Would you lend, or accept, a hand when diving?

[Altamira]

Going through the replies I see that most of the posts so far are about older people or people needing (or not needing) extra help etc.
Maybe my story is a bit out of topic because it doesn't fall in any of these categories but anyway, I'm saying it as I find it quite interesting.

I did my OW cert dives together with a young (around maybe 20yo maybe even younger) lady (among other people). She was perfectly healthy and physically able to handle everything herself.

During the first (shore) dives I noticed the instructor helping (i.e. doing it for her) donning and strapping her fins.
Next day we were preparing for a boat dive. She was seated just across myself on the boat and the instructor was busy doing other stuff at the back. After I got ready (weights, BCD/tank, fins etc all on) I noticed that she had her BCD/tank,weight etc on, but fins on the floor and she was looking at me, then her fins, back to me and all over again for few times. The message was clear. My reply was even clearer - I pretended I don't see/understand anything.
After a while she got the message - her face became quite upset as she was bending trying putting her own fins on herself. With some frustration and effort (as it was probably the first time ever she did it herself) she managed it fine.

I usually do help people, quite often I offer help even before I am asked when I see people struggle, but in that case I felt that if somebody is not even willing to try put his/her own fins on, diving is not for him/her. It was not about her abilities. It was about her mentality.

@stephen. How is it that you know she is "perfectly healthy and physically able to handle everything herself?" Many physical and other issues are not overtly obvious to others, but are very apparent to the afflicted. Arthritis is a prime example. As one who has five artificial joints, I can assure you that on most days I have no issues, so no one but the crew is aware I might need help. However, every now and then, one of those joints gets inflamed and joint mobility/range of motion can become problematic, and I need to ask for help. Hopefully a crew member is not busy if I need an assist, but if that I not the case, I will ask another diver, usually the one sitting next to me. It is a lot easier to ask for help when needed than give up something I love to do because of an occasional problem.

Edit: Bottom line--you likely are not going to know what physical problems others are dealing with, but when you become aware, be a nice person and offer to help.

 

[berndo]

Edit: Bottom line--you likely are not going to know what physical problems others are dealing with, but when you become aware, be a nice person and offer to help.

When somebody has a physical issue they need let the buddies know before the dive, especially when it's a significant issue, like not being able to get back up a ladder by themself.

 

[stepfen]

How is it that you know she is "perfectly healthy and physically able to handle everything herself?"

To be honest I don't know her health background, but I (and I think everybody else there) could tell from her overall stance/behavior/appearance that her problem was behavioral (she was just spoiled). The instructor had to "accommodate" her (she was a paying customer after all) the rest of us didn't...

I understand 100% that not everything is obvious and that people don't (for several reasons) always make their needs known to everybody. This was not such a case.

 

[Altamira]

When somebody has a physical issue they need let the buddies know before the dive, especially when it's a significant issue, like not being able to get back up a ladder by themself.

Of course a diver needs to let the dive crew and buddy/buddies know of any potentially problematic issues. However, that does not extend to every diver on the boat. And sometimes a need for help has nothing to do with a physical impairment. On a recent boat dive, the location of the tank bands on my HOG bp/w resulted in my tank getting stuck in the rack and I physically could not bend over far enough to grab my fins off the floor under my seat. So I had to ask the diver sitting next to me if she could reach my fins so I would not have to get out of my harness and regs. Also, because I was stuck, I had to get a pull-up off the bench from a crew member. Both assists were given gladly. After that dive, I put a couple 4# weights under my tank, so my tank could not get stuck and I did not need assistance from anyone. Point being, I needed help, asked for help, was gladly given help, thanked the helpful, and smiles from all. I try to live by the philosophy of giving/offering as much help as I can when needed/asked, and have no reluctance to ask for help when I need it.

 

[chillyinCanada]

You don't have to say anything. It is what it is. I've very much enjoyed the five dives I've done over the last couple of weeks and there will be a lot more to come over the next two months. At close to 1000 dives, there isn't very much I want to do or see, I just enjoy floating around in warm, clear water with a camera. I don't find the diving where I live particularly inspiring and dive travel isn't compatible with my family life. At least not the kind of dive travel I enjoy. A serious injury or debilitating condition would finish it for me.

I understand that. I don't dive at home.
My dive needs require travel but there's only time, money and pain to thwart me. I've no partner nor youngsters.

 

[Tom Winters]

Kinda moot posting.
I help everyone, and if someone grabs my fins or unhooks my bungee on the tank rail, more power to 'em.
Anyone who doesn't need help, or acts like they don't need help, well tough guy, good luck to ya.

 

[SlugLife]

My question is, what level of help would you feel safe accepting or giving to keep an older diver on a regular dive schedule?
Thoughts and ideas welcome, snark not welcome.

It depends on the context, but I generally don't mind helping fellow divers, within reason. If we're on the same dive-boat, or we're diving together, sure. Though it also depends on how much youre asking me to do, for example, lugging another diver's scuba-tanks half a mile might be a bit much.

You might also want to buy one of those "300 lbs rated" folding carts with good reviews. Or perhaps even a rigid one if you have a pickup or van that can fit one.

 

[Scuba Lawyer]

With 60 now firmly in the rear-view mirror, I find it a tad more difficult to climb boat ladders with gear on. I've cut back to 3 dives a day instead of the usual 5-6 on dive charters. I find myself calling off beach dives when the shore-break is a bit larger than I'd like. When I returned from a scallop dive last month I encountered a major cross current when swimming back to the boat and it wore me out. A friend took this video of me and I look tired. I plan on diving as long as I can but this getting old sucks.

 

[James79]

I plan on diving as long as I can but this getting old sucks.

To be fair, it does beat the alternative!

 

[grf88]

Each year climbing the ladder gets harder. I think they need to cater to us old farts by installing more elevators. At 76 I think my Great Lakes diving days are limited.