I'll take my regulator out when surfacing if it's calm enough, and I want to talk to my buddy. When I decide that I'm heading for the ladder to reboard the boat, the regulator gets cleared and goes back in my mouth before I'm on the ladder.
I've come up three types of ladders so far. Two are "standard", with the steps between the rails, one off the aft of the boat, the other in a "cutout" in the mid fore of the boat. I generally take my fins off and hand them up on these ladders, and climb with my fins off. If the boat's pitching at all, there's an opportunity to slip and if I end up back in the water with my fins off - I want my regulator in.
The other ladder is the afore-mentioned "christmas tree". I was introduced to that type a couple weeks ago for the first time, and it was very interesting climbing it with my fins on. The fifth time I used that type of ladder, we had a squall approaching and the boat was bouncing pretty good, (for your basic landlubber type like me). It's a learning experience climbing a ladder with fins on, and I absolutely wanted my reg in if I fell off.
As for snorkel - I carry a rollup in a pocket, it's in case things go south and I need to swim.
I've come up three types of ladders so far. Two are "standard", with the steps between the rails, one off the aft of the boat, the other in a "cutout" in the mid fore of the boat. I generally take my fins off and hand them up on these ladders, and climb with my fins off. If the boat's pitching at all, there's an opportunity to slip and if I end up back in the water with my fins off - I want my regulator in.
The other ladder is the afore-mentioned "christmas tree". I was introduced to that type a couple weeks ago for the first time, and it was very interesting climbing it with my fins on. The fifth time I used that type of ladder, we had a squall approaching and the boat was bouncing pretty good, (for your basic landlubber type like me). It's a learning experience climbing a ladder with fins on, and I absolutely wanted my reg in if I fell off.
As for snorkel - I carry a rollup in a pocket, it's in case things go south and I need to swim.