Gear too heavy to walk on boat/climb ladder

[Jim Lapenta]

First thing I thought of when I saw this thread was here is a good candidate for sidemount. My GF is very petite, works out daily with both aerobic and strength training. She can now do more pushups (real ones, not the ones on the knees they used to make girls do) than I can. But she is pushing quite a bit less weight . And I kinda let my upper body go for a while after a shoulder injury but am working on it now regularly.

She can bike 12 miles on roads with hills at an average speed of 14 mph. Leaves me in the dust. Yet hauling a bc with an al80 puts more strain on her knees than she is ok with. I usually set her gear in the water for her and help with a lift on the tank getting out. If we were able to dive more locally I'd have her in sidemount. But right now schedules are too crazy. I have the rigs though. With her SAC rate of .26 a couple al 40's would be perfect and give her plenty of gas. One of the reasons I wanted to get my OW sidemount instructor rating was so that I could take those like her and others with knee, back, or other mobility issues and maybe give them another 5 or 10 years of diving.

I did not move to it because it's cool. I moved because it makes sense and I got tired of lugging double steels on my back. SM is so much more aging friendly.

 

[grf88]

Wouldn't it be wonderful if a trip to the gym could reverse all those conditions that result from the aging process, it may help but doesn't fix lost cartilage, damaged tendons, damaged discs, arthritis and a host of other conditions that you acquire as you get older. Sometimes it is necessary to make accommodations for them and if that requires asking for assistance or switching to another dive configuration such as sidemount so be it. I am 67 and my diving has been curtailed this year due to shoulder surgery but I don't plan on hanging up my gear for at least another 10 years and I am sure I will be looking for assistance at some point during that time as I did during my recent dive trip with a shoulder that could not take much weight.

 

[Rich Keller]

Yet hauling a bc with an al80 puts more strain on her knees than she is ok with. I usually set her gear in the water for her and help with a lift on the tank getting out. If we were able to dive more locally I'd have her in sidemount. But right now schedules are too crazy. I have the rigs though. With her SAC rate of .26 a couple al 40's would be perfect and give her plenty of gas. One of the reasons I wanted to get my OW sidemount instructor rating was so that I could take those like her and others with knee, back, or other mobility issues and maybe give them another 5 or 10 years of diving.

My knee is not great when the shrapnel inside it moves so I can see how this might be useful. I understand that side mount will get the tanks closer to your center of gravity making it easier to walk but two 40s weigh about the same as one 80 so how will this save on your knees? Will this help people with back/spine problems? If you use Catalina 30s you would save 5lbs and with the old Luxfer 30s you could save 9lbs. I have not looked into it too seriously because I was put off by having the top part of the tank held in place by bungees. Is there a more secure way to do that?

 

[Herb-alaska]

My knee is not great when the shrapnel inside it moves so I can see how this might be useful. I understand that side mount will get the tanks closer to your center of gravity making it easier to walk but two 40s weigh about the same as one 80 so how will this save on your knees? Will this help people with back/spine problems? If you use Catalina 30s you would save 5lbs and with the old Luxfer 30s you could save 9lbs. I have not looked into it too seriously because I was put off by having the top part of the tank held in place by bungees. Is there a more secure way to do that?

Hey Rich I have not gone sidemount yet but from what I have read the great advantage is that yes 2 40's weight about the same as a single 80 but with 2 40's you can carry one 40 1/2 the weight and then go get the other 40. The ability to move the weight in smaller increments is very appealing for some. I'm still in the stage that I just want to get it done so give it to me all at once.

 

[flots am]

but two 40s weigh about the same as one 80 so how will this save on your knees? Will this help people with back/spine problems?

It saves my knees because I don't have to walk with them on the way in or out of the water.

I can jump in with no tanks, then call up and say, "can you hand me those 40s on my seat?"

On the way back up the ladder, you can reverse the process.

A lot of boat crew members aren't happy about hauling up a BC with a tank, with integrated weights or even worse manifolded doubles, but a couple weight pouches then a couple of small tanks isn't a problem.

I don't have to do this often (yet) but can see the day coming.

flots.

---------- Post added August 25th, 2014 at 08:56 PM ----------

not looked into it too seriously because I was put off by having the top part of the tank held in place by bungees. Is there a more secure way to do that?

Not sure what everybody else does, but mine is held on the harness with nylon line and SS clips. The bungees are just to keep it tight so it isn't flapping in the breeze.

 

[Zeagle Eagle]

I was going to make a really good point; but, I forgot what it was.

 

[grf88]

I was going to make a really good point; but, I forgot what it was.

The gym doesn't help much with that either.

 

[pjhansman]

I was going to make a really good point; but, I forgot what it was.

The mind is normally the second thing to go.....

 

[fnfalman]

I called the dive shop we'll be using in Catalina, armed with the tips I received here. The person I talked to said they make these accommodations regularly. The boat platform is slightly submerged so that makes it easier. I will call again a few days before diving, when they know who the DM will be, so that I can speak to him personally to make sure we have it worked out ahead of time. I want to express my gratitude to all those who responded. I learned a great deal.
--Chicagolady

The only two shops on Catalina Island that I know of which have boats of their own are either Scuba Luv or Catalina Divers Supply. Both outfits are well reputed. I've yet dived on their boats but I've used the services of their shops before. I was never disappointed.

It's true that California diving culture is very much about self-reliance. However, it's also true that we are a very friendly bunch. We'd be more than glad to help out fellow divers on the boat. Also, the crews are very helpful as well. If you let them know that you have physical issues, they will do whatever they can to assist you. I have yet to see any deck hands or captains whined about carrying up gears for divers who are either of certain age, of certain physical condition, or distressed.

 

[IrnBear]

The only two shops on Catalina Island that I know of which have boats of their own are either Scuba Luv or Catalina Divers Supply. Both outfits are well reputed. I've yet dived on their boats but I've used the services of their shops before. I was never disappointed.

It's true that California diving culture is very much about self-reliance. However, it's also true that we are a very friendly bunch. We'd be more than glad to help out fellow divers on the boat. Also, the crews are very helpful as well. If you let them know that you have physical issues, they will do whatever they can to assist you. I have yet to see any deck hands or captains whined about carrying up gears for divers who are either of certain age, of certain physical condition, or distressed.

Ditto That!!!