Question for DM's & anyone who works on a boat....

[dvr4lyf]

My wife and I were on a vacation in Florida a few years ago and the boat we were on had a "swinging ladder" on the back and sides.-I hope I'm calling it the right thing.

Anyway, I remember one day seas were at 3-4ft. and it was some work to get back up into the boat.

My question would be, has anyone been injured by a boat ladder?

I ask because I wonder what if the seas get rougher than that, would I be able to climb back in??


Thanks,

Joe

 

[mike_s]

My wife and I were on a vacation in Florida a few years ago and the boat we were on had a "swinging ladder" on the back and sides.-I hope I'm calling it the right thing.

Anyway, I remember one day seas were at 3-4ft. and it was some work to get back up into the boat.

My question would be, has anyone been injured by a boat ladder?

I ask because I wonder what if the seas get rougher than that, would I be able to climb back in??

I'm not a boat worker, but I've seen ladder injuries from ladders hitting people as the boat goes up and down. on the 'swing ladder' as you call it, it often kicks outward as it comes down with the boat and hits the water. either that of the diver got too close.

If it was too rough to get out of the water, then chances are they wouldn't have let you start the dive 1/2 hour or an hour before (time on average). The wave height would have already been high and doesn't increase that much in a short period unless there is a storm coming in. (which does happen).

I've dove in 3' + seas before and getting back on the ladder can be rough. You just have to learn how to get on the ladder on a 'down swing' of the boat in the ocean and play "ride the ladder".

 

[shurite7]

When I worked in the islands we took people out in rough seas (5-8'). During the briefing we instructed the divers how to get out of the water while climbing up the ladder. Only once did I see a person get injured. Otherwise it was not a real issue.

The individual was hit on the head because he wasn't paying attention and began his ascent directly under the boat. The sea was quite rough that day and the ladders were moving up down, completely leaving the water for a brief moment. When the boat came back down the bottom of the ladder hit the guy in the head. He was fine other than a nasty cut and injured ego. Nonetheless, he learned to pay attention to the briefings.

Chris

 

[diver 85]

My wife and I were on a vacation in Florida a few years ago and the boat we were on had a "swinging ladder" on the back and sides.-I hope I'm calling it the right thing.

Anyway, I remember one day seas were at 3-4ft. and it was some work to get back up into the boat.

My question would be, has anyone been injured by a boat ladder?

I ask because I wonder what if the seas get rougher than that, would I be able to climb back in??


Thanks,

Joe

you'll get back on/in, you just need to be a good timer..I've come back many times in 6 ft seas, the trick there is you must have a long tag line out & remove your fins out away from the boat(put them on your arms & out of your way)...proceed up the line & make sure you're timing is very good.....I've never seen an accident but heads(bone & flesh) do give under the force of a powerfully moving ladder--things can get rearranged quite badly.........One example is The Fling, it's sometimes not a can of corn in 6 ft seas, those are long ladders too......bottom line is you mst be CAREFUL.....

 

[Doc]

The sea was quite rough that day and the ladders were moving up down, completely leaving the water for a brief moment.

Pay attention to the ladder. Find the boat visually at depth. As you ascend, find the ladder and fixate upon it. Do not turn away. Watch your depth gauge if you want, but keep that ladder in the background.

Use your head, lest ye crack it asunder and feed the creatures of the sea your brain matter.

 

[ClayJar]

Rarely do we go out and find ourselves in "ratcheting up the ladder" seas, and I don't know of anyone who was significantly injured by the ladders. There have been a few who did not listen to the "do *NOT* get behind/below a diver on the ladder" speech, and I'm told tank-induced headaches are particularly nasty. (They're also more readily available, as you don't need much of a sea to have someone slip.)

A couple times this year, it *has* become rather rougher on exit than it was on entry, and I'm quite glad I was taught how to ratchet up the ladder (i.e. grab on and hold hard on the upswing, hop up a rung on the plunge, and repeat until you're high enough to climb out). Timing the first grab was a bit tense the first time or two, but it wasn't that bad.

 

[RJP]

you'll get back on/in, you just need to be a good timer..I've come back many times in 6 ft seas, the trick there is you must have a long tag line out & remove your fins out away from the boat(put them on your arms & out of your way)...

Or leave them on until you're back on the boat, depending on the type of ladder and the direction of the crew.

Our boat has a "fins on" t-ladder, and you'll want to keep your fins on because if you should fall back in while climbing up, you WILL need your fins.

 

[RJP]

If it was too rough to get out of the water, then chances are they wouldn't have let you start the dive 1/2 hour or an hour before. The wave height would have already been high and doesn't increase that much in a short period unless there is a storm coming in.

That's not true up here in NJ. It's not uncommon to do a giant stride into a dead calm "Lake Atlantic" only to surface an hour later in 3-5's. (Though it can go the other way as well.)

 

[DeputyDan]

Called a Carolina ladder ride round here!

 

[Garrobo]

Was about to get back on the boat after diving the Speigle Grove when the guy in front of me lost hold of the ladder with one hand and got swung around and ended up with a bloodied nose. Enough for him to abort the next dive.