Boating with a Bad Back.......

R

Richiela

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exMember
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Jan 17, 2003
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11019
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All- I have had 3 back surgeries, the most recent was 3 weeks ago. My doc say no lifting, twisting or bending for another 4 weeks. I will follow his instruction to a tee.

My question is, are there any other members that have figured out how to minimize the ongoing risks of boating with a back problem? I have a 21' Hurricane SD217 with a 225 Yamaha. I have yet to commission the boat for the summer due to my physical limitations. I'm engineer by trade, so I'm lucky to have return to work without much problem.
 
I also have been thru 3 back surgeries(Herniated the same disc 3x). I found it best when recommissioning the boat to just take your time and not rush the process. If you get tired or sore just call it a day. Instead of taking 2 or 3 days it might take you 5. A couple of more days at this point in the season won't kill ya. When operating my boat I find that standing is much more comfortable. I can absorb the wakes and waves by flexing my knees. Sitting seems to put more stress on my spine in any kind of choppy water. Give it a try. It's been 5 years since last surgury without any pain.
 
Follow your own quote..."Anything worth doing, is worth doing right" follow the Dr orders and relax..
 
No. I'd take it easy. I run boats for a living, and wrecked both knees and my back before I was 30, and had to have major shoulder repair involving aftermarket parts shortly after, all as a result of bouncing around on boats. I'd take it very, very easy. Even gentle rocking on a boat for a sustained period is a lot more taxing on your body than you realize, not to mention the vibrations and odd body positions that boaters naturally subject ourselves to without thinking twice about it.
 
If you're aching to get on the boat, have it launched and be a dock mary..

Run the boat at 5mph in a canal and be a canal hunter for the season. Just bring someone along who can do the lines where all you have to do is work the helm..Though the motion of working the wheel and throttle might hurt...
 
Two years ago our boat didn't even get launched because I had had knee replacement surgery and the doctor warned against even being on a boat. I have a bad back, and have had over a dozen epidural injections. Commissioning the boat this season took almost two weeks. I can only work for about 1.5 to 2 hours at a time. Interestingly, the pain doctor OK'd that I do the polishing (with a machine) and the waxing. He believes it's good strength building for the back, as long as I didn't overdo it. It took me six "days" to polish and wax our 24' cruiser. I was sore each day but had little additional pain. (My static pain level is usually a 5 out of 10.) So, take your time; follow the doctor's guidelines; and you'll be OK. Stay well. Hy
 
Get a 40+ fter with 120 hp. Cruise at 9 to 10 kts. Completely avoid jumping waves and "stuffing the bow". Enjoy life in the slow lane, there is lots to see and actually more fun than beating yourself to death at 35 kts in a chop. You will also likely have a genny and A/C!

Just my opinion...
 
"After market parts"? Truly funny, November Charlie. We are key suppliers for the robots that facilitate the installations and I had not heard that one yet. Thanks.
 
quote:
Originally posted by psalzer

Find a "boating buddy"?

Click to expand...

===========================================

Preferably one in a bikini ?

or out of one?

Perhaps never leave the dock?

Hope you have A/C !

RWS
 
I've had neck and back surgeries also with titanium parts. I bought a bigger boat and it helped with the big waves but hurts the wallet more than the smaller boat. I also had my surgeries in the fall so I could recover over the winter. Littlebookworm says it best "don't over do it". If you listen to your Dr and your body you'll be fine,just go slow.
 
quote:
Originally posted by rbmitchell

"After market parts"? Truly funny, November Charlie. We are key suppliers for the robots that facilitate the installations and I had not heard that one yet. Thanks.

Click to expand...

have you heard of "bolt ons"? another type of aftermarket for women
 
Pretty good advice so far. Idle speed would be best as would a catamaran. It the lifting , twisting and bending that stresses the spine most-many times even small amounts of those are unavoidable while boating, boarding, loading etc.

Was it microsurgery on a disc? And I almost always Rx'd a low back elastic brace for post surgical and non surgical disc & sacroiliac patients if they were to do any physical labor-worked wonders almost instantly. Ask your Dr about them.
 
Yes this time it was a emergency micro Discectomy on L5-S1 as a result of ruptured disc's.

I also have a fusion at L4-L5. This surgery lasted only 45 minutes and I was home 4 hours after. My recovery has progressed well, but again until the scar tissue grows over I need to be extremely careful.
 
I've been " living " with a bad back for the past 6 years......2 herniated disc's and a compression fracture. Over the years I've learned to boat with those injuries........but the one that did me in..... was the roto-cuff surgury 1 1/2 years ago......that left me with 48% loss of the use of my dominant arm.......sold the boat.......bought a different toy.
 
I have an MRI that makes folks roll their eyes. One doctor asked me if I can hold my water. Good sign eh? We have lived aboard for several years now, and been in some ugly water that had us rolling around quite a bit.
But I would not do it in a 20+ footer. I look at it this way, if I have to press myself into the back support of a chair before I sneeze, I don't want to push my luck so we look for calm seas and easy docking.
In spite of this, I change the oil, pain(t) the bottom, and wax all 50+ feet after washing her. As soon as I get a sign I stop. End of day. Advil please, and no B.S. about when it's gonna get done.
 
I have had back surgery also. Had to quit fishing offshore and inshore before the surgery.
I took it easy, lost weight and after healing up real good, went on and inshore charter trip.
After fishing for 2 days, and not feeling much pain, I bought a new Cobia bay boat to go fising.
We already had the Chris Craft. I could go out, but not in bad weather.
The Hurricane can pound in bad weather. If I were you, I wouldn't go out unless the weather is good
and have someone with you to get you back in if you go down.
Also, go slow over other boat wakes. Stay to the back of the boat too.
 
Indeed the back of the boat rides more smoothly. I keep telling the S.O. to scootch back farther when we are in the dink.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Double D

I've been " living " with a bad back for the past 6 years......2 herniated disc's and a compression fracture. Over the years I've learned to boat with those injuries........but the one that did me in..... was the roto-cuff surgury 1 1/2 years ago......that left me with 48% loss of the use of my dominant arm.......sold the boat.......bought a different toy.

Click to expand...


Yeah, that shoulder stuff is serious business. Every other joint I've wrecked, I've been back in action in a few weeks tops. The shoulder I had done last year - months and months, and still not 100%. I sometimes forget that some range of motion is history, never to be seen again, and do dumb stuff like jump and try to catch a frisbee directly overhead. Innocent bystanders learn new words when that happens...
 
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