Boat Captain's rules or your own safety?

[seaducer]

For all you experienced divers who say his rules are unsafe, climbing a ladder is unsafe, using an enclosed ladder is unsafe, etc., ect. Please reference one, only one case where climbing an enclosed ladder resulted in injury. Please reference one case where climbing a ladder with fins on resulted in injury.

Well, I am not a dive accident encyclopedia, but I have seen more divers fall off ladders than I can count with my shoes on. And yes, some of those were attempting to navigate an enclosed ladder with fins on.

I fully agree with yelling at a diver below trying to help another diver board, any assistance needs to come from above. Worst case the GF can back off, allowing the OP to board ahead of her so he can assist from above.

But demanding everyone board a closed ladder with fins on feet is a silly rule. At worst it will expose divers to injury by making an already awkward event even more clumsy.

 

[StreetDoctor]

without reading all the replies ive been on a boat before where they wanted fins on with a closed ladder. I took my fins off anyways and held them on my wrist.... they told me to leave them on and I said no.. that was it.

 

[Rainer]

LOL, about how I would have handled it.

without reading all the replies ive been on a boat before where they wanted fins on with a closed ladder. I took my fins off anyways and held them on my wrist.... they told me to leave them on and I said no.. that was it.

 

[Belmont]

Many times, on a closed ladder in 6 foot seas, I did like Dumpster diver suggested, but instead of putting my feet on the first rung I put one knee.

Holding on with both hands when going down I time my move then remove one fin with one hand.

I switch sides to remove the other.

It might take some more time but I'm firmly stuck on the ladder and nothing is taking me off of it.

I pass my fins to the crew because they are either full foot fins or my Jets with springs that I can't put on my wrists because the won't go on.

I would never go up a closed ladder with fins on.

 

[Tanked]

I can't belive a North Atlantic dive boat has a closed rung ladder. That being said, I would just take my fins off, and slide them on my wrist. If I fall back in the water, I can just slip them back on. Thats the beauty of spring straps.
I agree with the Captain though. Being underneath the ladder while someone is climbing up is just dangerous

 

[wedivebc]

My feelings about the ladder thing is secondary to the main issue the captain of the boat is the captain. Don't like his rules don't dive off his boat. I have worked for captains that I didn't agree with but at the end of the day when things go wrong the captain shoulders the responsibility.

 

[diverdoug1]

1. Captain makes the rules
2. You decide to defy the rule if you think it is unsafe
3. Captain decides if you can come back on boat after defying rules
4. If you are banned from boat, post on Scubaboard to vent and complain about said rules
SIMPLE

also, I think Gilldiver should review some of the poster's profiles on this thread before he makes statments disparaging the experience of those posters!

 

[D_B]

being underneath while someone is on the ladder is not a good idea, and I agree.
the fins on with a closed ladder ? I'm not sure, I've never had to do it, but if I think/find that's it's unsafe for me to do it that way when I'm at the ladder, then I'm not going to ... then the Capitan can decide on the outcome of my actions
I'm thinking that until you get back on the boat, your the pilot in command and are fully responsible for your safety

 

[Thalassamania]

If in fact the Captain wants me to be responsible for my own safety and my own actions, then he damn well better leave me to make my own decisions. If he is going to tell me how to do something, against my own best judgment, then he must be willing to accept the liability that stems from promulgation of such a rule; you can't have it both ways.

 

[Fish-R-Man]

I have climbed a number of enclosed ladders with fins on. Most have fairly wide steps that are easy enough to slip your fins into. I think that Dumpsterdiver explained it very well. In really rough weather I like my fins on until I am secure on at least the first rung. When timing the grab for the ladder, I like the manueverability that having my fins on gives me. I have never seen a ladder yet that at least the first rung didn't have plenty of room to slide your fins into. Once securely on the first rung its easy enough to remove and pass your fins up to the deck crew. If you miss your first shot, it easy enough to stiff arm yourself back away from the ladder so it doesn't come down on you and regroup for another shot at it. (As long as your well intentioned buddy isn't under your butt about that time)

As far as the captain, his boat his rules. I dive a lot on six pack boats. Usually not a lot of rules. It looks like the boat in question carries a fairly large amount of divers. Without some kind of rule structure for everyone to follow, it can be chaos in marginal weather.