Are you helpless without fins?

[fnfalman]

I wonder how those paraplegic divers do it? They obviously don't use fins and they are far from helpless when it comes to motive power in the water...

 

[Belmont]

A lot of boats have closed sided ladders which are either impossible or unsafe to climb while wearing fins. I honestly prefer them, because if my feet slip, they don't slip off the rungs.

Please clarify, if they slip, they would slip forward not sideways?

 

[Mike Boswell]

Ladders are tricky under the best of conditions. A tired, heavily-weighted diver trying to climb a wet, slippery, poorly-designed metal ladder pitching up, down and sideways behind a boat is never going to be ideal.

What we need is an elevator!

 

[randini]

Like I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread, first thing I hand up (after my camera when I have it with me) is my weight belt.

Like I also said I haven't been on a charter in at least a decade. But personally, if a DM wants me to give them my fins, I'll hand them my weight belt first. With that gone we can deal with the fins(be it hand them up or put them on my wrist). I'd rahter be completely positively buoyant at the surface before giving up that degree of positional control. and that'sthe way I do it on theboats I work from. When I come to the surface, the first thing I do is hand up my belt. From there the rest are details.

 

[Fish-R-Man]

I very much agree, and would only add that the conditions are going to dictate my level of concern. Strong current and choppy water is not the best place to be finless.

I fully agree with this. For me it all depends on the conditions and the type of ladder. If its flat, I don't mind giving up my fins, a lot of times I will slide them onto the the boat seat myself. I use have jets and splits with springs. They don't go over my drysuit or my computer very well. If the weather is marginal, I will wait until I have a secure hand hold before I give the fins up. If the boat is really bouncing around, I would rather give up my gear and keep the fins on until I can get onto the ladder. We do that fairly regularly. Once your on the boat then you can bring up your gear.

As far as not having your fins, its inconvenient, but not life threatening. IMO

 

[Thalassamania]

Besides, I can remember having to climb a Jacob's ladder up out of the water north of Iceland, up and over the rail about 12 feet off the water. As I came to the top (with my fins on my wrists) my assistant hove into view and said, "What is your name, what is your quest, what is your favorite color?" The next thing I knew I was flying through the air and went spat back into the ocean. I was glad I had my fins.

 

[Hickdive]

Sounds like you're diving in conditions that are dangerous. Either the boat/ladder is too small for conditions or you are diving in seas worse than the 4 ft you mentioned in setting up your scenario. I don't dive in 8 ft seas because there is no safe way to do it. Try to take off your fins, you'll get beat to hell, don't take off your fins, you'll get beat worse. If the current is pushing the boat 3 - 4 knots sideways, again conditions are not safe for diving. Go to the movies, this is not a good day for diving.

Then you won't be diving in the UK ;-) . 4ft seas are not uncommon.

Here is a fairly typical UK diving ladder in use;

As you can see, it is climbed with your fins on. In fact, if you insisted on removing your fins before climbing it, you could expect some pretty strong words from the skipper when you got back on board. In the UK, pretty much all diving is done with a 'live' boat and the skipper wants you up the ladder ASAP so she can manouvre the boat.

There's an art to anticipating where the ladder is going to be and positioning yourself relative to the boat's track so that you 'trap' directly onto the ladder. A good skipper and an experienced diver should mean you don't have to fin at all to get back aboard.

If you insisted on jumping in without your fins on, you would face fairly serious derision from everyone on board, as well as a severe bollocking from the skipper, because you'd miss the shot-line every time.

Best of all though is a lift;

 

[Walter]

Then you won't be diving in the UK ;-) . 4ft seas are not uncommon.

I dive in 4 ft seas fairly often. If you'll read my post again, you'll see I said, I don't dive in 8 ft seas.

In fact, if you insisted on removing your fins before climbing it, you could expect some pretty strong words from the skipper when you got back on board. In the UK, pretty much all diving is done with a 'live' boat and the skipper wants you up the ladder ASAP so she can manouvre the boat.

I'd talk it over with the skipper, but the fact is I can remove my fins, put them over my wrists and climb the ladder wearing my boots faster than I can climb a christmas tree ladder wearing my fins. So if it's speed he wants, he won't have an issue with my method.

If you insisted on jumping in without your fins on, you would face fairly serious derision from everyone on board, as well as a severe bollocking from the skipper, because you'd miss the shot-line every time.

How in the hell did you get the idea I insist on entering the water without fins? That's something I rarely do. When I do it conditions have to be favorable. By the way, what is bollocking? I looked it up, but it's not in the dictionary.

 

[Sas]

How in the hell did you get the idea I insist on entering the water without fins? That's something I rarely do. When I do it conditions have to be favorable. By the way, what is bollocking? I looked it up, but it's not in the dictionary.

Try Urban Dictionary: bollocking

Urban Dictionary has the slang words.

It means to lecture someone sternly.

 

[Walter]

It means to lecture someone sternly.

Groovy.