Diving Moments Of Grace...

[TSandM]

Here was another moment of brilliance: Once I got my Fusion dry suit, doing valve drills in my doubles became easy. I got good at it. Good enough to be used as a demonstrator for a class, in fact. I got kind of proud of being good at it (as there are few enough things in diving that I've gotten to that level).

So I get to Mexico for my cave class. I'm nervous, even though I'm trying not to be. But the first thing we do is drop down in open water to do valve drills. Yeah! I can do this; I'm the poster child for valve drills. Right up until the moment when I shut down my left post, and realize I haven't opened the right one. (For those of you who don't dive doubles, this means I have now shut off my entire gas supply, right in front of my instructor.) Because I can turn them back on quickly, I didn't die, but I wanted to . . .

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Near the end of a dive I put my little digital camera back in it's pocket so I can exit without worrying about it. I have noticed the really cool fish turn up when I put the camera away!:blinking:

Close to the exit I notice an unusual looking fish swimming kinda funny> Out with the camera and off to investigate. Poor fish has a hook in his mouth and the line is wrapped around a rock and broken off. He is "tethered to the rock" I figure this is a pretty nasty way to go so I carefully let my camera rest on the bottom and catch said fish. Hook is in too solid... I can't get it out.

Problem is I now have the untangled fish in my hand, conditions have blown up. Camera in one hand fish in the other leaves no hand to inflate BCD!

My buddies are all in the process of getting out and don't hear me trying to call through my reg.... oh did I mention one hand full of squirming fish and the other full of camera and I don't have a third hand for my reg!

Manage to get reg out long enough to call for help, finning to keep on surface and tossed around by waves. I decided reg in mouth would be a good idea with the conditions.

Hubby came back and I'm trying to hand him a squirming fish. I managed to stand up momentarily till hit by another wave.

Another buddy notices and says give me your hand..... I say.... "no take my camera". He says no... give me your hand.... not a good spot to argue priorities

Anyway we did manage to get the hook out and save the fish.... but the nearby fishermen didn't seem impressed!

Then there was the time I dived with two right feet! Gear was loaded the night before and hubby decided not to go for the dive. I quickly pulled his gear out and headed out to meet the dive group only to find I had one of his boots and one of mine.... felt funny but I dived anyway .... and that was the only time I have always been "on the right foot"

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Bringing back memories...
When I was still a pretty new diver, I decided to really wash my gear. I took everthing apart to get good and clean and let dry. A few weeks later I get the opportunity to do a dive with some new buddies. They want to do some easy dives as they haven't been in the water in a while. So off we go on their boat, 4 of us total. Guy 1 is owner of boat, Gal is girlfriend who is staying on the boat and Guy 2 who (in hindsight probably shouldn't have been certified) is very nervous, and me with about 25 dives to my name.

We decide on doing a reverse profile, the first one shallower to verify all the gear works well, then go a bit deeper. The first dive, we are gearing up. This is when I notice that I have forgotten my fin straps. We rumage around and find some clothesline and with lots of loops and wrapping, get the fins on my feet. The dive itself was uneventful in aobut 40ft.

After a normal surface interval, of which I do not take off my fins because to restring them would be a pain, we do a drift dive for #2. We jump off and drop to about 60ft along a nice reef. Unknown to me and diver #2 is the flag only has 50ft of rope on it. The gal on the boat watched our flag disappear! We surface to find us alone in the water. No boat. Luckily we are not far from shore or the port, on a Saturday and there is plenty of boats about. Diver #1 is waving boats OFF saying he is waiting for our boat!!!!!! Diver #2 is getting more nervous by the minute and the sun is on its progression towards sunset. Finally a dive boat shows up and offers us assistance. Imagine their surprise when I can't hand my fins to them cause they are tied to my feet!! Totally embarassing!
/End point of grace


Once on board they contact the Coast Guard who is there within minutes with our Boat. Gal, once losing the flag, doesn't know how to put the radio in and turn it on, takes off for shore and the Coast Guard station. All is well. Lots of lessons in that story that I will never forget!

 

[tiggrr]

t Imagine their surprise when I can't hand my fins to them cause they are tied to my feet!! Totally embarassing!

OMG Jenny!! That is hilarious!!