Scotch 'n Soda Diving - Barbados. Anyone know them?

[zackalack8999]

or a punch in the face.

 

[bew80@aol.com]

Ram was wonderful. We did three dives with him and he showed us the best of Barbados! I would definitely recommend!!!!!!

 

[jd950]

That's pretty funny. After about two years, the videos get removed by the owner and a positive review shows up! I smell a sock puppet!

For those who missed the videos....the dive op was shown chasing down turtles and shoving his leaky octo in the turtles mouth, along with other sea life molestation and videos of obviously underage kids breathing off scuba while "diving" with an adult and other entertaining bits. The gear looked questionable, the dive looked unsafe, and the sea life looked terrorized.

So many people were angered by this that I believe several reported the guy to PADI or whoever his certifying agency is. Don't know what happened.

bew80, if you are legit, sorry to call you out improperly. Glad you had a good time and made it back safely. I imagine the guy is fun, just not someone I would ever want to dive with.

 

[WhiteEagle]

That's pretty funny. After about two years, the videos get removed by the owner and a positive review shows up! I smell a sock puppet!

For those who missed the videos....the dive op was shown chasing down turtles and shoving his leaky octo in the turtles mouth, along with other sea life molestation and videos of obviously underage kids breathing off scuba while "diving" with an adult and other entertaining bits. The gear looked questionable, the dive looked unsafe, and the sea life looked terrorized.

So many people were angered by this that I believe several reported the guy to PADI or whoever his certifying agency is. Don't know what happened.

bew80, if you are legit, sorry to call you out improperly. Glad you had a good time and made it back safely. I imagine the guy is fun, just not someone I would ever want to dive with.

Okay, I'm mad, and I admit it.......

I've known RAM (Ralph Adam Micheal) Edgehill for over 30 years and I can tell you a few things that you don't know about this man:

1) He has been diving since BEFORE there even was a PADI organization

2) I have never, in hundreds of dives with him, seen him hurt a sea creature (well, maybe a lobster or barracuda for dinner, but that's it)!

3) I have been diving ALL OVER THIS PLANET in my 30+ years of diving, and RAM is by far one of the safest dive operators I have ever had the pleasure to know

4) The diving with the kid video could easily have been fixed. There is not a SINGLE frame that shows RAM Edgehill diving along side, or anywhere near that kid. I've been editing videos (above and below water footage) for 16 years now, and I can tell you without a doubt this could easily be fixed by someone out to get RAM. End of story

5) RAM Edgehill has a heart of gold. As a commercial pilot I have flown all over this glorious planet, and I can tell you that RAM is a very rare individual.... truely selfless and good hearted. He's not perfect, but probably a lot closer to it than the people who wrote inaccurate and ill-informed stuff on here.

6) RAM has NEVER offered anyone a drink prior to going diving.... full stop!! However, he does offer drinks after the dives, mostly Bajan beer (Banks). If you have never had a beer after a dive in salt water then I suggest you give it a try. RAM named his boat after his favorite drink, a Scotch and Soda.

Any of you thoughtless people who think you can judge a person, or his capabilities, or his intentions from a video, are sadly mistaken. I challenge you to meet with RAM and decide for yourself (even if you don't want to go diving with him). If you don't have the guts to at least do that, then do the rest of us a great service by keeping your simple minded thoughts to yourself. Were you not able to hide behind a fake name, you might just be sued for defamation...... so put your money where your mouth is.

Dive safe, have fun, and give RAM a call if you are in Barbados.... you won't regret it.

Bruce Williams

(403) 919-2744


PS - JD950 is not correct. As of today, July 6th, 2010, these videos are STILL on YouTube.... Still think JD950 has his head screwed on correctly? Search for them and they are there..... eat my shorts JD950, who ever you are!

 

[Thalassamania]

RAM is an incompetent, if nothing else. He aptly demonstrated that by using his BC to help lift the porthole in the video, I guess it's a good thing he didn't loose his grip on the porthole and drop it ... isn't it? That's a real amateur move, not the kind of diving practice I'd expect of someone who's been diving almost as long as I have.

His gear is unsecured and dangling all over the place and is in poor repair, he is dealing with a protected species of turtle in a way that is against US law and against common sense.

His choice of entry is bizarre and based more on macho than on safely getting into the water. I would not dive with him. I would not permit him to dive as part of any operation that I was responsible for.

 

[jd950]

WhiteEagle (yet another 1 poster sockpuppet advert for RAM):

I know what I saw, and what I saw violated a range of environmental, safety and other concerns. I am glad the videos are still on Youtube. The old link did not produce them and RAM does not seem to want to put them on his website.

