Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!

[TSandM]

To my fellow female divers: If you fall in your gear, can you get up again?

I can't, and it annoys me. I'm wondering if I'm just particularly feeble, or if this is actually pretty common.

 

[Kim]

Wow....

I'm curious as to the answers that come here. I could imagine that that might produce some extremely dangerous situations depending on where and how you fall.

 

[TSandM]

That's why, any time there's a risk, I've got a regulator in my mouth! I can also get out of my gear fairly quickly and easily.

 

[Jinjer]

I had this problem doing a beach dive in Ft. Lauderdale. As we were coming back to shore, the waves pushed me over, and I could not push myself back up, especially since I was trying to keep my camera out of the sand with one hand. Of course, no one sitting on the beach offers to help, they just sit and stare. I finally got one of my kids, to grab my camera so I could use both hands to stand back up. Needless to say, I felt like a beached whale that day.

 

[runamonk]

I've fallen and been able to get up. My wife however cannot, I've pulled her up a couple times.

When we first started diving she couldn't get up from a sitting position if she was wearing her gear. She can do that now though.

 

[piikki]

Is this when you wear doubles or also in singles rig?

I can get up if I fall in my singles rig assuming I have not I injured myself (and wish not to get up to further worsen the situation) or if I have not trapped myself somehow. “Fall” sounds so bad though that in many cases I might choose to be helped up anyway to protect myself or my gear even if I basically am able to get up.

Currently I doubt my ability to get up (safely) if I went down with doubles on my back, so I am holding off on that. I basically doubt if I could even do some lesser than ‘falls’ on doubles (like squatting, picking up etc especially on unsteady ground).

Also… I like ‘taking myself down’ ie falling before I fall. This is a great way of avoiding falling for real and assuring you are in a great position to get up.

 

[fairybasslet]

I fell on a rough shore entry in Bonaire. I was so worried about my strobe and camera housing that I didn't even try to get up holding them. I protected them the first time, I didn't think I'd be able to do it again. So I just kind of floated out to where I could get my fins on. I don't think I looked very graceful.

 

[JeffG]

To my fellow female divers: If you fall in your gear, can you get up again?

I can't, and it annoys me. I'm wondering if I'm just particularly feeble, or if this is actually pretty common.

In my doubles 130's, no, I need a pole/wall or something to put one hand on.

 

[do it easy]

I'm not sure too many guys would be able to get up if they were on their back with doubles on.

I know that I can get up from a sitting position on the ground with doubles on, but it is all technique. I basically, roll sideways onto all fours and stand up from there. Imagine an old man with a bad back trying to get up.

 

[Missdirected]

I fell for the first time last week at Venice Beach. Mind you I was trying to get up a sandy cliff with a hand I had just had surgery on0. I did it but it wasn't easy :shakehead Now on a hard platform it isn't a problem. I actually gear up kneeling on one boat I go out on a lot. I then put on foot on the floor, with knee bent, place my hand on my thigh and stand. The latter is not a problem.