Boat ladder/hull danger

[DiverGuam]

I recently saw a fellow diver use a technique that I had not seen before to deal with a swinging boat ladder. Seas were about 3-4 feet and several divers were hanging on the tag line with BCDs inflated waiting their turn to ascend the ladder. The ladder was hinged at the top so the bottom part of the ladder would swing up and down as the boat pitched. When this diver reached the ladder, he quickly deflated his BCD completely than started to work to ascend the ladder. The DM said the purpose of deflating the BCD was to keep the diver’s BCD from acting like a balloon and making the rising and falling of the ladder more extreme.

This seemed like a good idea to me at first. But I wonder what would happen to a diver who got pitched off the ladder, hit the water hard, got disoriented and didn’t have the buoyancy to stay on the surface???

This is why you keep the reg in your mouth until you are standing on dry land.

 

[lowviz]

I recently saw a fellow diver use a technique that I had not seen before ...//... The ladder was hinged at the top so the bottom part of the ladder would swing up and down as the boat pitched. When this diver reached the ladder, he quickly deflated his BCD completely than started to work to ascend the ladder. ...

I've seen that. I choose to be buoyant, regulator in mouth, fins on. (open tree ladder) Going negative on ascent is a small 'positional' convenience gain for a large security loss. In addition, remember that you are trying to exit the wash, buoyant is easier.

Not knocking those that like to exit that way, no biggie...

 

[Akimbo]

I really don't have a choice. I'm neutral at 10' at the end of a dive (200-300 PSI) so going negative isn't an option.

 

[pasley]

Just back a week from 8 days in Belize. Swells 6-8,feet day one calming down to 3-4 feet. Live boat as not able to anchor due to coral. Ladders jumping and bottom of boat and foam from props visible. My five buddies? 3 divers all with paraplegia. Yes you have to look up on ascent and getting back on the boat can be dicey to downright dangerous.