So, for your viewing pleasure:

Harassing turtles: YouTube - Feeding Turtle an Octo
Unsafe diving: YouTube - Dangerous Scuba with Child

I invite anyone with an interest to formulate their own opinion.

On the kid video, if you know RAM so well, then you know that is his boat in the video. How do I know? Simple, next time you are sober, look up the guy's web page with a picture of the boat, and then look at the boat in the video. Also, it is clearly RAM in the video. Secondly, the video was posted by RAM unless some nefarious competitor took the time to hack RAM's Youtube account and post the phony video.

Not too bloody likely and I would challenge RAM to come on here and deny it is his video.

Whether you think my head is screwed on straight or not is of no concern to me. Similarly, how long the guy has been diving or whether he is a nice guy or an ass is of no importance to me and not an issue for me. I think his diving practices are bad and yes, my opinion was based solely on the videos. They were enough for me. If you like how he dives, then dive with him. If you want to recommend him, then do so; I don't care.

BTW, I have no interest in eating your shorts; you will have to go elsewhere for that kind of activity. Thanks for playing, and now you need to go and make up another name and post something else. Also, if you want to threaten a lawsuit...I am unimpressed. If you or RAM want to sue me, send me a PM with sufficient legitimate information that I can verify (and I will) and state the inquiry is for purposes of serving me with a lawsuit and I will then provide you with the information you would need to serve me with such a suit.

I am not hiding from anyone.

 

[WhiteEagle]

Interesting hyperbole, innuendo and insinuations JD. I posted my real name and my real phone number, yet you remain nameless and faceless. However, you are so very quick to call me a sock puppet.

You claim to not be hiding from anyone, yet you do not exist beyond JD950.

Let me address the statement that JD950 made about this YouTube account being RAM's - RAM is currently over 60 years old, and certainly not 40 as indicated in the YouTube profile for these videos. But of course if you knew RAM, you would know that.

Secondly, as if this idiot JD requires a defense, RAM would never post inflamatory statements about himself on his own account (you really must be an idiot JD - your logic astounds me).

Third, RAM doesn't care one whit about the internet, email or YouTube, and never will. But again, if you knew RAM you would know that. He never posted those videos, which in turn makes the "nameless and faceless" source somewhat suspect. Perhaps it was you, JD950, that posted those videos? You appear to be defending and advocating them a wee bit too strongly, so I suspect that indeed you must be the culprit.

Fourth, RAM is a very gentle soul, and in hundreds of dives with him (I do not exagerate, literally hundreds), I have never seen him hurt anything. Okay, yes we would go spear fishing once a week, but that was a private affair, and we never took tourists with us. We only took as much fish as we were prepared to eat, which was usually a Baracudda or two. If you don't eat fish, well bully for you..... but we do.

Finally, whether that boat in the video belongs to RAM or not, you still don't know what you are talking about. I do know RAM very well, and I am speaking out because of people like you. So, take a deep breath, and then decide here and now to stop writing stupidness and admit you know nothing about this man.

You are entitled to your own opinion, but the more you say it out loud, the more it is apparent that you are talking sideways out of your mouth. Translation: Your mouth is full of dog dirt. So please leave my defense of RAM alone. I know him, and you clearly dont. Nuff said....

For the record, I have not seen nor talked with RAM since 1995, so nobody put me up to this, and I am not a sock puppet (whatever that means). My name and phone number is listed below, should someone wish to chat with me about this topic, or diving in general.

Safe diving.....

Bruce Williams

(403) 720-2165

PS - I never threatened a law suit, so perhaps you should sharpen your deductive reasoning skills and your command of the English language, then go back to re-read my post!

 

[jd950]

After several harassing PMs, I have had to block this character, so I won't know if he posts anything more. Shouldn't have bothered responding in the first place.

I have said what I had to say about the subject. Beyond that I don't really care what anyone thinks of guy who is the subject of this thread.

 

[jbm]

Firstly, having known RAM for the better part of 30 years, I have to totally agree with WhiteEagle's assessment of the man.

Secondly, I'm pretty sure RAM would not give a rat's ass about jd950's views.

And finally, the man is a hell of a singer!


Regards; jbm

 

[GERRARD329]

Yes they are in the latest edition of sport diver .on big article on babrados.i went on his boat maybe 1981 82 and have friends there who said it they same guy same boat in worthing if u want to email me on grogers329@hotmail.com i think i can find email address and or web page .i dont think any affiliations ie padi tho.may have changed now.was nice guy