57 replies to this topic

[Capn Jack]

On one of my pre-SD dive trips (solo) I tripled up with a couple. The first dive went well, but hubby said he was going to sit out the second dive.

When we got the site - I believe it was Chicken Reef, but in anycase, some kind of uber-protected sanctuary off Islamorada in the Keys.

The DM and Captain briefed everyone how delicate the environment was, and to not touch anything. They also told us gloves were forbidden on this site.

We went in, and as we descende my buddy reached into her vest and pulled her gloves out, and proceeded to put them on. I didn't think too much about it, but wondered if she just hadn't heard the captain.

She started grabbing everything in sight, turning over stuff, reaching into holes etc. I pulled her hand off a couple of times. About the 3rd or 4th time I did this she glared at me and gave me a big shoulder shrug and double palm up - as in "WTF???" - I gestured vigorously not to touch the reef.

She continued. I grabbed her again, and pulled her off, pulled out my slate and wrote on it - DO NOT TOUCH - she shrugged again and went back to her destructive man-handling of the flora and fauna.

Finally, I just grabbed her tank valve and lifted her a couple of feet above the reef and continued my dive and visual exploration of the reef, while hauling her around by the tank valve till she got down to 700 psi or so, and got her headed back up to the boat.

I expected her to rip me a new one, but she just sulked, never said another word to me.

[Divegirl412]

On one of my pre-SD dive trips (solo) I tripled up with a couple. The first dive went well, but hubby said he was going to sit out the second dive.

When we got the site - I believe it was Chicken Reef, but in anycase, some kind of uber-protected sanctuary off Islamorada in the Keys.

The DM and Captain briefed everyone how delicate the environment was, and to not touch anything. They also told us gloves were forbidden on this site.

We went in, and as we descende my buddy reached into her vest and pulled her gloves out, and proceeded to put them on. I didn't think too much about it, but wondered if she just hadn't heard the captain.

She started grabbing everything in sight, turning over stuff, reaching into holes etc. I pulled her hand off a couple of times. About the 3rd or 4th time I did this she glared at me and gave me a big shoulder shrug and double palm up - as in "WTF???" - I gestured vigorously not to touch the reef.

She continued. I grabbed her again, and pulled her off, pulled out my slate and wrote on it - DO NOT TOUCH - she shrugged again and went back to her destructive man-handling of the flora and fauna.

Finally, I just grabbed her tank valve and lifted her a couple of feet above the reef and continued my dive and visual exploration of the reef, while hauling her around by the tank valve till she got down to 700 psi or so, and got her headed back up to the boat.

I expected her to rip me a new one, but she just sulked, never said another word to me.

Wow Mark. LOL. Did you say anything to the Captain?

[Divegirl412]

Agreed wholeheartedly, Rosa, and a good recommendation for the future. Hope you didn't mind being the subject of a thread!

Kamala - I expect some of your guests here in May will feel as Rosa does, and equally I know that the DMs at Patojo's touch the wildlife as much as other DMs here do. They don't see anything wrong in it, but I think Rosa's explanation would be a good idea. That or ask the DMs to change their behaviour for the week!

Not at all Peter. I don't mind. I think the DM was a bit hurt and upset with me on the next day of diving, he really is a nice and competent guy. But he got over it LOL. We were buddies again by my third day :-)

[drbill]

I love to touch the wildlife... especially the girls dancing at the Chi Chi Club here in Avalon. Oh, you mean the other kind of wildlife. Never mind.

I do touch critters, sometimes to get a better camera angle, sometimes to elicit behavior to film. However, I only touch critters that (as a marine biologist) I feel fairly certain are tolerant of such contact and not injured by it. Generally I don't touch under other circumstances.

I used to work on whale cruise ships in the Sea of Cortez and off Baja's Pacific coast. In my first season I went down with a firm policy that I would NOT touch the whales. It took only one day of close encounters with them before I realized THEY were soliciting contact from us. Of course whales are sentient beings and we let them make their own decisions regarding contact, but once they initiated it, we responded.

[BubbleBoy]

Wildlife awareness is probably my weakest point in diving. It’s all I can do to remember the names of the most common species. Primarily for this reason, I usually take a hands-off approach to wildlife unless I’m hunting something, which is pretty rare these days.

I do like getting up close and observing wildlife though. I suppose in some cases that could be just as annoying to a fish. I once did a stare down at 2 ft. with a 6 ft. barracuda for about three minutes before it swam off. In another minute it would have won, because I was getting close to my NDL.

