Warning for Monterey Divers (especially women): Beware of Fred

[Otter]

I would like to dive with him, if there is a number on that card could you please im me with it.

Thanks

I am guessing it would be a short dive....

 

[ScubaNorth]

Diver Certification + Common sense = Good experiences.

Sound like ole Fred is harmless as long as he understands the word NO. I don't know the location you are speaking of but if there are Rangers there speak up have Fred checked out. As far as turning off air, sounds like urban legend stuff to me. I have never met a diver so timid that they would take that lying down.

 

[RonDawg]

This is insane!
If the police won't act then you people need to get organized and take matters into your own hands.

I'll tell you something. If psycho boy tried turning off my air under water we'd find out in a big hurry how far a mask strap can stretch before it breaks.

Get organized and bully him the hell out of there before he does something that makes you wish you had. When this guy finally blows a gasket he's going to drown someone (or worse). Make sure from today on that every time he parks his Mazda there that he goes home needing expensive repairs.

And post a damned picture.

Welcome to the reality of America's (and California's in particular) mental health system.

As I've stated in my post above, many months ago, it's not against the law to be weird. If that were the case, 1/2 of San Francisco and 1/3 of LA would be in jail right now.

If there were truly incidents of air being shut off, or being inappropriately grabbed underwater, then I would hope that these incidents were reported to the Monterey Police Department, Monterey County Sheriff's Department, or another local law enforcement agency. But as BigJetDriver pointed out, the only first-hand accounts posted here are of Fred offering to dive with them, and when refused handing out his "Fred S. -- Dive Buddy" business cards.

The stories about him turning off one's air, or touching people underwater, are just that...stories. 9 months after this thread was started, not a single person has been able to substantiate these stories, not even the ones who have met him in person.

Whether or not it's fair to post these unsubstantiated stories about Fred on this board is debatable. What is NOT debatable is advocating "bullying" someone out of the Marina because of these stories. Fred is a taxpaying citizen too, and as long as he's not doing anything illegal he's just as entitled to be at that Marina as you or me. He may not be a property owner, and that Mazda pickup probably doubles as his home, but he still has to buy stuff, particularly gasoline, for which he pays 7.5% CA sales tax plus whatever Monterey County charges. And he still has to pay CA registration fees on that Mazda, or risk finding it on the back of a police tow truck. Like it or not, he's helped to pay for that Marina, so he's entitled to use it.

And vandalism to another's personal property definitely crosses the line into the illegal. Do $400 or more worth of damage and that misdemeanor has now become a felony. Imagine spending a year or more at Folsom, making license plates, because you heard he did these things.

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather thumb a dive than dive with Fred. But I hope as certified divers you'd have enough sense to say no to him, if he's as weird as people say he is. Vigilantism and especially vandalism are gross overreactions.

Just my 2 psi.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Well put, Ron.

The rangers at Lobos are quite aware of Fred. No solo diving is
allowed there, and they've caught him solo, and now keep an
eagle eye on him. And they know about his buddy-finding tricks.

He does give me the creeps a little, but I've never heard a
FIRST-HAND story of him doing anything illegal.

 

[chaotic-neutral]

never meet fred, but on my second dive in monterey my dive buddy, an expereanced diver, warned me about him and told me that he goes around asking ppl do tive with him and handing out cards. haven't heard about the aleged "assualts" b4 here, so i can't judge weither or not there true. all's i can do is "just say no" like i was so often told to do to peer pressure. although i had a momentary brain fart when dive lesson's came up and diden't manage to "just say no", some how it came out in my head as "just say now!"

 

[Diver0001]

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather thumb a dive than dive with Fred. But I hope as certified divers you'd have enough sense to say no to him, if he's as weird as people say he is. Vigilantism and especially vandalism are gross overreactions.

Ron, right or wrong, I think people need to keep freaks like Fred (if the stories are true) on a short leash. You are much more understanding (accepting of potentiall life-threatening bull****) than I am. Call me macho but guys like this deserve to have their manoeuvering room taken away....and I would advocate confronting him. Maybe vigilantism and vandalism aren't the prudent solutions but hesitating to act (despite the facts) until he hurts or kills someone is just plain old ordinary stupid......

R..

 

[PhocaVitulina]

Still at it!!!

Did some great diving this weekend, but Sunday, sure nuff, here comes Fred (again!). "You going out on a boat today?" "Yup." "Oh. Which one?" "John's." "Oh. We should dive together sometime. Have you ever been to Lobos?" "Yes" (I haven't, but I could see where that was going." "Oh... uh, okay.." and walked off. ::shrug:: I didn't even get a card this time; I wonder if I'm doing something wrong?

Apparently then he wandered down to try the line up of divers. Ahhhh...

 

[RonDawg]

Ron, right or wrong, I think people need to keep freaks like Fred (if the stories are true) on a short leash. You are much more understanding (accepting of potentiall life-threatening bull****) than I am. Call me macho but guys like this deserve to have their manoeuvering room taken away....and I would advocate confronting him. Maybe vigilantism and vandalism aren't the prudent solutions but hesitating to act (despite the facts) until he hurts or kills someone is just plain old ordinary stupid......

Again, these stories are just that...stories. I have yet to find anybody who actually has first-hand knowledge of what he's done. It's always "I heard it from someone else."

I've seen MANY posts about how it's prudent to thumb a dive when you think your potential dive buddy isn't up to snuff. Most of the time it's in the context of either a dive buddy you know, or else one that's paired up with you on a dive charter. Again, I would hope that a certified diver who's smart enough to thumb a dive in these circumstances, would know better than to dive with someone like Fred.

 

[miskatonic]

Funny when my class wraped up a few weeks ago we all went out for dinner. My instructor told me about this Fred person.

Someone to watch out for I guess.

 

[michaelc]

Wow this guy has a thread 7 pages long devoted to him.
If we keep it up he might get his own forum.

I have only been to montery 3 or 4 times to dive in the last few years and I have gone with a group, so I am not all that aware of fred, now I guess I am.