Need options

[Jayfarmlaw]

Sorry to hear about your back. I'm getting older and definately have high miles from a glorious youth filled with "Hold my beer" moments that ended with me bleeding and grinning from ear to ear. I have daily reminders of injuries past and basically the right knee, hip, and shoulder of a 128 year old man.

I'm not sure that your question is location specific, but more the operator you choose wherever you may end up. We have a travel group of friends that dive together about twice a year. One lady has a severe back injury that back rolls and giant strides are out of the question, small boat rides can be painful in rough conditions as well.

She gears up in the water and there are several of us available to help out. She removes her gear in the water and again, we are available to help her on the ladder. Once in the water, she is as much of a fish and pain free as the rest of us.

Subway watersports in Roatan at Turquoise Bay was probably the most accommodating for her of any of the ops we have dove with, nice big new boats, and short boat rides. They sent a representative to the airport to meet us and the whole process was smooth, albeit definately not an airport I would want to go back to. The boats were giant stride and she would gear up first in the water and the rest of us would go in afterwards. It was not the greatest diving I've seen, but it wasn't bad either.

I was not all that impressed with Belize (Ambergris Keye) but the operator worked with us to get her in the water and geared up. Giant stride boats and short boat rides mostly.

Because of our group size in Cozumel, Aldora had to rent a large boat to accommodate us and we followed the same procedure. They do have a big boat and you can always stay at the souther resorts or condos and limit the time on the boat. I would think a 6 pack boat in rougher conditions would be brutal.

I think communication with the operator is the key. Let them know your limitations and needs and makes sure that can accommodate your condition. Maybe even hire a private DM.

There is a wealth of knowledge here on SB, if you find a location and op, ask for references here specific to your needs. The world is still yours to explore, just with a little more planning. Gear up in the water and let the op know in advance of your limitations. Most ops I have dealt with have been more than willing to accommodate any reasonable request.

Good luck, safe travels.
Jay

 

[tursiops]

In the Western Hemisphere, I've never had more accommodating DM/boat service than Reef Divers at LCBR and CBBR. They will handle your gear for you to the extent you want. If it is not exactly how you want it, show them what you want. One or two iterations and they'll have it nailed.
The direct flight to CB from Miami on Cayman Air is sweet. One stop from ALB on the way to MIA, about $300 RT plus the MIA-CYB leg.

 

[AdivingBel]

The Juliet diving the Bahamas out of Miami. Bahamas liveaboard direct from Miami | Juliet Sailing and Diving Huge boarding ladder with young, friendly, helpful crew. If you have any questions the website doesn't answer feel free to PM. Sorry to hear about your medical issues. From your posts I know how much you enjoyed Bonaire. Good luck in your efforts to continue diving.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @Kharon

I agree with @Jayfarmlaw, Turquoise Bay and Subway Watersports was quite good, however, the diving is not on par with the best of the Caribbean and it's on Roatan, off your list.

I would consider Grand Cayman, Compass Point and Ocean Frontiers.

 

[outofofficebrb]

I would look into a liveaboard. All the liveaboards I have been on (9!) are very accommodating to individual guest needs, especially if it is a physical/medical issue. Some liveaboard boats don't do dinghy diving so you can just giant stride in from the back. You basically don't have a slamming boat ride to the dive site and can just wake up, have a meal, and you are right there. Alternatively, you could jump in and they can pass you your gear and you can put it on in the water. For dinghy diving, you can jump in the water first and then put on the gear that way assuming that currents allow this. Pick your destination carefully so that negative descents are not needed. You can also remove your gear before getting out and they will hoist it up for you. Some liveaboards do this for dinghy diving, as my most recent liveaboard did for convenience. It is nice getting back on the boat with just my own body weight.

Even then, many day operators will also accommodate for this if you just speak to them about it. Good luck and I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. I hope it works out!

 

[KathyV]

In the Western Hemisphere, I've never had more accommodating DM/boat service than Reef Divers at LCBR and CBBR. They will handle your gear for you to the extent you want. If it is not exactly how you want it, show them what you want. One or two iterations and they'll have it nailed.
The direct flight to CB from Miami on Cayman Air is sweet. One stop from ALB on the way to MIA, about $300 RT plus the MIA-CYB leg.

