Relatively Easy Galapagos Diving

[hawkesk]

I'm planning a trip to the Galapagos for April 2026. I'm not a young diver any more so I'm looking for some shops that could accomodate a geriatrically challenged PADI Staff Instructor. I'm quite healthy for my age but the days of climbing up a ladder with a full set of gear on my back are long past.

Any recommendations are welcome.

 

[rongoodman]

You might want to give this some more thought. This might not be the best trip for a diver with serious physical challenges, with potentially heavy currents and thick exposure suits/lots of lead. OTOH, you have a year to hit the gym before you go, so it could be doable. I plan on returning to Cocos Island in 18 months for my 80th birthday, but if I can no longer climb back into the pangas with my gear on by then I'll change my plans.

 

[hawkesk]

You might want to give this some more thought. This might not be the best trip for a diver with serious physical challenges. OTOH, you have a year to hit the gym before you go, so it could be doable. (I plan on returning to Cocos Island in 18 months for my 80th birthday, but if I can't climb back into the pangas with my gear on by then I'll change my plans.)

Thanks. My plan is to hire a DM to do the heavy lifting. It's my knees that give me trouble. Hauling myself out of the water is fine, I just can't haul me and my gear.

 

[Still Kicking]

Places i have been, including Galapagos, the SOP is take gear off in water and climb into panga without it. DMs do the heavy lifting.

But they do require you to board the panga before each diive wearing your gear. Depending on the sea state, moving from the liveaboard to the pitching panga and finding your place in the boat might be the most physically challenging part of the trip.

 

[rongoodman]

The gear stays in the pangas at Cocos and the DMs will haul it in if you need them to.

 

[hawkesk]

Places i have been, including Galapagos, the SOP is take gear off in water and climb into panga without it. DMs do the heavy lifting.

But they do require you to board the panga before each diive wearing your gear. Depending on the sea state, moving from the liveaboard to the pitching panga and finding your place in the boat might be the most physically challenging part of the trip.

Yeah, that's the catch. No way my knees will let me get into a moving boat wearing full gear. Thanks for the reply.