Dumbest things you've seen a newbie diver do

[Herk_Man]

Back in the late 80's, Was diving off of Channel Islands in So Cal (can't remember which one) My buddy and I were under the boat hanging out after the dive. Clear water around 25 ft. nice sunny day. Here comes this ray slowly swimming towards us and pauses right in front of us 5 ft. off the bottom. No barb, looks un-threatening. We reach out and start petting it ( real discovery channel moment). ray is there seemingly enjoying the moment as well.

We get back on the boat and the DM and other divers said they watched us from the surface. Seems we were petting a Torpedo (electric) Ray that had zapped some photographer earlier when it was startled by his flash. Maybe it was all zapped out and was in a daze it could not zap me and my buddy. Of course I like to think it had simply enjoyed the moment as well.

Never trust the wildlife if you can't ID it properly.

That is really really funny. When I first read it I thought maybe your legs were being pulled off by the DM. But Wikipedia confirms the existence of such an animal.

Kind of the ocean version of walking across the carpet with socks on. Glad you didn't get jolted!

 

[JKPAO]

Ozzi I don't know about the electric type but
I can tell you the spiky ones really hurt!
See you topside John

 

[ozziworld]

Well I definitely remember thinking it was not a stingray because it's tail was finned like a fish. So though it was more like related to a guitarfish. Anyway, we saw them regularly and identified them correctly after that episode.

Just really felt lucky and stupid all at the same time when we were told about the facts.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

:blush: Well I wasn't exactly a newbie... but... we were on a muck dive... inching along the bottom just gently touching bottom once in a while.

I noticed my buddy touch the bottom and it kinda wobbled like a bag of water was burried in the sand. He probed the sand further away... solid.. then again.. closer ..Wobble wobble!

Course I had to investigate... poke.. wobbled.. poke solid... worked out the edge of the thing.. :headscratch: wonder what it is:headscratch: figured maybe it was a stingray burried in the sand and dead... :headscratch: wonder what killed it..... :headscratch: hmmmm... find the edge... and give it a gentle tug... nothing my buddy is now hanging back watching me... get a bit more of a grip... tug.... nothing... get a good grip and YANK! OW... not a stingray and not dead... We call them Numb rays and they can give a decent shock! This one felt like I put my finger in a light socket!

I pulled back and watched it swim off... pointed and signaled my buddy *danger* at this point the biggest danger is my buddy drowning as he is laughing at me! I don't know why it put up with so much poking and prodding before shocking and moving off

I count myself lucky as a friend of ours that does "bottle diving" has a metal prod they prod the bottom to find very old bottles... she jabbed a numb ray and it shocked her so bad her arm and side hurt for hours!

I took this video a couple weeks ago as one circled under me... I was keeping a healthy distance trying to keep the camera steady hovering midwater

 

[guppie9]

On one of my checkout dives, I had to do the remove and replace mask drill. It was, hands down, the one drill I didn't want to do. We had built our way up to it, by doing partial floods, full floods, etc. I just really hate opening my eyes underwater, for some reason. So, here we are, about 15-20 feet down on sandy bottom, and I am getting myself psyched up. My instructor demonstrates and asks if I am ready. I ask him to give me a minute. I take in a couple really good breaths, prepare myself mentally, and rip that mask right off my face. Hot damn! I then proceed to, for absolutely no good reason, spit my regulator out of my mouth. So now I'm blind, on my knees, 20 feet down and have no air. Awesome!!! Luckily, my instructor had taught me well. I reached down and started to do my sweep when suddenly I feel a reg being jammed in my mouth. He had grabbed my discarded reg and stuck it back in my mouth for me. I hit the purge and start breathing. After about a minute, I remember that, gee, maybe I should put my mask back on!! I put it back on, clear it and watch as my instructor tries to compose himself. He was laughing so hard that he had flooded his own mask! We talked about it during our surface interval and he said, that after being an instructor for over 5 years, that was only the 2nd or 3rd time anyone had ever done that. I was so proud!! Actually, I am amazed that there are 2 or 3 other people that are as dumb as I was.

 

[Jane_dives]

Grats. Guess that taught you not do things like that?

The German animal behaviorist Konrad Lorenz did the same thing (only he was in his forties). But yeah, if you're going to make contact with the sea life make sure it's with a spear gun.

 

[MikeMarlow]

Ok, I have firmly imprinted what an electric ray looks like in my brain under the "DON'T TOUCH DUMMY" file. After all, it hurts less to learn from other people's pain...

Mike

 

[Hammerhead]

Picture the scene:-

Beautiful day in the Philippines, divers just finishing pre-dive checks, tightening straps, de-fogging masks etc. etc.

Dive guide gets everyone's attention "Hey guys, just a quick word before we jump in, I'd just like to point out that this is a pretty special dive for Larry here - it's dive number one thousand! Well done Larry!".

Larry's obviously a bit embarrassed by the attention, just mutters a shy thanks to all the nice people and does the crotch strap of his bp/w up and gives everyone a smile and says "Cheers, everyone. If we all make it back, I'll stand drinks in the bar tonight!"

Larry gives his buddy the final OK and they both roll backwards off the boat into the sea - a total of about 1 metre down.

Except that Larry doesn't make it.

Larry has managed to get the crotch strap around the permanent line that goes along the side of the boat for the divers to hold on to while equipment is being passed up or down.

Accordingly, he is now upside-down in the sea as far as his waist with his legs stuck out in the air, and trying desperately to figure out what the Hell is going on.

The buddy meanwhile has watched the debacle unfold, sees that Larry still has his reg in his mouth and is in no imminent danger of death, decides it would me much more fun to video his embarrassment.

Larry actually manages to get a grip on the situation, opens the waist release, drops into the sea, re-fixes equipment and carries on with the dive hoping that the video will never see the light of day.

It was a great dive, and yes, I'm Larry.

 

[MJJ]

It took me two days to read this thread and as I finish I am laughing so hard milk is coming out my nose and I can't WAIT to make my first dives and amuse someone else as much as you all have amused me! Thanks!

(ignoring for the moment of course the posts with serious outcomes)

 

[fisheater]

Hammerhead:

It's actually pretty darned impressive that, while unexpectedly inverted, you diagnosed and solved your problem, without buddy or DM intervension, and did your dive. I guess that's what 999 dives gets you.