Short people problems/hacks

[laevimanus]

I doubt there'll ever be a ribbon campaign for us, but being a short person is hard!

I'm looking for some input, but also some commiseration!

I'm five foot zero (~152 cm). Only seven dives in, and the struggle is real. From silly issues like being told during the pool sessions, "Gather 'round in chest deep water" and standing like a ballerina on my fins, to probably hopeless ones involving rental wetsuits. Anyway here goes:

1) Cylinders

a. They simultaneously dangle past my butt and bang into the back of my head. I'm going to ask my lds if they have shorter tanks the next time I rent, but what happens in situations when smaller tanks aren't available? Is it better to have them dangle lower, although that makes me plow through the water?

b. When normal people carry them, they can carry them with a straight arm in one hand. If I do that, it drags on the ground. Lifting it up part way is tiring,and carrying full ones like a baby is even more tiring. I can't use a wheeled cart everywhere, and while people have offered to carry them for me, I probably won't have a volunteer sherpa everywhere I go, and anyway, I like to be self-sufficient. Any solution to this?

2) Wetsuits

I probably have to eventually buy custom wet/drysuits, but in the meantime, I'm renting them. I want to eventually get a drysuit, but haven't gotten my cert yet. I'm sure I'll have the same problem. My question now is, what do I do with the excess length of neoprene in the legs? I've tried distributing it evenly over my legs, but it made it harder to bend my legs. I next tried cuffing it at the ankles, but that gave me floaty feet. My lds doesn't rent short wetsuits. Am I missing something? I don't see myself buying anything custom made in the near future.

3) Any short people problems I haven't experienced yet but can look forward to????

Thanks in advance!

 

[Storker]

When normal people carry them, they can carry them with a straight arm in one hand. If I do that, it drags on the ground. Lifting it up part way is tiring,and carrying full ones like a baby is even more tiring. I can't use a wheeled cart everywhere, and while people have offered to carry them for me, I probably won't have a volunteer sherpa everywhere I go, and anyway, I like to be self-sufficient. Any solution to this?

Grab the valve stem in one hand, swing the tank up on the opposite shoulder, horizontal position. Keep your grip on the valve stem and use the other hand to support the tank.

(And re your "carry them like a baby" comment: I've also carried children that way. On most occasions that hasn't been babies, but rather toddlers throwing a tantrum, though)

 

[rhwestfall]

at 6'-7", you don't get any pity from me (but my wife is 5'-2", so I have some reference points).

anyhow,

1a Tanks - AL63 or HP80
1b Tank carrier that holds he tank horizontal
2 at least you can fold them.... (yes, custom or kid sizes)

 

[rhwestfall]

 

[laevimanus]

Grab the valve stem in one hand, swing the tank up on the opposite shoulder, horizontal position. Keep your grip on the valve stem and use the other hand to support the tank.

(And re your "carry them like a baby" comment: I've also carried children that way. On most occasions that hasn't been babies, but rather toddlers throwing a tantrum, though)

Haha, nice!

Of course, one shoulder...I waited tables ages ago and that's how we carried trays. I'm a bit worried about dropping the tanks that way...maybe I'll give it a try, though.

at 6'-7", you don't get any pity from me (but my wife is 5'-2", so I have some reference points).

I would shed blood to be 5'2".

anyhow,

1a Tanks - AL63 or HP80
1b Tank carrier that holds he tank horizontal
2 at least you can fold them.... (yes, custom or kid sizes)

Horizontal? On my back while diving?

We could probably go back and forth all day about which end of the height spectrum has it harder. At least height inspires some respect. I look like a kid.

 

[laevimanus]

View attachment 463639

ooooh, okay, thanks! I thought you meant on my back.

 

[Altamira]

Grab the valve stem in one hand, swing the tank up on the opposite shoulder, horizontal position. Keep your grip on the valve stem and use the other hand to support the tank.

FWIW, that is not as easy as Storker makes it out to be.

 

[kelemvor]

If you're diving locally, buy an HP80 - my wife just got them for this reason and they're quite nice. Unfortunately I've never seen them available to rent. You often just have to live with aluminum 80's when renting at a dive destination. Stick with the Sherpa, or bring one with you . Aluminum 63's might be available in some places, but you get a lot less air with those.

Slinging a tank up onto your shoulder is easier than it sounds imo. I have taken to carrying even steel 108's that way. I don't mean to call it easy, but it's better than other methods I've tried.

Those handles are okay, but I prefer the shoulder method over a handle.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Aluminum 63's might be available in some places, but you get a lot less air with those.

One of the divers in our regular group is a petite woman. She dives Al 63s where available and yet is able to achieve dive times just as long as some of us who are on Al 80s. I suppose there is a relation between one's body size and air consumption rate.

 

[uncfnp]

@Altamira While not exactly easy,its not as hard as it may seem. For me its more a problem of shoulder/neck pain when I do this but I have fairly significant arthritis in my neck.

Steel 80’s at home. Al63 when available abroad. Otherwise you just deal with it. I prefer the tank banging my knees rather than my head. If its really an issue you could sidemount but this would be an extreme solution to a relatively minor problem.

For wetsuits, forget the rentals. Buy your own. I have found the stock stretchable neoprene the most adaptable, specifically Bare and Henderson.