BCD and weak left hand :(

[jameshalluk]

Hi Tobin, thank you so much!
Can you grasp and squeeze the entire inflator? I can use the deflator button at the top, but unfortunately can't use the inflator

This should be possible with either hand,>> Is it really possible to use the controls with the right hand? if the setup is on the left? I can do it physically but I thought there were a safety issue?

BTW, what exactly are you using for an inflator? Any pics? SOrry I didn't take a pic

Can you grasp and squeeze the entire inflator? This should be possible with either hand, and will depress the add button on the inflators we furnish with our wings, and which are common on many brands of wings. Some BC's use a variety of inflators that might not lend themselves to the "Squeeze the whole thing approach"


BTW, what exactly are you using for an inflator? Any pics?

Tobin

 

[jameshalluk]

Thank you so much for the wonderful information rx7diver


"She used her left hand to place her inflator in her right hand, and inflated/deflated/disconnected using her right hand."
The above will be the ideal solution for me, but I was told it was strictly against the OW conditions to do this, so I must inflate/deflate with the left and keep the right free for regulator recovery and to hold the mooring line etc

I really would like to dive a lot

jameshalluk,

My former long-time dive buddy was born with essentially no fingers on her left hand. A series of surgeries (including bone graphs) when she was very young left her, eventually, with a small nub where her thumb would have been.

She became a very good diver. She successfully passed a very tough NAUI/YMCA Open Water II university course (ca. 1985) and then became a NAUI-certified dive master a bit thereafter, which included becoming certified as a NAUI rescue diver. I met her a couple of years after her Open Water II certification when, as a doctoral student, I took the same course. She was one of my TA's for the course.

She wore a full 1/4" farmer Jane with hood and mitts (for local MO and AR diving), and a Scubapro "Classic" Stabilizing Jacket (SSJ). She used a Scubapro power inflator initially, and then a Scubapro Air II combination power inflator later on. No problem whatsoever. She figured out a way to make everything work. Long distance surface swimming without gear? No problem. Regulator and/or mask recovery? No problem. Weight belt removal and replace? No problem? Gear ditch and don? No problem. Disconnect inflator? No problem. Buddy breathing? No problem. Diver recovery and swimming to shore while rescue breathing? No problem.

She used her left hand to place her inflator in her right hand, and inflated/deflated/disconnected using her right hand.

One important thing: Our scuba coach stressed solid fundamentals, so all of us divers dove properly weighted, which means with very little air in our BC's (since we were wearing steel 72's) and almost no inflating/deflating our BC's once we were at depth.

EDIT: Also, she wore a rubber weight belt that had a wire "pelican beak" buckle--which worked well with the limited use of her left hand, for removing and replacing her weight belt.

FWIW.

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

P.S. I just realized that I wrote much of this here a few (10?) years ago. So there is another thread here that addresses this same question.

 

[jameshalluk]

Thank you so much Ayisha
You are spot on, I do remember using an easy to inflate bcd, 4 years ago.
This time I think I tried 2 Bcsd makes but they were both very difficult to inflate.
I will keep looking for an easier to inflate bcd or an i3

I also have a weaker left hand and find some inflators much more difficult to use than others. I found my original Genesis inflator very easy to use and fit in my hand very easily. I think the Sherwood inflator is similar. OTOH, I find Scubapro and Halcyon inflators very difficult to use and don't fit well in my hand. I use my right hand quite often, which is apparently not a good habit. Is it possible to try other inflators to see if another type works better for you?

 

[diversteve]

Two other options - both are travel bc's from Scubapro and have the upper right pull dump so can likely be reconfigured to the right as I suggested above. One is theirGO travel jacket and the other their minimalist Lighthawk travel back inflate. Some things are left off the Lighthawk to get the weight down.

http://www.scubapro.com/en-US/USA/bcs/products/go.aspx
http://www.scubapro.com/en-US/USA/bcs/products/litehawk.aspx

Leisurepro was selling 2013 Lighthawks recently for $249. I almost bought one...

 

[jameshalluk]

Thank you so much "mattia_v
This was my first option, to train the grip strength.
I am
1. using a stress ball
2. playing with a small sand bag
3. doing physio for left hand
4. doing ayurvedic treatments for the left hand
and squeezing anything that resemble a bcd inflator the shampoo bottle has been the closest so far

I will get grip trainers from guitar store.

