Gear too heavy to walk on boat/climb ladder

[PhatD1ver]

I'm almost 60 and have done one week in Bonaire. I can't walk safely to jump off point with all the heavy gear on because of an old neck injury. In Bonaire, some captains were fine with helping (letting me sit on boat edge and bringing me my gear, and also letting me take off my gear in the water and hand it to them before climbing the ladder), and others were resentful. I don't really understand the scuba culture and could use guidance on how to approach this. Am I asking too much? About to do a colder dive in Catalina and it will be even harder with more lead on. Thank you for your insights.

I dove Catalina three weeks ago from a boat, and generally they have a small platform that is about 1-2 feet in the water below the ladder... you can basically swim up to it, and kneel there, and they will help remove your fins and anything else you need to pass up the ladder. Good operators will assist their divers whether it's the aged like yourself, or the portly like me...

One thing I will say is that if you're slow, then hang to the trail line and let other go up first, then get on last, or be the first one back...

I will say this about Catalina.. they try to get their three dives in and then back to San Pedro by 5pm... so they do push people to get in and out of the water on time... just make sure the Captain and DM know your needs and they should assist.

 

[TSandM]

I don't think the OP is handicapped, or maybe I was handicapped when I learned to dive. Handling the gear was a major hurdle -- I would take the tank down to the dive site, then the other gear, then me, and put it all together as close to the water as possible. No way I was walking 100 yards -- or 100 FEET -- with a tank on my back and 30 pounds of lead. Climbing a boat ladder required a good strong hand on my valve from the DM . . . but not any more. I still need some help with doubles and a deco bottle, but I can almost dance up a ladder in an Al80 and minimal weight.

What changed? I didn't hit the gym and lift weights. In fact, I did nothing at all, but dive. I dove and I dove and I dove, and all of it required slinging that gear around, and eventually it got easy.

The OP may decide not to try it, but I wanted to tell her that it is possible to get strong enough not to NEED any special help, even at our age. It's totally doable. It's a matter of choice.

 

[Mike]

Seriously? Based on what logic?

My wife can't climb a ladder with all her gear on. Yet oddly enough that has absolutely NOTHING to do with her being a great dive buddy.

Oh please relax. If you can't come up with a scenario on your own where a person who can't climb a ladder with her gear on could limit their abilities in an emergency to rescue you, then you aren't trying too hard. Every dive doesn't consist of blue skys, flat seas, zero currents, perfect viz, no equipment failures, exits on ladders, diving off big easy boats, etc...

As I said, a diver is certified to be self-reliant, to plan and execute a dive from start to finish without help. If you're not capable of diving this way you should be very careful where you dive and who you dive with because there is a fine line you cross where you're really a handicapped diver.

And like it or not, if you're a diver with special needs and you spring it on a boat crew you will get mixed reactions. Don't like it? Oh well, that's life, I don't make the rules I just realize what they are and don't pretend they don't exist and the posters statements about mixed reactions is just proof of it.

 

[PhatD1ver]

Oh please relax. If you can't come up with a scenario on your own where a person who can't climb a ladder with her gear on could limit their abilities in an emergency to rescue you, then you aren't trying too hard. Every dive doesn't consist of blue skys, flat seas, zero currents, perfect viz, no equipment failures, exits on ladders, diving off big easy boats, etc...

As I said, a diver is certified to be self-reliant, to plan and execute a dive from start to finish without help. If you're not capable of diving this way you should be very careful where you dive and who you dive with because there is a fine line you cross where you're really a handicapped diver.

And like it or not, if you're a diver with special needs and you spring it on a boat crew you will get mixed reactions. Don't like it? Oh well, that's life, I don't make the rules I just realize what they are and don't pretend they don't exist and the posters statements about mixed reactions is just proof of it.

Gosh, I hope you'll find me in 10-15 years when you hit the 60 mark and then let us hear your pearls of wisdom... your comments are like the guy who is 7% BF telling me that I'm fat and lazy because I weigh $3.00 plus. Farthest thing from the truth. I exercise an average of 7-8 times a weeks running and swimming, occasionally I ride my bike too. In my earlier life I was not as rotund, and I work to improve it all the time..

But reality is that I am 54 years old, my knees and one ankle now remind me about the penalties for jumping from airplanes and helicopters, and running in combat boots. I let myself go a few years ago, and I have a long haul back. But because I need a little assist with putting on my fins, or getting them off, and I would rather dump my weights and equipment before using a boat ladder, I'm handicapped? oh, and I'm a bad dive buddy because I can't assist you in an emergency - the person who expects everyone to be self-reliant.

Yuo, come back again in 10-15 and enlighten us with your wisdom on what it feels like to get older. And how being older makes use all handicapped.

