It was the second weekend of lobster seaons '07 and I was itching for a dive. My usual dive buddy was unavailable (on a lobster boat that night) but I wasn't interested in lobstering. I just wanted to do a night dive. So I visited the local shop and asked if anyone was looking for a dive buddy and there was none. The shop was closing. About 2 minutes before the doors locked (and as I was on my way out) the phone rings. The shop owner answers and hands the phone to me. Strange. I'm not a regular.
The person on the other end asks if I'd like to dive with him in about an hour and do a lobster dive. I said I'm interested in diving but I don't have my lobter gear with me (measure and bag). He said no problem. So I head down to the beach (thousand steps in Laguna, Ca. -- if you haven't been there before, there's a reason for the name). It was my first time there. Actually, its only about 260 or so steps. I had just completed ADP so lugging the steps would be no big deal for me with gear -- I've been through worse on Rescue day and Malaga Cove/RAT beach (twice that day).
So I wait and wait and wait and nearly give up when finally he arrives. He introduces himself and asks me how many dives I've done. So I answer, nearly 50. Twenty-five of which in the past 8 weeks, the rest the year prior. I recipricate "and you"? He says "I've done 25 dives." So, with that out of the way he hands me a piece of cardboard measured to look like a lobster measuring device (cut in the sillouette of his aluminum counterpart). I laughed and said "you're joking?" and he replies "that should do, it doesn't need to be perfect". I quipped back "this won't last the first 10 seconds in the water and yes, it does need to be perfect." and he mumbled something but in the end I didn't want to lobster anyway so it didn't matter to me. Rather than seeing this as warning to call the dive I saw it as a the much needed excuse to not lobster. But it did have me feeling uneasy. I got over it when we geared up.
We gear up and begin our trek down the steps. BTW: Its interesting looking at a very steep incline covered by trees and seeing nothing but steps and not even the bottom of them. Hearing waves off in the distance about 300 feet lower and 100 feet from where the steps end. It brings a sense of adventure and a hint of apprehension. After all, I don't know this person or this location.
At the bottom we survey the conditions and discuss our plan. There's a bit of wind and the surf, considering there's no one else at this beach, at about 5-6 feet waves coming from -1 low tide just about at 5.8' high was daunting with about 10 - 14 second intervals. Now, we do that for ADP occasionally but there's far more people and instructors and lifeguards present. But, cautious though I am I'm not yet ready to call the dive. I figured I'd at least "sample" the force of the waves. I wan't yet used to pitch black night diving yet (this being my 3rd or 4th truly night dive - twighlights don't count in this case).
He got out no problem but at ankle depth I took a wall of white in the face that was well above my head (and I'm 6'2") and lost a brand new fin with $90 spring strap. I spent about 30 minutes looking for it before I said I wasn't interested in diving. While in the surf looking, the waves hit so hard it also caused me to lose my weight belt and somehow nearly my BC but I had active lights attached to both and quickly recovered them.
He insisted that I can do it with one fin and I might have agreed but given those conditions and my general displeasure with him and the situation I didn't want to. But, he insisted on and on. He finally gave me his fins and said he'll use my one. I didn't much want to but I eventually agreed and figured that I'll have a nice dive in the end and maybe find my fin on shore when we return (my main reason for agreeing -- it's a better way to bide the time). I always did in the past when I lost fins.
We get in, past the surf, drop. The surge wasn't very bad and visibility is "normal" for Laguna beach. We find some bugs but I notice that he ocassionally surfaces from 40" drop back down and changes directions frequently. I show him my compass and signal to the previously agreed on bearing relating to the directions he planned (I took notes and jotted all the bearings before we entered water). I also notice this guy hasn't a clue with buoyancy. He's up and down and all around with hands and feet in every direction to stablize. By now I'm regretting entering the water. All I can think about is getting back safely and if something happens, can he rescue me or will I need to rescue him? With his lack of attention to anything, lack of bouyancy, and constantly surfacing to get bearing, I figured I'm on my own.
I signal to head back to beach (we agreed on a signal for that) and on our way back pass a lobster cage. There is a HUGE bug in there (perhaps 4.5 - 5 lbs) and he actually reaches in grabs it, pulls it out and points at it. I signalled in no uncertain terms to put it back. In fact, I had at this point a creepy feeling that someone else saw it and was ready to shoot us. But that didn't happen. I was umbarrest for something I didn't even do. We both surface (so he can get bearing) and he said that he wasn't going to keep it, he just wanted to show me what a legal size bug looked like but I wasn't born yesterday and I had seen a barely legal before and everything bigger and smaller.
I told him that I'd rather surface swim back (about 1/2 mile at this point) against the current than go back under with him and risk something terrible. At least I have safety equipment to get a boat's attention if I must. He wasn't happy but agreed, we switched fins, and about 1 hour later we were in the surf and on the sand. The whole time all I heard from him was how good a swimmer he is and how much mastery of diving he has (he is a lifetime surfer before diving). I never found my fin after looking for another hour after that.
