I am interested in learning to Dive, but I am landlocked and I have physical disabilities

[diversteve]

Split fins are designed for people who mostly want forward propulsion through the water. And may have some issues kicking a paddle fin.

They're not great if in an enclosed area and you need to back-up. In fact it's really difficult...lol

The design promotes thrust then makes it easier to retract the fin for the next kick.

Also about twice as expensive as paddle fins since there's a patent involved.

I dive the Tusa Xpert Zooms since I have a bad knee. Once in a while I switch fins on a dive with a buddy and I can tell later in my calf muscles.

 

[diversteve]

If you dive off a boat, the crew will almost always help you with your gear. Either you stand and they help you into it near the back of the boat - and give you a small push to ensure that you and the tank clear the platform or in the case of my friend she puts her suit, fins and mask on and sits on the dive step - they bring her gear to her, help her into it, check her air and push her off the edge.

To reboard she takes off her fins, hands them up then her BC, holds it till a crew member reaches down and grabs it then climbs the ladder.

My BC has weight integration -- I can remove the weights from the pockets thru zippers in the top and my brand - Zeagle - comes with handy weight bags with handles - if I'm feeling tired after a dive I can hand them up separately first. Ofen I just toss them onto the dive platfom if the crew member is busy helping someone else.

People that dive off their own small boats frequently tie their gear off to a line below the boat then board and haul it up.

The only time you'll be on your own is if you shore dive. Often carrying the gear from the parking lot is the harder part. A full tank of air is pretty heavy

It would be a lot harder to don your gear once you're in the water. It's sort of floating in one position - usually horizontal and you have to get up under it and put your arms through while sort of shrugging it on.

I've done it off a zodiac raft - we checked evrything, made sure it was inflated...lol - and threw it all overboard. It's a whole lot easier to do on the raft though - then you roll over the edge backwaard.

There's several ways off the boat. The standard exit for most people is the Giant Stride - you stand at the edge with all you gear on - one hand on your mask and step out with one foot and let gravity do the rest while kicking your feet. That way when you surface, you're upright.

Some boats also have side exits but they can be 6; or more above the water so you have to anticipate the drop or you can lose a mask etc.

I have a buddy who barrel rolls off the side sometimes but he's just showing off.

You likely won't experience this any time soon but more advanced dives do what's called a live drop - the boat pauses in the water and you drop deliberately under-inflated/over-weighted. It's often used when you're trying to hit a specific target like an unmoored wreck - the captain sees it on the sonar and tries to time the drop. You need to get down fast before the surface currents blow you off course.

Some sites don't have moorings either - those are often drift dives - the boat follows along behind the divers at a safe distance and picks them up as the surface. Popular in Cozumel since there's almot always a current.

Once you get some experience it might be a good option for you as you just float along on the current - it's actually hard to stop in some cases since you don't want to ever touch the reef if you can help it - even the oil on your hands (or sunscreen) kills coral polyps. They do a lot of drift diving off Florida's east coast if you wind up going there.Not the Keys but farther north.

 

[Pettyfan45]

Split fins are designed for people who mostly want forward propulsion through the water. And may have some issues kicking a paddle fin.

They're not great if in an enclosed area and you need to back-up. In fact it's really difficult...lol

The design promotes thrust then makes it easier to retract the fin for the next kick.

Also about twice as expensive as paddle fins since there's a patent involved.

I dive the Tusa Xpert Zooms since I have a bad knee. Once in a while I switch fins on a dive with a buddy and I can tell later in my calf muscles.

View attachment 485243

Yeah I am more than likely going to need to get Split Fins for my sister. Seeing how neither me or my sister are great swimmer I don't see us going a lot of cave diving and the like. Ideally I wouldn't NEED split fins but they would be a nice upgrade but that is something we will find out in a pool.

 

[Pettyfan45]

If you dive off a boat, the crew will almost always help you with your gear. Either you stand and they help you into it near the back of the boat - and give you a small push to ensure that you and the tank clear the platform or in the case of my friend she puts her suit, fins and mask on and sits on the dive step - they bring her gear to her, help her into it, check her air and push her off the edge.

