Hi @Kimela, I apologize if this was mentioned before (long thread), but there is an important physics issue to keep in mind...When climbing a ladder, it is often intuitive to keep your arms extended. That has the effect of cantilevering all your weight and tank out from the ladder. Simple physics means that generates a lot more weight for you to haul up the ladder. Instead, keep your body close in to the ladder. This will make huge difference in how easy it is to climb the ladder. In sporty seas, this can be a little more challenging (you don't really want your face right on the ladder). But again, the tighter your can get your body into the ladder, the less hard you have to work.
Boat ladders and upper body v leg strength
- Thread starter Kimela
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Can always remove bcd tank in water and have one of the crew pick it up onto boat. Real easy even with weight integrated gear, just remember to tip themHi Folks!
We were diving with Dive Paradise out of Hotel Cozumel 8/11-8/17/20 and I really struggled with the dive ladders on their boats. I thought this was a good opportunity to discuss dive fitness as it relates to getting on and off the boat in addition to all the rest of dive fitness.
I'm 60 and in pretty good shape. I could afford to lose the COVID20 I've gained over the past 6 months, but I take a 2 mile brisk walk with my dive buddy (husband) and dogs every day (these dogs stop to do their business and drag us the rest of the time, so it's truly a brisk 2 miles). I don't exercise otherwise and have a sedentary job. I know I need to add weight bearing exercise and probably more cardio.
In June we went to Key Largo and spent a week diving with Rainbow Reef. I easily climbed the ladder to get back on the boat with my BC and weights on (I only dive with 8-10 pounds of lead). The ladders on the RR boats have hand rails so I can use upper body strength to pull myself up onto the boat - no problem. However, the boats at Dive Paradise did NOT have handrails - the ladder looked like a pole with crossbars. My husband found it difficult to get back on the boat and described it as 'having to crawl back on', and even with my BC off I found it difficult to ascend the ladder. If it had been rough seas I would have had to sit the dives out. Nobody else complained. This told me one of two things. Either everyone was like me and didn't want to admit they're aging and/or in bad shape, or they didn't have any problems. Some folks were younger (probably no problem) and some were older and heavier (just not saying anything). And it also told me I need to work on leg strength - do squats and lunges, leg presses.
Anyway ... just wanted to put it out there that some boats will not have hand rails so you won't always be able to count on upper body strength to help you. We've been diving for 10 years - over 300 dives - and this had never been a problem. I don't know if I'd never run into these kinds of ladders or it's been long enough that I was in better shape when I did!!
Kettle bells ... leg presses ... squats and lunges ... here I go ...
Depends on where you’re diving and how helpful boat crew is.
I have managed to build up my upper and lower body strength enough so all I need to do is hand them my weight pouches and then I can climb up the ladder. But I try to always tip well, either way. Thanks.
undrwater
Contributor
I have a memory of one of these ladders. It felt like a torture device. I couldn't hold onto the foot/fin rungs as they were too big. I could only hang onto the central post. I felt very unstable laterally, and as the boat rocked I would swing from side to side, banging into the rungs. Far worse if I had started to lift one of my fins for the next rung.
At the top, I had to do the face plant as described earlier. Then a deckhand would come and start removing my gear. When I stood up, no one was laughing at me (but I was... Inside).
At my seat I watched as the other divers (minus the uber jocks) face the same fate. Sharing the humiliation, we all became fast friends.
So why do I still hate that kind of ladder?
At the top, I had to do the face plant as described earlier. Then a deckhand would come and start removing my gear. When I stood up, no one was laughing at me (but I was... Inside).
At my seat I watched as the other divers (minus the uber jocks) face the same fate. Sharing the humiliation, we all became fast friends.
So why do I still hate that kind of ladder?
Sorry ladies , posted in the wrong area.
TBH, this is the opposite of the problem I expected you to describe here. I expected this to be about ladders that required upper body strength to be the problem and lower body to not be a problem. This is because I typically see women in general as having more power in the legs than upper body (compared to men) and I would think that most divers (who spend our time underwater using our legs to propel ourselves through a medium with a lot of drag and carrying heavy gear on land from our shoulders and hips) have more lower body strength (compared to your average land mammals who are non-divers) than arm strength.Hi Folks!
We were diving with Dive Paradise out of Hotel Cozumel 8/11-8/17/20 and I really struggled with the dive ladders on their boats. I thought this was a good opportunity to discuss dive fitness as it relates to getting on and off the boat in addition to all the rest of dive fitness.
I'm 60 and in pretty good shape. I could afford to lose the COVID20 I've gained over the past 6 months, but I take a 2 mile brisk walk with my dive buddy (husband) and dogs every day (these dogs stop to do their business and drag us the rest of the time, so it's truly a brisk 2 miles). I don't exercise otherwise and have a sedentary job. I know I need to add weight bearing exercise and probably more cardio.
In June we went to Key Largo and spent a week diving with Rainbow Reef. I easily climbed the ladder to get back on the boat with my BC and weights on (I only dive with 8-10 pounds of lead). The ladders on the RR boats have hand rails so I can use upper body strength to pull myself up onto the boat - no problem. However, the boats at Dive Paradise did NOT have handrails - the ladder looked like a pole with crossbars. My husband found it difficult to get back on the boat and described it as 'having to crawl back on', and even with my BC off I found it difficult to ascend the ladder. If it had been rough seas I would have had to sit the dives out. Nobody else complained. This told me one of two things. Either everyone was like me and didn't want to admit they're aging and/or in bad shape, or they didn't have any problems. Some folks were younger (probably no problem) and some were older and heavier (just not saying anything). And it also told me I need to work on leg strength - do squats and lunges, leg presses.
Anyway ... just wanted to put it out there that some boats will not have hand rails so you won't always be able to count on upper body strength to help you. We've been diving for 10 years - over 300 dives - and this had never been a problem. I don't know if I'd never run into these kinds of ladders or it's been long enough that I was in better shape when I did!!
Kettle bells ... leg presses ... squats and lunges ... here I go ...
Shameless plug.
They DO exist in the US.
Not many, but I know of a couple in addition to mine.
They DO exist in the US.
Not many, but I know of a couple in addition to mine.
Funny this thread was resurrected today. On our sunset & night dive we were diving from the Anita, which had a Christmas tree ladder. Once again, I found myself trying to grasp onto the drainage slats on the deck of the boat to pull myself on board. Those things just have nowhere to place your hands as you climb onto the boat. I'm convinced it's not a matter of leg or upper body strength - if there's nowhere to grab, there's no way to stabilize yourself. At least that's how I see it. Don't like those stupid ladders. @Tracy - those are really cool lifts!!!
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