finding lost keys for tourists

[Diverdon]

My dive and work buddy and I ...

Good stories. Most people I help are appreciative, but you ever know what kind of day folks are having. Not by our brief brush with them.

I found several bikes in the lake, and most go unclaimed, but once I found a stolen bike and the owner happened to be a bar manager so yeah, free beer is always a welcome thing.

DD

 

[PBcatfish]

Not keys, but a good story about a recovery in a tourist area -
I was at a local boat yard, where two young kids, roughly 7 & 9 were fishing, with their grandmother keeping an eye on them. One kid put his rod down to help the other one get a fish in. Of course, that rod got hit too & the fish dragged in into the murky waters below the seawall. The kids were living with their grandparents because the parents weren't around anymore. The lost fishing rod was the last birthday gift the kid had received from his mom. His reacting to loosing it was heart breaking. I went to the trunk of my car, grabbed a Cuban yo-yo & proceeded to drag the area until I hooked into the rod & got it to the surface. The kid got his rod back. He even landed the fish that was still attached to it. All was right with the world.

 

[Russjstewart]

Well done @PBcatfish. Not sure phat a Cuban yo yo is, but well done anyway.

On a slightly different tack, more years ago than I care to remember my then regular dive buddy was contacted by a local sailing identity who had lost his headsail overboard and needed divers to recover it. A simple job as he knew exactly where it was, he had tied a float to his anchor and dropped the anchor near the sail.

Out we went, no sign of the float, we found it bouncing of a breakwater down wind of the general area, who said sailors can tie knots. So there we were, a headsail, which was a big target, an anchor, 20 metres of chain and 50 meters of nylon rope, and rough location. It took 2 days to find it.

I once had the band on my watch break while on an anchored boat while gearing up. Did a back roll and dropped straight down , took 20 min but found my watch in 18 m (60 ft)

 

[Diverdon]

Not keys, but a good story about a... All was right with the world.

Great story. Most divers I know would react in a similar fashion. A few might eye the grandparents up to see if they could line their pockets, but luckily they're the exception.
I went diving in a popular spot once a couple days ago and came up with an Apple watch, Fitbit and several other goodies. Hopefully I can find the owner. Glad to read about so many other divers doing good deeds.

DD

 

[Diverdon]

Well done @PBcatfish.
I once had the band on my watch break while on an anchored boat while gearing up. Did a back roll and dropped straight down , took 20 min but found my watch in 18 m (60 ft)

Funny how that works. I wasn't with my buddy when he dropped his light in the harbor, but he's probably on his third or fourth dive searching for it. I think we'll have to use my metal detector to find it. Some areas have a thick layer of silt but I'm expecting a thousand false positives as the harbor's industrial beginnings go back aa hundredhundred years. I'm sure we'll find all kinds of goodies but we may never find his expensive video light.

 

[PBcatfish]

Well done @PBcatfish. Not sure what a Cuban yo yo is, but well done anyway....

It's a type of hand line reel that originated in Cuba. The originals were hand carved from wood. These days, you can get plastic ones for cheap. I keep at least one in every car & boat that I own, so that I never get caught short for a rod if the fish are jumping somewhere.

They typically come in two different sizes. This is a small one.
Offshore Angler Cuban Yo-Yo | Cabela's

In the video, you see a large one.


I drill a bunch of holes in the flat flange so that I have somewhere to stick the hook when it's reeled up.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

It's a type of hand line reel that originated in Cuba. The originals were hand carved from wood. These days, you can get plastic ones for cheap. I keep at least one in every car & boat that I own, so that I never get caught short for a rod if the fish are jumping somewhere.

They typically come in two different sizes. This is a small one.
Offshore Angler Cuban Yo-Yo | Cabela's

In the video, you see a large one.


I drill a bunch of holes in the flat flange so that I have somewhere to stick the hook when it's reeled up.

I'll never know why I just watched those videos, but I did.

 

[PBcatfish]

I'll never know why I just watched those videos, but I did.

Hey, people watch train wrecks too.

Maybe you will get one & start fishing odds & ends out of the east river or something like that.

Who knows.

Anyway, it was a little mindless entertainment. That's not a terrible thing.