When we made it to the top of the stairs he tells me that was his first dive in 8 years. His previous 25 dives where done in Florida and for the 8 weeks after his open water. His gear hadn't been used since then, either. He said he'd do a dive again and wanted to plan for the next dive but I wasn't ready to go back under with him and wanted to get my bearings and figure out what went wrong and what I can take from it. I was both miserable and glad that I will make it home to see my wife that night.
So here it is:
* When someone thinks its okay to use a cardboard lobster guage saying it doesn't have to be accurate, that's a good warning sign that it's time to plan diving another time
* It is not enough to know how many dives your buddy has, but more importantly how recent these dives were. Had I thought to ask or had otherwise known of his 25 dives in the past, this is his first dive in 8 years I would have not done the dive
* It is not enough to know how many dives your buddy has, and how recent his diving experience is, it is more important to determine somehow whether you can trust him and whether you will be comfortable with this person under water.
* When you don't feel comfortable given the circumstances at the time (first time at the location, new to night diving, diving with complete stranger, and heavy surf all at once) it's probly a good idea to trust your instincts and call the dive
* When you ignore the warning about the poor juddgement in fish and game rules, have no idea where your stranger dive buddy is in experience, and ignore your concerns about the conditions, perhaps losing your fin would be another contraindication to diving that night. If not losing the fin, then perhaps when the waves hit you so hard that your weight belt comes off and your BC only comes off, you might decide its not a good idea to make the dive. One thing about ADP, you learn your limits and are supposed to learn when its good to make the dive and when its better to wait another time. I ignored all the indoctrinating that night.
* When you enter the water and your dive buddy (who won't shut up about how good he is at diving and navigating and swimming) has to continually surface to get bearing, it's probly a good idea to insist on heading back.
* When your dive buddy reaches into a trap and grabs a record-breaker then, if you have a spear gun, aim it at him and fire. (this bullet point is a joke).
* Know your own limits and comfort zones and only push past them if there's a good reason for doing so. In my case, I already didn't want to do the dive but for some reason I didn't have the courage to resist him. You can bet your a$$ in the future if I'm not comfy with the dive for any reasons I'll be walking away with or without my buddy's approval or happiness.
* The most important one: I will no longer dive with someone not a rescue diver and without some more recent diving experience (at least within the year) unless I know them well or otherwise have zero reservations about the person. At my first reservation I'm done with this buddy.
Sorry for the long read.
Thanks,
Shawn
The person on the other end asks if I'd like to dive with him in about an hour and do a lobster dive. I said I'm interested in diving but I don't have my lobter gear with me (measure and bag). He said no problem. So I head down to the beach (thousand steps in Laguna, Ca. -- if you haven't been there before, there's a reason for the name). It was my first time there. Actually, its only about 260 or so steps. I had just completed ADP so lugging the steps would be no big deal for me with gear -- I've been through worse on Rescue day and Malaga Cove/RAT beach (twice that day).
So I wait and wait and wait and nearly give up when finally he arrives. He introduces himself and asks me how many dives I've done. So I answer, nearly 50. Twenty-five of which in the past 8 weeks, the rest the year prior. I recipricate "and you"? He says "I've done 25 dives." So, with that out of the way he hands me a piece of cardboard measured to look like a lobster measuring device (cut in the sillouette of his aluminum counterpart). I laughed and said "you're joking?" and he replies "that should do, it doesn't need to be perfect". I quipped back "this won't last the first 10 seconds in the water and yes, it does need to be perfect." and he mumbled something but in the end I didn't want to lobster anyway so it didn't matter to me. Rather than seeing this as warning to call the dive I saw it as a the much needed excuse to not lobster. But it did have me feeling uneasy. I got over it when we geared up.
We gear up and begin our trek down the steps. BTW: Its interesting looking at a very steep incline covered by trees and seeing nothing but steps and not even the bottom of them. Hearing waves off in the distance about 300 feet lower and 100 feet from where the steps end. It brings a sense of adventure and a hint of apprehension. After all, I don't know this person or this location.
At the bottom we survey the conditions and discuss our plan. There's a bit of wind and the surf, considering there's no one else at this beach, at about 5-6 feet waves coming from -1 low tide just about at 5.8' high was daunting with about 10 - 14 second intervals. Now, we do that for ADP occasionally but there's far more people and instructors and lifeguards present. But, cautious though I am I'm not yet ready to call the dive. I figured I'd at least "sample" the force of the waves. I wan't yet used to pitch black night diving yet (this being my 3rd or 4th truly night dive - twighlights don't count in this case).
