Are you helpless without fins?

[Walter]

we were talking about how a lady had died because she became separated from her fins

I have to agree it is extremely doubful that had anything to do with her death.

You wristband your fins, have them slap all over your body while trying to climb a lady.

Two points.

1. When I put my fins on my wrists, they don't slap all over my body. They hang from my wrists and are not in the way. It's quick, it's efficient.

2. I never have fins on my wrists when I climb a lady. That would just be rude.

 

[Mike Boswell]

Just to clarify, the details of the Islamorada fatality were sketchy, but included reports that the lady had passed up her fins before drifting away from the moored boat. Some posters then agreed that without fins she was helpless and unable to swim to the boat. By the time the boat was able to get to her - reportedly 20 minutes - it was too late. AFAIK no cause of death has yet been reported.

 

[Walter]

reports that the lady had passed up her fins before drifting away from the moored boat.

In that case, her being without fins might have contributed to her drifting away from the boat. A current line could also have helped, but without fins, she might not have been able to make it to the current line.

AFAIK no cause of death has yet been reported.

I'd be surprised if the medical examiner lists "no fins."

 

[Teamcasa]

Just to clarify, the details of the Islamorada fatality were sketchy, but included reports that the lady had passed up her fins before drifting away from the moored boat. Some posters then agreed that without fins she was helpless and unable to swim to the boat. By the time the boat was able to get to her - reportedly 20 minutes - it was too late. AFAIK no cause of death has yet been reported.

Her issue, more than likely had more to do with the report that there was only one crewman, the captain on board. His decision to take the divers out without any additional help is significantly more important that whether she was without her fins.

In that case, her being without fins might have contributed to her drifting away from the boat. A current line could also have helped, but without fins, she might not have been able to make it to the current line.

Having a crew member ready and able to assist her immediately outweighs the fin issue by a ton.

Here in SoCal, charters can not take divers out without a dedicated crew member in addition to the Captain.

 

[fnfalman]

In that case, her being without fins might have contributed to her drifting away from the boat. A current line could also have helped, but without fins, she might not have been able to make it to the current line.



I'd be surprised if the medical examiner lists "no fins."

What about the disabled divers who swim with their hands just fine?

Finless does not equal to helpless, nor does it equal to life jeopardy.

 

[Walter]

What about the disabled divers who swim with their hands just fine?

Finless does not equal to helpless, nor does it equal to life jeopardy.

Thanks for helping to make my point.

 

[fnfalman]

Two points.

1. When I put my fins on my wrists, they don't slap all over my body. They hang from my wrists and are not in the way. It's quick, it's efficient.

Not any quicker or more efficient than handing your fins to the deck hand so that you are not encumbered by anything hanging on your wrist while negotiating both the ladder that take you to the swim platform and the ladder that takes you from the swim platform to the dive deck. Many boats have swim platforms that are much lower than the dive deck. Tell me that when you climb this ladder, your fins aren't going to be slapping around and get in the way.

[/quote]2. I never have fins on my wrists when I climb a lady. That would just be rude.[/QUOTE]

Don't knock it until you've tried. Sometimes they like to be freaky.

 

[Walter]

Not any quicker or more efficient than handing your fins to the deck hand

Actually, it is. I have both fins off and over my wrists in a few seconds. That's faster than I can hand one fin to the deck hand.

so that you are not encumbered by anything hanging on your wrist while negotiating both the ladder that take you to the swim platform and the ladder that takes you from the swim platform to the dive deck.

My fins hanging from my wrists do not encumber me while climbing the ladder.

Tell me that when you climb this ladder, your fins aren't going to be slapping around and get in the way.

When I climb that ladder, my fins aren't going to be slapping around and getting in the way. I've dived from boats like that and from boats with even higher decks. It's a non-issue.

Sometimes they like to be freaky.

Well, if she likes it, that's a horse of another color.

 

[TSandM]

I think some of our differences of opinion about putting fins on our wrists may have to do with where we dive. Almost everybody I know uses dry gloves, and dry gloves have rings that may preclude being able to slide the fin well up onto the wrist. I know this was part of my problem, trying to climb the ladder in Monterey. My fins were hanging from about the base of my thumbs, and they were definitely in the way. If I were diving wet, or with no gloves, I think it'd be a lot easier.

 

[Thalassamania]

...Tell me that when you climb this ladder, your fins aren't going to be slapping around and get in the way. ...

OK, my fins don't slap around, the do not get in the way.