[georoc01]

I have noticed that there seems to be a couple of situations. One is where its truly wild, and then others were the marine life has obviously been fed by humans and comes right up to you looking for hand out.

For example, how about the Dolphin Dive at Anthony's Key in Roatan? Is it ok to touch the dolphins who are obviously doing it in order to be fed?

But outside of those type of circumstances, frankly I don't know enough about what would be ok to touch or wouldn't be just from what is dangerous to me, not just the marine life itself. The example of petting a shark is a good one. I don't pet bears either. It might be ok, but then again, sometimes their instincts may just kick in and they will do what bears/sharks do.

[Capn Jack]

Wow Mark. LOL. Did you say anything to the Captain?

Oh yeah, I had been diving with her operation several times before, and knew her rules. She was steamed, and reinforced me. If she had been down there, I think she would have sent her to the surface straight away and set her out. But since they were only there for a day of 2-tank diving, they were done anyway. I doubt they came back.

I think the next time I'll write on my slate "TOUCH ONE MORE THING AxxHxxE AND I'M GOING TO CUT YOUR HP* HOSE...."



* Bonus point question - if you really wanted to drain someone's tank faster, which hose would you cut?

Edited by Capn Jack, 07 January 2009 - 11:34 AM.

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

* Bonus point question - if you really wanted to drain someone's tank faster, which hose would you cut?

Don't know if I want anybody learning that answer! You know, just in case I piss somebody off by accident and they have a case of "water column rage"......

Sounds like something 007 would do, in another thread.....

[georoc01]

Wow Mark. LOL. Did you say anything to the Captain?

Oh yeah, I had been diving with her operation several times before, and knew her rules. She was steamed, and reinforced me.

I think the next time I'll write on my slate "TOUCH ONE MORE THING AxxHxxE AND I'M GOING TO CUT YOUR HP* HOSE...."



* Bonus point question - if you really wanted to drain someone's tank faster, which hose would you cut?

I assuming you are referring to the hose for their tank gauge. After all, a HP hose will empty a tank faster than the LP hose. that assumes they have an HP hose, which when I go wireless is optional, but I still have just in case.

[Capn Jack]

* Bonus point question - if you really wanted to drain someone's tank faster, which hose would you cut?

I assuming you are referring to the hose for their tank gauge. After all, a HP hose will empty a tank faster than the LP hose.

Yes, I am referring to the hose going from your first stage to your tank gauge.

Let me know how much you'd like to wager.

[bowjunkie]

* Bonus point question - if you really wanted to drain someone's tank faster, which hose would you cut?

I assuming you are referring to the hose for their tank gauge. After all, a HP hose will empty a tank faster than the LP hose.

Yes, I am referring to the hose going from your first stage to your tank gauge.

Let me know how much you'd like to wager.

well if you must cut one of my hoses make sure it's the "HP" one

[finGrabber]

* Bonus point question - if you really wanted to drain someone's tank faster, which hose would you cut?

If I wanted to drain your tank...I'd chose one of the LP hoses

[Scubatooth]

* Bonus point question - if you really wanted to drain someone's tank faster, which hose would you cut?

HP hose will do a slow leak where as a LP hose like the one to there inflator will drain it in short order


Mark you should have just taken the gloves off her, that or just took her to the surface ended her dive and went back with the group. I know i carry gloves with me all the time and wont use them at all especially on dives where its been briefed not to. only place i really use gloves is on my accent on the line as when i was in puerto rico i ripped open the webbing between my thumb and pointer on a barnacle on the mooring ball (with no gloves). So after that point it was gloves always on the line.

[shadragon]

With all this talk about cutting your buddies hoses I am really glad I have my solo card. hahaha

[WreckWench]

* Bonus point question - if you really wanted to drain someone's tank faster, which hose would you cut?

HP hose will do a slow leak where as a LP hose like the one to there inflator will drain it in short order


Mark you should have just taken the gloves off her, that or just took her to the surface ended her dive and went back with the group. I know i carry gloves with me all the time and wont use them at all especially on dives where its been briefed not to. only place i really use gloves is on my accent on the line as when i was in puerto rico i ripped open the webbing between my thumb and pointer on a barnacle on the mooring ball (with no gloves). So after that point it was gloves always on the line.

This is very extreme behaviour....granted I may have considered it ESPECIALLY if this person were part of the SD group but to take this extreme behaviour may have ended up with a cat fight or worse a fist fight with her husband.