Left handed?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

I am left handed and my experience is that Left Handed people are much better at using both hands for a variety of tasks. Lefties tend to be more ambidextrous than Righties. In my case I have no problems using my right hand for standard right handed gear or tools. The only tasks I am not comfortable using my Right hand on are Writing or Throwing, neither of which I have much need for in scuba situations.
That generalization may be true, but not in my case. I'm right handed and can't really write (well) with the left. But with the left I can thrown a baseball, switch hit, shoot a basketball, etc. Didn't take any real training. Of course the throwing isn't quite as accurate, but good enough and doesn't look awkward.
 
To the OP I'd say don't get too fixated on gear configuration at this stage. Get certified, get some experience, get some idea of how you want to progress.

If you want to solo dive that's fine but you need to be a self-reliant diver and able to self rescue. That's not something you learn at Open Water.
 
I am left handed. I sometimes feel the effect, like with the question on which side weight belts will normally have the buckle. But I try and adapt :wink:
 
left handed as well and old enough to remember having a teacher forcing me to write right handed.didnt go well for her she was forced into retirement after that.but learned to do things with both hands even to slaughter hogs for 20 yrs .i could do cuts right and left handed so when i learned to scuba no problems but honestly if i ever had to use a slate i would get a WTF signal cause nobody can read my writing left or right handed even me some days lol .repetitive practice and you can learn to do things with either hand
 
left handed as well and old enough to remember having a teacher forcing me to write right handed.didnt go well for her she was forced into retirement after that.but learned to do things with both hands even to slaughter hogs for 20 yrs .i could do cuts right and left handed so when i learned to scuba no problems but honestly if i ever had to use a slate i would get a WTF signal cause nobody can read my writing left or right handed even me some days lol .repetitive practice and you can learn to do things with either hand

I'm curious to know what sort of diving you are doing where Hog Slaughering skills come in to play. I'm having visions of Thunderball right now! :)

thunderball-underwater-fight-scene-battle-cinematography-review.jpg
 
nobody can read my writing left or right handed even me some days

Yes, that. Also when asked for directions I've been known to say 'turn left that way' while pointing right. And to flip the windshield wipers to indicate the turn, but that's mostly because of a decade of driving on the other right side of the road.
 
And to flip the windshield wipers to indicate the turn, but that's mostly because of a decade of driving on the other right side of the road.
My life. I have one car with the wipers on the left, and the other on the right. No matter which car I get in, I choose the wrong option.

To stay on topic - OP, everyone else has said it already, but you are over-thinking it. Scuba's a dual handed activity, in fact you probably will use your dominant hand far more often than your right.
 
As a fellow lefty, I think it comes down to what works for you. You're the one diving your equipment if you are fumbling around trying to operate stuff it is you that pays the price. For the most part, I've had no problem adjusting to the right-handed divers world.. The only issue I've ever had is with my canister light. It just doesn't feel "right" in my left hand for whatever reason and it can be a little clumsy because I refuse to wear my dive computer on my right hand.

If you do end up diving a "weird" configuration, just make sure the people you are diving with know, especially if they are inexperienced, etc. (most experienced people will be able to figure out where things are depending on the complexity of your rig)
 
I don't really think there is more stuff to do with either hand when setting up gear or during the dive. Each hand is busy. I work the LPI with the left and poke spear the flounder with the right. Even though I'm right-handed, I wear my DC/watch on my right wrist (as I do topside with the watch) and part my hair (what's left of it-- no pun intended) on the right--both things lefties do. I also clip my analog console across my chest to a right side D ring. But, I like to be different.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

Back
Top Bottom