He got out no problem but at ankle depth I took a wall of white in the face that was well above my head (and I'm 6'2") and lost a brand new fin with $90 spring strap. I spent about 30 minutes looking for it before I said I wasn't interested in diving. While in the surf looking, the waves hit so hard it also caused me to lose my weight belt and somehow nearly my BC but I had active lights attached to both and quickly recovered them.
He insisted that I can do it with one fin and I might have agreed but given those conditions and my general displeasure with him and the situation I didn't want to. But, he insisted on and on. He finally gave me his fins and said he'll use my one. I didn't much want to but I eventually agreed and figured that I'll have a nice dive in the end and maybe find my fin on shore when we return (my main reason for agreeing -- it's a better way to bide the time). I always did in the past when I lost fins.
We get in, past the surf, drop. The surge wasn't very bad and visibility is "normal" for Laguna beach. We find some bugs but I notice that he ocassionally surfaces from 40" drop back down and changes directions frequently. I show him my compass and signal to the previously agreed on bearing relating to the directions he planned (I took notes and jotted all the bearings before we entered water). I also notice this guy hasn't a clue with buoyancy. He's up and down and all around with hands and feet in every direction to stablize. By now I'm regretting entering the water. All I can think about is getting back safely and if something happens, can he rescue me or will I need to rescue him? With his lack of attention to anything, lack of bouyancy, and constantly surfacing to get bearing, I figured I'm on my own.
I signal to head back to beach (we agreed on a signal for that) and on our way back pass a lobster cage. There is a HUGE bug in there (perhaps 4.5 - 5 lbs) and he actually reaches in grabs it, pulls it out and points at it. I signalled in no uncertain terms to put it back. In fact, I had at this point a creepy feeling that someone else saw it and was ready to shoot us. But that didn't happen. I was umbarrest for something I didn't even do. We both surface (so he can get bearing) and he said that he wasn't going to keep it, he just wanted to show me what a legal size bug looked like but I wasn't born yesterday and I had seen a barely legal before and everything bigger and smaller.
I told him that I'd rather surface swim back (about 1/2 mile at this point) against the current than go back under with him and risk something terrible. At least I have safety equipment to get a boat's attention if I must. He wasn't happy but agreed, we switched fins, and about 1 hour later we were in the surf and on the sand. The whole time all I heard from him was how good a swimmer he is and how much mastery of diving he has (he is a lifetime surfer before diving). I never found my fin after looking for another hour after that.
When we made it to the top of the stairs he tells me that was his first dive in 8 years. His previous 25 dives where done in Florida and for the 8 weeks after his open water. His gear hadn't been used since then, either. He said he'd do a dive again and wanted to plan for the next dive but I wasn't ready to go back under with him and wanted to get my bearings and figure out what went wrong and what I can take from it. I was both miserable and glad that I will make it home to see my wife that night.
So here it is:
* When someone thinks its okay to use a cardboard lobster guage saying it doesn't have to be accurate, that's a good warning sign that it's time to plan diving another time
* It is not enough to know how many dives your buddy has, but more importantly how recent these dives were. Had I thought to ask or had otherwise known of his 25 dives in the past, this is his first dive in 8 years I would have not done the dive
* It is not enough to know how many dives your buddy has, and how recent his diving experience is, it is more important to determine somehow whether you can trust him and whether you will be comfortable with this person under water.
* When you don't feel comfortable given the circumstances at the time (first time at the location, new to night diving, diving with complete stranger, and heavy surf all at once) it's probly a good idea to trust your instincts and call the dive
* When you ignore the warning about the poor juddgement in fish and game rules, have no idea where your stranger dive buddy is in experience, and ignore your concerns about the conditions, perhaps losing your fin would be another contraindication to diving that night. If not losing the fin, then perhaps when the waves hit you so hard that your weight belt comes off and your BC only comes off, you might decide its not a good idea to make the dive. One thing about ADP, you learn your limits and are supposed to learn when its good to make the dive and when its better to wait another time. I ignored all the indoctrinating that night.
* When you enter the water and your dive buddy (who won't shut up about how good he is at diving and navigating and swimming) has to continually surface to get bearing, it's probly a good idea to insist on heading back.
* When your dive buddy reaches into a trap and grabs a record-breaker then, if you have a spear gun, aim it at him and fire. (this bullet point is a joke).
* Know your own limits and comfort zones and only push past them if there's a good reason for doing so. In my case, I already didn't want to do the dive but for some reason I didn't have the courage to resist him. You can bet your a$$ in the future if I'm not comfy with the dive for any reasons I'll be walking away with or without my buddy's approval or happiness.
* The most important one: I will no longer dive with someone not a rescue diver and without some more recent diving experience (at least within the year) unless I know them well or otherwise have zero reservations about the person. At my first reservation I'm done with this buddy.
Sorry for the long read.
Thanks,
Shawn
