – 2 ¾ inch – ¾” sch 40 pvc
1 – ¾” pvc tee (all slip)
1 – ¾” pvc coupler (slip to slip)
1 – 2 inch loop made of paracord/shockcord/bungee
1 – old cam band trim weight pocket with Velcro closure and slit bottom (2nd 2 inch loop made of paracord/shockcord/bungee can be substituted)
small can pvc glue
small can pvc cleaner (optional)

This will make a 30 inch cane with a 5 ¾” wide handle. The 30 inch cane length is long enough to give support without leaning so far over you become top heavy yet short enough to stow on your rig when diving without bumping your legs while finning. You may need to adjust the cane length if you’re substantially taller or shorter. I’m 5’ 11” and my wife is 5’ 4” and this length works well for both of us. We each have our own canes and having them the same length makes them interchangeable.

The small pieces of pvc are used to expand the handle (tee) width and the pvc coupler is used to add a more rugged tip to the cane.

The cam band trim pocket and bungee loop are used to mount the cane to your rig while diving. This setup is designed for BCDs with two cam bands (the trim pocket on the upper cam band, the bungee loop on the lower). The old cam band trim pocket with a slit bottom makes a nice holder as the pocket flap is long enough to secure over the handle. When you slit the bottom of the pocket, use a little glue to keep the slit from fraying. If you only have one cam band, you’ll need to find a way to stabilize the bottom of the cane so it doesn’t flop around while diving.

When in use, I stow my cane on my wife’s BCD and she stows hers on mine. If you’re using the cane solo, the top bungee loop would probably work easier than the cam band trim pocket.

These canes have made a huge difference in our continued enjoyment of diving on Bonaire. As we have gotten older, my wife and I have slowly shied away from some of the sites with more challenging entries. Since we started using these, the entire island has been reopened to us. Virtually all the entries are now a breeze and we’ve been surprised by how much more we enjoy our dives without the worry over the exits.

When we first brought the canes to Bonaire, we were warned by dive shop personnel that they could be confiscated by the “dive police” since they could be mistaken for pole spears or “tickle sticks,” neither of which are allowed. So far, that hasn’t been the case. I don’t know if we haven’t been spotted or once someone sees us enter or exit it becomes very obvious what we’re doing. For us, it’s worth the risk since we don’t have much in them anyway.

 

[uncfnp]

Sure... Here's info & pics for those interested...it's pretty basic...

PVC shore diving cane
Part list:
1 - 28 inch - ¾” sch 40 pvc
2 – 2 ¾ inch – ¾” sch 40 pvc
1 – ¾” pvc tee (all slip)
1 – ¾” pvc coupler (slip to slip)
1 – 2 inch loop made of paracord/shockcord/bungee
1 – old cam band trim weight pocket with Velcro closure and slit bottom (2nd 2 inch loop made of paracord/shockcord/bungee can be substituted)
small can pvc glue
small can pvc cleaner (optional)

This will make a 30 inch cane with a 5 ¾” wide handle. The 30 inch cane length is long enough to give support without leaning so far over you become top heavy yet short enough to stow on your rig when diving without bumping your legs while finning. You may need to adjust the cane length if you’re substantially taller or shorter. I’m 5’ 11” and my wife is 5’ 4” and this length works well for both of us. We each have our own canes and having them the same length makes them interchangeable.

The small pieces of pvc are used to expand the handle (tee) width and the pvc coupler is used to add a more rugged tip to the cane.

The cam band trim pocket and bungee loop are used to mount the cane to your rig while diving. This setup is designed for BCDs with two cam bands (the trim pocket on the upper cam band, the bungee loop on the lower). The old cam band trim pocket with a slit bottom makes a nice holder as the pocket flap is long enough to secure over the handle. When you slit the bottom of the pocket, use a little glue to keep the slit from fraying. If you only have one cam band, you’ll need to find a way to stabilize the bottom of the cane so it doesn’t flop around while diving.

When in use, I stow my cane on my wife’s BCD and she stows hers on mine. If you’re using the cane solo, the top bungee loop would probably work easier than the cam band trim pocket.

These canes have made a huge difference in our continued enjoyment of diving on Bonaire. As we have gotten older, my wife and I have slowly shied away from some of the sites with more challenging entries. Since we started using these, the entire island has been reopened to us. Virtually all the entries are now a breeze and we’ve been surprised by how much more we enjoy our dives without the worry over the exits.

When we first brought the canes to Bonaire, we were warned by dive shop personnel that they could be confiscated by the “dive police” since they could be mistaken for pole spears or “tickle sticks,” neither of which are allowed. So far, that hasn’t been the case. I don’t know if we haven’t been spotted or once someone sees us enter or exit it becomes very obvious what we’re doing. For us, it’s worth the risk since we don’t have much in them anyway.

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Looks like Eric has a new project!

 

[tomfcrist]

Big doubles on a boat aren’t too bad...on shore? F-that.

Options for most people include sidemount(drag one tank at a time to the water...

Options for those that can afford it include rebreathers.

 

[DavidFL]

I'm taking an "intro to sidemount" class in a week, but what experience has anyone had with independent doubles?