I agree, and that's why I am such an annoyingly enthusiastic cheerleader for the Clearly Cayman resorts! I am just so grateful that we've found these nice places that have enabled us to keep diving. And they are truly a good option and not a second best. The diving is very good, the resorts are lovely, the dive op is great, and it's fairly easy to get there - at least for us.

It's not the cheapest dive destination we've ever visited but I think that the prices are reasonable for everything that's included - and sometimes you really do get what you pay for! What I like best is that everyone receives the same valet diving services and therefore I don't feel like a burden.

A few times I have contacted other dive ops, in other places, in advance and told them that we would need some help with the heavy lifting and hauling and asked if they would be able to provide assistance? I made it clear that we were quite willing to pay extra and would also be generous at tip time. They always said "Sure, no problem, come on down, we are happy to help, no charge!" but when we get there it is a different story. You have to constantly ask for help and you feel like you are imposing. Finally you just stop asking. At CCBR and LCBR - you don't have to ask - it is the general service offered to all the divers.

 

[chillyinCanada]

When I was having a lot of back and hip pain, one boat that other divers were giant striding off of, had me sit, even helped me sit, fins on and in the water, as they eased on my gear. Then somehow or other, they had me put one arm around myself and the next thing I knew, I was flung in and down I went.

It was amusing and quite wonderful to have them help me that way.

Even now, wherever I dive, there's always lots of help for me. I have had to teach a number of "helpers" to do a proper forearm grip rather than just yanking on my hand and expecting that to do the trick, lol.

 

[KathyV]

I've just got the word from the ortho back doc that I have extensive, severe disk degeneration. In my lower back there is just no more disk, so it's bone on bone. I need to talk with the doc more, but he said that diving will cause more damage.

I can't do shore diving on Bonaire - too strenuous. In March I had two dives where I could hardly make it out of the water because of pain & weakness in my legs. I can't take pounding boat rides, especially long ones. And I can't do long travel times to and from.

Does anyone know of someplace that's pretty easy to get to from Albany, New York, has marine life as good as Bonaire, where the boat rides and dive sites are calm, with boats you can do a giant stride from (can't do any more back rolls) and that have an attached ladder that you can climb with your equipment on.

I know - a lot of stipulations and I'm guessing such a place doesn't exist. But I'm hoping to be able to take at least one more trip because my last one was horrid and I don't want that to be my last diving experience.

HI @Kharon I was just wondering if you have made any decisions yet about continuing diving while protecting your back? It's a subject of interest to me because my husband and I have some health issues that have impacted our diving choices in recent years.

 

[Kharon]

HI @Kharon I was just wondering if you have made any decisions yet about continuing diving while protecting your back? It's a subject of interest to me because my husband and I have some health issues that have impacted our diving choices in recent years.

For local diving I've given up on 80 cf tanks. Too heavy and cummbersome. I'll still use them for warm water diving. I got myself a back support and use it to spare my back when I'm doing especially strenuous work around the house and yard. I could use it when diving.

I'm probably not going to be doing much if any warm water shore diving. Getting to Bonaire or Curacao has gotten prohibitively expensive and travel times are in the 20 hour range each way. I'm planning to go to Florida this fall (probably early October) and dive from boats. That shoud be less strenuous. Thinking of either Fort Lauderdale/Lauderdale by the Sea/ Boca Raton or Key Largo/Islamirada.

Whale shark snorkeling from Isla Mujeres is off the bucket list for now. Apparently the Mexican government imposed a new rule that everyone has to wear a life preserver to keep them from submerging. I don't mind staying on the surface but the drag of anything more than a snorkel vest sux.

Hope Florida works out. I've about had it with long travel times, multiple stops, and going through customs.

 

[scubadada]

You might consider Boynton Beach, West Palm, and Jupiter also. Wonderful diving that time of year. Palm Beach Intl Airport is fantastic