Arduous
Contributor
Just a note for you older divers out there. At least the ones diving in cold weather / water. On Oct 22nd, I took a dive charter out of Gloucester MA. We went to Saturday-Night Ledge and the Chester Poling. I believe this was the 1st time I had taken this particular charter. The boat was, the Day Breaker. The captain and crew were helpful and tolerant of those of us diving doubles.
The weather was calm, but cold on that morning. The air temperature was 34 degrees.
By time we reached our 1st destination, (Saturday-Night Ledge) and dealt with the missing mooring line problems, brought on by past bad weather, we had been on the boat for about 40 or 50 minutes.
I was diving steel doubles, and carrying one 40 cbft deco cylinder on my left side. The crew was helpful with the gear up process and assisted me to the swim step. Stepping off with my left foot, I performed a giant stride entry off the boat.
Upon hitting the water, I immediately knew there was something wrong. My left calf muscle was in intense pain. Thinking this was a cramp, I attempted to work it out as I descended. It never got any better. I completed this dive, which was 35 minutes in total.
Climbing back onto the deck of the boat, proved very painful. I was unable to walk on my left foot. It was miserable. I was trying to convince myself that I just pulled or strained the muscle, all the while fearing I tore it. Being the diving nit-wit that I am, I went back into the water, at the sight of the Poling, and performed another 40 minute dive.
After this incident, I hobbled around for 1 week on my left leg, before seeking a medical professional. When all was said and done, I had torn my calf muscle. Doc says 6 to 10 week, for this tear to heal. (No surgery required).
I would like to say up front, that neither the Captain, his crew, or any equipment on the Day Breaker, played any roll in my injury. Though the boat had a heated cabin, I chose to stay outside for most of the ride. This exposed me unnecessarily to wind and cold. Being an older person, (almost 50) Im not as flexible as the younger crowd. The fins I use are rather stiff and, when I stepped off the boat into the water, my left fin bent upwards towards me, hyper extending my calf muscle, and causing it to tear.
I wrote this to share my experience with others who dive in the cold. I would also like to pint out, that Im no couch potato. I am a very active person, who had just climbed to the top of Mount Chocorua, in NH, 3 weeks before this accident. So even people in relatively good shape can succumb to injuries of this type. STAY WARM, DIVE SAFE.
The weather was calm, but cold on that morning. The air temperature was 34 degrees.
By time we reached our 1st destination, (Saturday-Night Ledge) and dealt with the missing mooring line problems, brought on by past bad weather, we had been on the boat for about 40 or 50 minutes.
I was diving steel doubles, and carrying one 40 cbft deco cylinder on my left side. The crew was helpful with the gear up process and assisted me to the swim step. Stepping off with my left foot, I performed a giant stride entry off the boat.
Upon hitting the water, I immediately knew there was something wrong. My left calf muscle was in intense pain. Thinking this was a cramp, I attempted to work it out as I descended. It never got any better. I completed this dive, which was 35 minutes in total.
Climbing back onto the deck of the boat, proved very painful. I was unable to walk on my left foot. It was miserable. I was trying to convince myself that I just pulled or strained the muscle, all the while fearing I tore it. Being the diving nit-wit that I am, I went back into the water, at the sight of the Poling, and performed another 40 minute dive.
After this incident, I hobbled around for 1 week on my left leg, before seeking a medical professional. When all was said and done, I had torn my calf muscle. Doc says 6 to 10 week, for this tear to heal. (No surgery required).
I would like to say up front, that neither the Captain, his crew, or any equipment on the Day Breaker, played any roll in my injury. Though the boat had a heated cabin, I chose to stay outside for most of the ride. This exposed me unnecessarily to wind and cold. Being an older person, (almost 50) Im not as flexible as the younger crowd. The fins I use are rather stiff and, when I stepped off the boat into the water, my left fin bent upwards towards me, hyper extending my calf muscle, and causing it to tear.
I wrote this to share my experience with others who dive in the cold. I would also like to pint out, that Im no couch potato. I am a very active person, who had just climbed to the top of Mount Chocorua, in NH, 3 weeks before this accident. So even people in relatively good shape can succumb to injuries of this type. STAY WARM, DIVE SAFE.