To reboard she takes off her fins, hands them up then her BC, holds it till a crew member reaches down and grabs it then climbs the ladder.

My BC has weight integration -- I can remove the weights from the pockets thru zippers in the top and my brand - Zeagle - comes with handy weight bags with handles - if I'm feeling tired after a dive I can hand them up separately first. Ofen I just toss them onto the dive platfom if the crew member is busy helping someone else.

People that dive off their own small boats frequently tie their gear off to a line below the boat then board and haul it up.

The only time you'll be on your own is if you shore dive. Often carrying the gear from the parking lot is the harder part. A full tank of air is pretty heavy

It would be a lot harder to don your gear once you're in the water. It's sort of floating in one position - usually horizontal and you have to get up under it and put your arms through while sort of shrugging it on.

I've done it off a zodiac raft - we checked evrything, made sure it was inflated...lol - and threw it all overboard. It's a whole lot easier to do on the raft though - then you roll over the edge backwaard.

There's several ways off the boat. The standard exit for most people is the Giant Stride - you stand at the edge with all you gear on - one hand on your mask and step out with one foot and let gravity do the rest while kicking your feet. That way when you surface, you're upright.

Some boats also have side exits but they can be 6; or more above the water so you have to anticipate the drop or you can lose a mask etc.

I have a buddy who barrel rolls off the side sometimes but he's just showing off.

You likely won't experience this any time soon but more advanced dives do what's called a live drop - the boat pauses in the water and you drop deliberately under-inflated/over-weighted. It's often used when you're trying to hit a specific target like an unmoored wreck - the captain sees it on the sonar and tries to time the drop. You need to get down fast before the surface currents blow you off course.

Some sites don't have moorings either - those are often drift dives - the boat follows along behind the divers at a safe distance and picks them up as the surface. Popular in Cozumel since there's almot always a current.

Once you get some experience it might be a good option for you as you just float along on the current - it's actually hard to stop in some cases since you don't want to ever touch the reef if you can help it - even the oil on your hands (or sunscreen) kills coral polyps. They do a lot of drift diving off Florida's east coast if you wind up going there.Not the Keys but farther north.

Good to know about getting into the water.
Have weight integrated BCDs become the standard in warm water areas for rentals (as I understand in cold water you still need a weight belt to over come a drysuit/ thick wetsuit)?

 

[Pettyfan45]

Also is there good time of year to look in to buying gear?

 

[diversteve]

I dove weight integrated in SoCal since my BC pockets will hold more weight than I need. In a full 7mm wetsuit with a 5mm jacket over it. It's not designed for mobility as you waddle into the water.

I can't speak to midwest lake diving though which may require more weight to compensate for even more neoprene. The water I dove in was high 60;s or even a little warmer - I've read the great lakes and quarries get substantially colder at depth.

The suggestion above to do your dives in a warm climate is a good one if at all possible. It can be a little claustrophobic to dive in a full wetsuit with a hood that impairs your hearing and vision just to keep from freezing. And you don't want to be distracted by being cold when trying to learn skills.My gloves were to thin so my fingers stiffened in the cold making it hard to manipulate inflator buttons/weight release.

Many shops list their rental gear on their website so it might be possible to determine what BC's they use. In my classes back in the 80's we were taught using a belt. But the rentals were an odd hybrid back inflate - not typical.

Most shops rent low-end jacket models as they can be configured quickly for just about any diver that walks-in that morning to go diving. And float them vertical at the surface - important when you're trying to instruct the group while floating,.

Most rental jacket models are sold without weight integration. I see Mares, Oceanic, Sherwood? - occasionally the lower end Scubapro model.

There are exceptions. Once on Roatan an upscale resort rented Scubapro weight integrated jackets to their guests.

If you're interested in an I3 system for your sister to use during certification - likely you'll have to buy it first. Which poses a small problem if she fails - once wet it's worth about 1/2 of what you just paid. I would check with the shop also to see if they want her using it during skills practice as it's non-standard. Fine for her but her buddy (you?) has to learn slightly different emergency procedures since there's no standard inflator.