Can you train the grip strength actively? I know there are situations where it may not be sufficient or possible, but in almost every case training can help. You can get grip trainers from guitar stores, or use a stress ball.

 

[KeithG]

Thank you so much for the advice KevinNM , I am very grateful!
Is it really possible to have the inflator on the left but use it with the right hand? I can do that physically but I was told that I will not be allowed to do that in OW because in case if I ever get stuck in a current or if I have to do regulator recovery, and also because I will have to hold the line from the boat using the right hand. So the only solution is to use my left

When learning about scuba it helps to distinguish between:
- you can't do that (i.e. it's physically impossible)
- you should not do that (it goes against perceived industry standards)
- we don't do that (we have some silly rules we made up last week just to make your life a living hell)

Many "we don't do that" situations are communicated as "you can't do that".

My LDS will not sell me a hose for my reg unless they install it. I tell them I service my own gear. They say "you can't do that".

The mainstream diving industry is slow to learn new things and change their ways. They are slowly becoming more aware of people who want to dive that may need some changes in their configuration. The changes need to be thought out. So feel free to question people who tell you something is not allowed and ask them to explain why.

P.S. Scubapro and Cressi BCDs that have right shoulder dumps use the same fitting on both sides. The dump and the inflator hose can easily be switched between sides. So you can do that, but I am not sure if you should do that.

 

[jameshalluk]

Thank you so much giffenk
This really is great advice

I really am hoping the
"Only use left hand to inflate" falls under the category of "we don't do that" situations are communicated as "you can't do that".

When learning about scuba it helps to distinguish between:
- you can't do that (i.e. it's physically impossible)
- you should not do that (it goes against perceived industry standards)
- we don't do that (we have some silly rules we made up last week just to make your life a living hell)

Many "we don't do that" situations are communicated as "you can't do that".

My LDS will not sell me a hose for my reg unless they install it. I tell them I service my own gear. They say "you can't do that".

The mainstream diving industry is slow to learn new things and change their ways. They are slowly becoming more aware of people who want to dive that may need some changes in their configuration. The changes need to be thought out. So feel free to question people who tell you something is not allowed and ask them to explain why.

P.S. Scubapro and Cressi BCDs that have right shoulder dumps use the same fitting on both sides. The dump and the inflator hose can easily be switched between sides. So you can do that, but I am not sure if you should do that.

 

[jameshalluk]

Thanks again diversteve will check these very useful and affordable options.

Two other options - both are travel bc's from Scubapro and have the upper right pull dump so can likely be reconfigured to the right as I suggested above. One is theirGO travel jacket and the other their minimalist Lighthawk travel back inflate. Some things are left off the Lighthawk to get the weight down.

http://www.scubapro.com/en-US/USA/bcs/products/go.aspx
http://www.scubapro.com/en-US/USA/bcs/products/litehawk.aspx

Leisurepro was selling 2013 Lighthawks recently for $249. I almost bought one...

 

[Zef]

How often do you plan on having to conduct a reg recovery? And how long do you plan to be holding onto and inflating your BC?

You have a problem activating the inflator with your left hand....no problem...because you will typically only inflate on your way down, especially after you gain some experience and learn proper weighting and buoyancy control. It is no problem to use your right hand to reach over and hit the inflator.

I often dive while floating around underwater with my arms crossed...left hand resting just above right elbow and right hand under left arm resting over power inflator hose.

The reality is that even if you were a left arm amputee, the amount of time you would need your right hand on the inflator for adding or dumping is minimal and intermittent, and except in a very extreme circumstance, will not interfere with doing a regulator recovery.

If you are training and your instructor is insisting on you using your left hand then perhaps you need to find a new instructor that is more sensitive to the fact that you have a physical limitation.

-Z

 

[C P]

Numerous years ago when I first started teaching, I was fortunate enough to mentor with a very experienced Master Instructor for some classes. We had a student, a vet, who had lost part of his left arm and hand. He was very determined to become a good diver. They worked out using a transpack BCD and turning the wing backwards so the inflator was on the right side. While not an optimum solution it worked for him. There were some issue he needed to be aware of and make some adjustments. I believe he used an Air 2 type Octo to eliminate one hose also but don't hold me to that. Im not a big fan of gear solutions but this may be one of those times it helps.