 

[Zeagle Eagle]

I am 66 years old. I will dive where I want, when I want and with whom I want. I quit logging my dives around 2,000. If I want to pay someone to valet my gear then I will do so. If I want to pay someone to help me climb a ladder I will do so. If I want to pay 6 people to carry me to the water and back again, I will do so. No pretentious, wet behind the ears, sanctimonious newbie is going to tell me....ah never mind. It's you who needs to relax and let people live there lives without telling them what to do. The way I see it you "ain't" got enough underwater time to be telling anyone how to dive.

Oh and when you get a chance, send me a copy of those rules that you don't make; but, you realize what they are and maybe a few poster statements about mixed reaction what ever the heck that means. Chill out Dude!

 

[Chicagolady]

Thank you--I will find out what the boat configuration is beforehand.

 

[flots am]

Oh please relax. If you can't come up with a scenario on your own where a person who can't climb a ladder with her gear on could limit their abilities in an emergency to rescue you, then you aren't trying too hard. Every dive doesn't consist of blue skys, flat seas, zero currents, perfect viz, no equipment failures, exits on ladders, diving off big easy boats, etc...

It does if you plan it that way.

There's nothing in your list that can't be handled with a little planning and good judgement.

flots.

 

[grf88]

Just returned from a warm water dive trip where I needed assistance getting back onto the boat due to rotator cuff surgery earlier this year. I think I would have been in a position to handle any diving emergency other than hauling somebody out of the water onto a boat and do not believe that I was a liability to my dive buddies. I am now 67 and expect in 15 years time I will need even more assistance.

I explained the situation to the dive operator before the trip and they were very helpful.

 

[Mike]

It does if you plan it that way.

There's nothing in your list that can't be handled with a little planning and good judgement.

flots.

That's what I've said already 2 times. Running along that razor's edge of zero margin for error means you better plan everything well in advance and be extremely sure of what you'll be splashing into.

---------- Post added August 21st, 2014 at 07:44 AM ----------

Gosh, I hope you'll find me in 10-15 years when you hit the 60 mark and then let us hear your pearls of wisdom... your comments are like the guy who is 7% BF telling me that I'm fat and lazy because I weigh $3.00 plus. Farthest thing from the truth. I exercise an average of 7-8 times a weeks running and swimming, occasionally I ride my bike too. In my earlier life I was not as rotund, and I work to improve it all the time..

But reality is that I am 54 years old, my knees and one ankle now remind me about the penalties for jumping from airplanes and helicopters, and running in combat boots. I let myself go a few years ago, and I have a long haul back. But because I need a little assist with putting on my fins, or getting them off, and I would rather dump my weights and equipment before using a boat ladder, I'm handicapped? oh, and I'm a bad dive buddy because I can't assist you in an emergency - the person who expects everyone to be self-reliant.

Yuo, come back again in 10-15 and enlighten us with your wisdom on what it feels like to get older. And how being older makes use all handicapped.

Don't shoot the messenger.

It's great to stay young at heart and stay active. But to pretend that diving isn't a sport that punishes the body and rewards the elderly and over weight with death from heart attacks and strokes while diving and they drowned just means you're uninformed.

It's not every dive operations dream to cater to slinging the over weight, infirm diver in and out of the water with an electric crane just because once you're in the water you can descend and ascend on your own power and then require 6 people to haul your ass back into the boat. If you find dive operations like that who cater to somebody who shouldn't be diving but they make your dreams come true good for you, but those operators are the minority where most expect a diver to be able to at least have enough physical strength to actually dive from start to finish, they have more to do then to cater to one diver out of a group who needs complete intensive care and should be in a nursing home. Don't like that? Too bad, it's the truth, the posters original statements about the mixed reaction she has received is proof of it.

They call scuba diving the fat man's sport for a reason. Just get the person in the water and then they benefit from being neutrally buoyant and all their lack of mobility they have on land disappears. All fine and good as long as you're okay with betting your survival on every dive having perfect conditions. The wheels fall off this plan with the unexpected or an emergency, then that diver dies from a heart attack or stroke from over exertion or panics and can't stay afloat and drowns... know the risks and accept them, but don't get upset with me for being truthful. And are you a good buddy if that's your category? Hell no. I'm basically a solo diver with somebody like that. If that upsets you, sorry that's the reality and you're in denial. And show me any diver who defends bad buddy protocols and I'm betting I'm speaking with a 'same ocean' dive buddy already, a lousy dive buddy in the first place, who of course defends bad buddy protocols, because they are doing them already on every dive.

 

[PhatD1ver]

so much to say, not worth my energy, the ignorance of youth is what it is..