Closed ladder with fins on?

[Stu S.]

If designed correctly, it is more like a set of stairs than a ladder. It is all in the geometry. I believe this is the boat we went on that has that feature. We used it easily without issues.

Pompano Dive Center - Our Boat

 

[Walter]

Sounds like a very bad idea, an accident waiting to happen.

The Eagles Nest is the only Northeast Dive boat I've been on that has this type of ladder, and you don't have a choice, you either do it the Captain's way which is "fins on to board" or you don't go on his vessel at all.

I certainly hope they tell folks when they book that they have such silly and dangerous rules.

 

[Mike Boswell]

I usually board my own boat, which has a christmas tree ladder, with fins on because it's easer for me than taking the fins off in the water.

On other dive boats I do whatever they ask as long as it's safe, reasonable, and I feel like doing it.

 

[SDAnderson]

I've never exited with my fins on. I hold on to the ladder with one hand, then take off a fin and slip it up over my hand onto my arm. Switch hands and do it again. If I fall back into the sea I just have to slip my fins back on my feet. I don't want my fins on my feet on the ladder or in the boat until I am.

Climbing with your fins off is easier, no matter what kind of ladder, and usually safer. In rough water, however, removing them while hanging on at the business end of the meat chopper can be difficult and downright dangerous. Sometimes its better to grab the ladder and quickly scamper up with your fins on to minimize the pounding.

Good idea about keeping your fins in your hand if you're taking them off. Don't pass anything up you're going to want if you get tossed back into the drink. Leave your mask on, your reg in your mouth and your fins either on your feet or in your hand until you get into the boat.

Don't see many closed ladders anymore. If you find one, the assumption would have to be that the Captain is careless, literally. If he suddenly starts caring and wants to mandate how I climb the ladder, there is a high likelihood that we're going to end up in a pooflinger.

 

[chokdeekap]

in over 20 years of diving i have never climbed up a ladder with fins on or have ever been asked to, i hang on the ladder take them off and pass them up the boat crew if the boat crew are busy i just throw them over the side of the boat.

 

[Nitrodiverrr]

If there are any other charters within a reasonable driving distance, I would give them a try. If you don't feel safe or comfortable with the eagle's nest why would you consider using them again ? If you go back out on the nest again, how good of a time will you have when in the back of your mind you are still going to be thinking about the prior unpleasant trips ?

 

[idocsteve]

If there are any other charters within a reasonable driving distance, I would give them a try. If you don't feel safe or comfortable with the eagle's nest why would you consider using them again ? If you go back out on the nest again, how good of a time will you have when in the back of your mind you are still going to be thinking about the prior unpleasant trips ?

I was willing to get past the ladder incident and I never even gave it a thought after the conversation with the Captain following the dive. I don't think the safety would be a problem going forward as my girlfriend was now familiar with the ladder. When he responded to my voicemail asking about the dive trip this weekend, and he left me a message that I was no longer welcome on his boat I was literally stunned. I ran it by my girlfriend who said that he must be confusing us with someone else. At which point I called him and he told me why he had a problem with me.

As I said it was more than just the ladder incident. He obviously he had a big problem with me canceling a dive last summer when he changed the dive site destination and I canceled and walked off the boat after checking in.

Even though he ended our phone call with "you can come on the boat if you follow my rules" by that point we were both done with each other.

 

[diver 85]

In NJ, most boats that I've dived on require that you get back with fins on. The ladders are trees but it's still a giant PITA, especially the last step. OTOH, it would be almost impossible to hand up fins on these boats with the height of the ladder and the rough water conditions.

Take em off & put them on your arms----no brainer....

 

[TMHeimer]

Our LDS charter Capt. recently added the "tree" ladder. First time I've seen one (Nova Scotia). I handed my fins up the first dive as I couldn't believe it would be as easy going up with fins on. Capt. said it was. 2nd dive I left them on. Quite doable, slower, maybe not quite as easy. I use the spring straps, so taking them off is a breeze. I think a lot depends on if you have those straps, the roughness of the sea, etc. You'd have to think that if it were so rough that you'd fall off the ladder without fins on then maybe it's too rough to dive? If possible, I'd still prefer to take them off- also makes it a bit easier swinging legs over the rail to get on board.

 

[diversteve]

I've done it in split-fins. They're easier to flex/mash together to fit in the ladder. I have a bad knee so it's hard to reach my right fin to remove it sometimes. The ladder(s) in question were generally wider than normal. As Stu S. previously mentioned, more step-like than vertical.