scubasean
Contributor
lal7176:
I've seen Fred several times, but declined his request for me to dive with him.
Chuck:
Agreed. He leaves me alone also, after the first request he made didn't succeed.
Warning for Monterey Divers (especially women): Beware of Fred
- Thread starter LittleFrog
- Start date
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I've seen Fred several times, but declined his request for me to dive with him.
Agreed. He leaves me alone also, after the first request he made didn't succeed.
A very good lesson learned here. Thanks for the warning. When ever participating in a sport with ANY risk, always know your buddy well. Always.
My husband used to be an avid mountaineer, every weekend and on school breaks, he was at altitude in the Sierras either ice climbing or alpine climbing. My husband was only 21 at the time, his climbing partner that weekend was 50 or 52. This guy was an MD, no dumb bunny, NOT crazy/wired, just a normal guy, and had been climbing for some time. However, most of this guys climbing was in a GYM or at local bumper to belay spots. My husband had never CONSIDERED that anyone would over estimate their abilities before packing in for a climb. This accident was the other guys fault, the authorities concluded. This guy could have even killed my husband, but luckily didnt. For some reason, the widow had blamed my husband and harassed him, hired private investigators, lawyers, etc. My husband was just a hippie college kid looking to climb as many mountains as he could. He cooperated with authorities, they were totally OK with him, but the family was not. It was so obviously the other guys fault, but none of his family knew much about climbing and didnt believe my husband or the authorities. However, this accident still haunts my husband to this day.
Im very fortunate to have been diving since 1991, NEVER been involved in anything too serious myself! There was this one time; I was diving with a guy that got stung by a sting ray.
Always be careful who you dive with.
My husband used to be an avid mountaineer, every weekend and on school breaks, he was at altitude in the Sierras either ice climbing or alpine climbing. My husband was only 21 at the time, his climbing partner that weekend was 50 or 52. This guy was an MD, no dumb bunny, NOT crazy/wired, just a normal guy, and had been climbing for some time. However, most of this guys climbing was in a GYM or at local bumper to belay spots. My husband had never CONSIDERED that anyone would over estimate their abilities before packing in for a climb. This accident was the other guys fault, the authorities concluded. This guy could have even killed my husband, but luckily didnt. For some reason, the widow had blamed my husband and harassed him, hired private investigators, lawyers, etc. My husband was just a hippie college kid looking to climb as many mountains as he could. He cooperated with authorities, they were totally OK with him, but the family was not. It was so obviously the other guys fault, but none of his family knew much about climbing and didnt believe my husband or the authorities. However, this accident still haunts my husband to this day.
Im very fortunate to have been diving since 1991, NEVER been involved in anything too serious myself! There was this one time; I was diving with a guy that got stung by a sting ray.
Always be careful who you dive with.
BrianM
Contributor
Yes, Fred has quite a reputation in Monterey.
I was approached last year while suiting up at Pt. Lobos with a female buddy whom I hadn't dove with before. We had been joking earlier about telling someone we were on our honeymoon so I said "we just got married and we are on our honeymoon, so we would rather dive alone" so then he starts asking all these questions about where we were from and where we got married and all...so I finally just had to tell him to leave us alone. He gave us a "FRED S. DIVE BUDDY" card and he sat in his truck and watched us dive. I thought it was odd that they would let him in the park without a buddy, since they check in the teams 2 at a time. Anyone know about that? Maybe he should be reported to the rangers if he is pretending to be a non-diving visitor and secretly trying to tag along with other teams of 2 divers.
As for groping women and/or turning off someones air:
If I ever saw someone doing that to another diver, I think there would be an unfortunate underwater hunting accident.
"I saw the huge ling, took the shot and this guy swims out of nowhere...." would be my story.