Likely if you buy it from the shop they'll let her use it though...lol

 

[diversteve]

Also is there good time of year to look in to buying gear?

There are Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales for scuba gear also.
From what I've seen it's a good way to pickup accessories but premium brands (like Aqualng, Scubapro etc.) rarely discount.

Also watch for "house brands" since often they're cheaper but service is only thru that particular dealer - Sea Elite is one - afaik all service requires it toe be sent to Divers Supply who sell it.

One option based on where you live might be Dive Right In Scuba if you don't have a local shop nearby. Good prices and they'd be 1 day away (in Plainfield IL) if you needed something fast. Can't hurt to call them, explain your situation and see what they recommend. I use Scubatoys in Dalllas similarly for sutff although I live in AZ. Since they do a lot of mail order, their exchange policy is pretty liberal until you get it wet/modify it.

I recognize more and more shops selling on Amazon all the time as well - often you can tell by reading about the seller. Those should have Amazon's return policy.

 

[Pettyfan45]

I dove weight integrated in SoCal since my BC pockets will hold more weight than I need. In a full 7mm wetsuit with a 5mm jacket over it. It's not designed for mobility as you waddle into the water.

I can't speak to midwest lake diving though which may require more weight to compensate for even more neoprene. The water I dove in was high 60;s or even a little warmer - I've read the great lakes and quarries get substantially colder at depth.

The suggestion above to do your dives in a warm climate is a good one if at all possible. It can be a little claustrophobic to dive in a full wetsuit with a hood that impairs your hearing and vision just to keep from freezing. And you don't want to be distracted by being cold when trying to learn skills.My gloves were to thin so my fingers stiffened in the cold making it hard to manipulate inflator buttons/weight release.

Many shops list their rental gear on their website so it might be possible to determine what BC's they use. In my classes back in the 80's we were taught using a belt. But the rentals were an odd hybrid back inflate - not typical.

Most shops rent low-end jacket models as they can be configured quickly for just about any diver that walks-in that morning to go diving. And float them vertical at the surface - important when you're trying to instruct the group while floating,.

Most rental jacket models are sold without weight integration. I see Mares, Oceanic, Sherwood? - occasionally the lower end Scubapro model.

There are exceptions. Once on Roatan an upscale resort rented Scubapro weight integrated jackets to their guests.

If you're interested in an I3 system for your sister to use during certification - likely you'll have to buy it first. Which poses a small problem if she fails - once wet it's worth about 1/2 of what you just paid. I would check with the shop also to see if they want her using it during skills practice as it's non-standard. Fine for her but her buddy (you?) has to learn slightly different emergency procedures since there's no standard inflator.

Likely if you buy it from the shop they'll let her use it though...lol

Yeah I was thinking about doing most warm water dives especially with my sister, some I kinda want too try ice diving (it looks amazing in a lot of pictures I have seen) but I want to get a lot more experience before. As far as wetsuits I thinking about either getting a shortie or a 3MM, they might not be required for warm water but my sister and I both always seem to be cold so they might not be a bad idea to have our own. Aside from the prescription masks I would like hold off on getting gear till we can find somewhere to at least try diving.
It looks like there are some dive shops in the Kansas City area I might look in to (any one from around here have any suggestions let me know), they are bit out of they way normally but they are not too far from the hospital I go to.

 

[Apparatus]

There are a few accessible public diving quarries in the midwest that I know of, such as Mermet Springs in eastern Illinois and Pennyroyal Blue Springs in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Mermet Springs is chilly, 5-7mm suit most of the year. Pennyroyal, I am not sure.

DDI, Disabled Divers International, may be able to provide a scuba experience or assisted training. SSI, Scuba Schools International, also has the Classified Diving program, where you can find trained buddies to assist you in diving.

 

[Pettyfan45]

I know these aren't split fins but what about something like this for my sister RK3 Rocket Fins