Avalon stories.
Over the 41 years I have been diving in socal I have done a lot of diving in Avalon(Avalon doesn't always suck). Most were working dives with Advance classes . I had some fun and some not so fun times there. And of course there are lots of war stories.
Here are a couple:
A student and I were waiting for the Express boat at the mole (standing in line with all of our gear in the hot sun). We were watching as the smaller Express boat roared into the harbor (a little hot) and cut off a black zodiac, leaving the zodiac rolling in the expresses wake. The express docked and tied up and let off its passengers. As we watched the Black Zodiac tied to the end of the dock and the two guy got off (one big guy and one short guy). They walk over to the Express boat and were talking and gesturing to the captain of the Express (who was a big guy). A few seconds later the short guy from the black Zodiac throw a punch and the Express captain was down and out. The big guy from the Zodiac grab the short guy (who was trying give the Express boat captain a few good kicks while he was down) and they both went up the ramp and headed for town (I'm sure to the Marlin Club). The Police came and a little later the guys from the Black Zodiac came to get their boat and were arrested.
The next month the same student and I were eating ice cream sitting at the taxis station in down town Avalon. We watched as a guy in a red shirt was walking down the walk way. We saw another guy come running up behind him and try to punch him in the head. I don't know what red shirt did but his attacker soon was laying face down on the bricks . Then two other guys attacked red shirt and in a few second they too were laying on the bricks. Red shirt turned and walked away. We both looked at each other in disbelief (did we really see that). "Wow", my student said "is Avalon like this every weekend" "No" I said "Avalon has stunt men come over every weekend and stage this for the tourist".
One of the best parts of my Advance class weekends was the last dive (when I got to dive by myself, no looking over your shoulder, no swimming backwards, no students(no stress). I used to go down the hill towards the Valiant and I always found something. This day I found a nice new anchor with about 10 foot of chain and some rope. I tied the chain and rope around the anchor and started back up the hill. I had to walk up the hill on my fin tips all the way from about 80 ft., when I got to about 15 feet I inflated my BC and just had my head out of the water. I got it up on the rocks (no stair then) and up to the wall. I had a Hippo bag then(which was a big bag for the time) I put my new anchor and chain in the bag and packed all the gear around it. We were on the smaller Express boat ( they had the conveyer belt system for the baggage) I was carrying my bag and dropped it by the baggage while waiting in line(I was going to carry the bag on the boat and stick it under the seats in the back of the boat). Before I could stop him one of the crew grab the bag and tried to lift it on the conveyer. He drop it and said "what do you have in here an anchor". "No" I said "it's just heavy because of all the wet gear, I'll carry and put it under the seats". I weighted the anchor and chain when I got home and it weighted a little over 55 lbs.
Over the 41 years I have been diving in socal I have done a lot of diving in Avalon(Avalon doesn't always suck). Most were working dives with Advance classes . I had some fun and some not so fun times there. And of course there are lots of war stories.
Here are a couple:
A student and I were waiting for the Express boat at the mole (standing in line with all of our gear in the hot sun). We were watching as the smaller Express boat roared into the harbor (a little hot) and cut off a black zodiac, leaving the zodiac rolling in the expresses wake. The express docked and tied up and let off its passengers. As we watched the Black Zodiac tied to the end of the dock and the two guy got off (one big guy and one short guy). They walk over to the Express boat and were talking and gesturing to the captain of the Express (who was a big guy). A few seconds later the short guy from the black Zodiac throw a punch and the Express captain was down and out. The big guy from the Zodiac grab the short guy (who was trying give the Express boat captain a few good kicks while he was down) and they both went up the ramp and headed for town (I'm sure to the Marlin Club). The Police came and a little later the guys from the Black Zodiac came to get their boat and were arrested.
The next month the same student and I were eating ice cream sitting at the taxis station in down town Avalon. We watched as a guy in a red shirt was walking down the walk way. We saw another guy come running up behind him and try to punch him in the head. I don't know what red shirt did but his attacker soon was laying face down on the bricks . Then two other guys attacked red shirt and in a few second they too were laying on the bricks. Red shirt turned and walked away. We both looked at each other in disbelief (did we really see that). "Wow", my student said "is Avalon like this every weekend" "No" I said "Avalon has stunt men come over every weekend and stage this for the tourist".
One of the best parts of my Advance class weekends was the last dive (when I got to dive by myself, no looking over your shoulder, no swimming backwards, no students(no stress). I used to go down the hill towards the Valiant and I always found something. This day I found a nice new anchor with about 10 foot of chain and some rope. I tied the chain and rope around the anchor and started back up the hill. I had to walk up the hill on my fin tips all the way from about 80 ft., when I got to about 15 feet I inflated my BC and just had my head out of the water. I got it up on the rocks (no stair then) and up to the wall. I had a Hippo bag then(which was a big bag for the time) I put my new anchor and chain in the bag and packed all the gear around it. We were on the smaller Express boat ( they had the conveyer belt system for the baggage) I was carrying my bag and dropped it by the baggage while waiting in line(I was going to carry the bag on the boat and stick it under the seats in the back of the boat). Before I could stop him one of the crew grab the bag and tried to lift it on the conveyer. He drop it and said "what do you have in here an anchor". "No" I said "it's just heavy because of all the wet gear, I'll carry and put it under the seats". I weighted the anchor and chain when I got home and it weighted a little over 55 lbs.