I was approached last year while suiting up at Pt. Lobos with a female buddy whom I hadn't dove with before. We had been joking earlier about telling someone we were on our honeymoon so I said "we just got married and we are on our honeymoon, so we would rather dive alone" so then he starts asking all these questions about where we were from and where we got married and all...so I finally just had to tell him to leave us alone. He gave us a "FRED S. DIVE BUDDY" card and he sat in his truck and watched us dive. I thought it was odd that they would let him in the park without a buddy, since they check in the teams 2 at a time. Anyone know about that? Maybe he should be reported to the rangers if he is pretending to be a non-diving visitor and secretly trying to tag along with other teams of 2 divers.
As for groping women and/or turning off someones air:
If I ever saw someone doing that to another diver, I think there would be an unfortunate underwater hunting accident.
"I saw the huge ling, took the shot and this guy swims out of nowhere...." would be my story.
I cannot, for the life of me, believe that we are into three pages of stories about the creepy stuff that "Fred" has done, and yet not one person has gone to the authorities about this problem. Doesn't anyone out there on the Left Coast have any common sense?
BigJetDriver, while Fred raises everybody's creep alarms,
he really doesn't seem to have done anything felonious.
He does appear to have wandering hands, but it's not
illegal to put your arm around a dive buddy, at least not
until they tell you NO, and he appears to understand
that short word.
Try tracking down whose air he turned off. You won't
find them. I know where that rumor started: with an
"I wonder if" on the Internet after a unexplainable
diver death a couple of years ago.
Don't get me wrong: he gives me the creeps. He gives
Adm. Linda (my GF) the creeps. He gives a LOT of
people the creeps, but that's not illegal.
he really doesn't seem to have done anything felonious.
He does appear to have wandering hands, but it's not
illegal to put your arm around a dive buddy, at least not
until they tell you NO, and he appears to understand
that short word.
Try tracking down whose air he turned off. You won't
find them. I know where that rumor started: with an
"I wonder if" on the Internet after a unexplainable
diver death a couple of years ago.
Don't get me wrong: he gives me the creeps. He gives
Adm. Linda (my GF) the creeps. He gives a LOT of
people the creeps, but that's not illegal.
OP
LittleFrog
Guest
I agree with Chuck. Unfortunately, it's not against the law to be creepy. As far as Fred's behavior toward me: I've talked with a former Monterey PD officer and, in his opinion, a case for assault and battery could be made given the special circumstances of it happening underwater (limitations in communication and the risk for panic), but it would be stretching it. The most I can do at this point is to notify the authorities when the incidents occur and ask that they document it.
My hope in starting this thread was to help others avoid negative and uncomfortable dive experiences and to encourage others to make appropriate reports. I, for one, am tired of allowing creeps to continue with their freaky behavior because I simply overlook it and let it slide.
~LittleFrog
My hope in starting this thread was to help others avoid negative and uncomfortable dive experiences and to encourage others to make appropriate reports. I, for one, am tired of allowing creeps to continue with their freaky behavior because I simply overlook it and let it slide.
~LittleFrog
slee416
Guest
Somebody should get a quality mug shot of this sketcher and post a warning over every known scuba forum (would there be any legal recourse for possible slander? i don't know). Anyway I don't know how things are run out there (sounds like people pull up into a lot and shore dive with a buddy) but if there are any local dive shops I would hope they warn people about this dude.
Dryglove
Contributor
This parking lot is freds favorite hang out along the breakwater wall or over by the deli. At least those are the two most common places i see him. By the way, if you really like tri tip sandwiches that deli is the bomb although i think they were slightly better with the old owners but is still good stuff.
http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi-bin/image.cgi?image=13676&mode=sequential&flags=0&year=2002
http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi-bin/image.cgi?image=13676&mode=sequential&flags=0&year=2002
nativenarcosis
Guest
I think Fred finally gives a reason to carry the big dive knife!
nkw5
Contributor
I think it's really sad that Fred has creeped out so many people and made us leery of meeting and diving with new people. I always thought it was cool how strangers can hook up, talk, and maybe dive together at places at Breakwater. Not gonna happen with Little Frog and me again!
PS: BrianM, count me in line for your gizmo.
PS: BrianM, count me in line for your gizmo.
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