Scuba Police @ Philadelphia Quarry, TN (Lambertsen rebreather trials)

[Kimsey0]

Hahaha, you guys aren't going to believe this, (or maybe you will, it's not too hard to, when all's said and done) But just after reading this one vintage divers thread:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/vintage-equipment-diving/305612-scuba-police-vintage-diver.html

I had the exact same thing happen to me;

Annnyway, testing out the Lambertsen was starting to resemble work too much, so I took a break and broke out my vintage open circuit rig (sea hunt basket harness/conshelf XIV) had to tinker with the conshelf a bit because it always leaked just a tiny bit of air, constantly. While I was working on it, some divers backed in with trucks into the quarry area. They got out all their gear, and went in, looked like an instructor and some students. I went to the shallow 5' or so end to test out the reg and see how it did. When I got in, the instructor was hovering around the shallow end with his students:

Instructor:Is that a backplate?

Me:Nah, just a bunch of webbing. It's an old 50's basket harness.

Me:So what buoyancy compensator is that? A BP&W?

Instructor:It's a backplate.

At this time, I submerged, the idea striking me as somewhat strange he owns a BP&W and has never heard of that acronym... maybe it's just an internet thing?

When I submerged the conshelf had a few problems, taking on a bit of water every breath, and the purge wouldn't work, so I resurfaced to fix it, mumbling something about "regulator's taking on water..."

I then heard a voice say "High pressure port is loose."

I looked around for a moment and spotted the instructor about 20' away from me, I thought he was talking to a student, but he was addressing me, surprisingly enough. Shrugging it off, I backed up to a rock for a moment to sit on it, and think about the adjustments I made to the reg that could cause these issues. At that moment, my mother, who was diving with me, emerged near the instructor to address her newbie issues, like mask fog, weighting, buoyancy, etc.

Instructor: You know that regulator you're using is 30 years old.
Me: Yeah... I know, but I'm working on it.
Instructor: Who trained you to work on those?
Me: Well.... nobody but me, and the manuals, really.
Instuctor:WHAT?!?!?!!
Instuctor: Have you been certified?
Me: Yeah...
Instructor: I can't let you dive here!
Mom (to instructor):... who are you supposed to be?
Instructor: I'm an INSTRRUUUCTOOOR! (Theme from Conan the Destroyer plays)
Instructor: (going off on a tangent) He has no secondary air source, no Buoyancy compensator....
Me:Afraid I'm not very much interested in your lectures, mister.
Instructor:I'M CALLING MIKE RIGHT NOW!
Me: (getting off rock, shaking head while heading out of the water to work on reg)
Instructor: (continuing to go off on tangent, about no alternative this, that, blah, blah, blah)
Me:Mister, this might come as a surprise to you, but divers were around before all that crap even existed...

Anyway, I was working on my reg at the table, them mom came up; basically from what I gleaned from her, he was too cowardly for her to even get his name, she had to drag it out of him, barely audible. She ranted about how he ruined her day, and didn't want to dive anymore that day. I told her not to create a scene, because I was nervous enough as it is between that instructor, and trying to troubleshoot my gear. I was going to go back in the quarry to dive a quick session before we left, now that my reg was resolved, and working perfectly, but she talked me out of it.
This guy was at least in his 50's, can't believe he hasn't at least *heard* of the concept of diving with no bc, and/or diving with no alt air. He must not have been diving too long.
(he was an instructor, so that was probably the case )

You can get your instructor's license with what? 100 dives or less total? H*ll, I have 81 dives under my belt, and I still feel like a newbie.
Geez, I'd trust you guys on here instructing me, (who aren't even instructors) who've been diving since the 50's/60's to instruct me before I'd trust him.

Anway, I'll post about the Lambertsent trials in a bit, got to go do something right now.

 

[TN Traveler]

Welcome to the wonderful world of diving in East TN. The shop affiliated with the Quarry you were diving at will not fill 72 cu ft steel tanks. My experience with the staff there has been less than ideal. Several times they have filled my LP 95's to 3600 psi - just because they thought that all steel tanks were High Pressure. Unfortunately they are the closest shop for fills, so I keep my mouth shut. I have offered to give a demo on DH regs but have been refused. If they don't sell it, it is "junk". Try the other Quarry in Sweetwater - much more diver friendly.

 

[herman]

What would of been really funny is if the INSTRUCTOR had been diving a Titan....exact same first stage in a different skin. I pretty much ignore these guys but I never miss the oppertunity to go hover around their class and demonstrate how it is really done.

 

[Kimsey0]

Try the other Quarry in Sweetwater - much more diver friendly.

That was the one I was at. The sweetwater/philadelphia one (I'm pretty sure it was the same one, right? The one owned by Mike Guss). (not Loch Low-Minn in Athens)

Anyway, just to clarify, I have *no idea* if this instructor was affiliated with the dive shop where the owner Mike Guss works or not, just for the record. I presumed he was just some private instructor, though I could be wrong.

Thanks for the heads up about Loch filling your lp tanks to 3600?! At Loch Low-Minn, right? Lord God, that's scary... it would scare me worse if it was a 2200 psi '72 lmao.....

 

[TN Traveler]

No, it was Mike's shop. Never had Loch LoMinn fill any of my steel tanks.

You are right though, it may not have been an instructor from Mike's shop - there are a couple of independents who do use the Philli Quarry.

Actually I don't worry about the overfilling - those 95's are routinely filled in cave country to 4000 psi - it just bothers me that they did not read the tank stamp.

 

[Airleron]

Note to self: Bring all my vintage gear and dive at Philli Quarry, TN. I love a challenge. :mooner:

Keep us posted re: the rebreather. There is one on display at the Museum where I work, which is one of the two that currently exists, Lambertsens' LARU.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I need to come dive in Tennessee. If I do for God's sake don't say anything about the cave/wreck fills. I like LP 95's and LP 85's at those pressures. I have one shop here that will put in whatever I ask as long as I have em disked for it. The quarry I'm using for rescue class this weekend gives people a hard time over filling al 80's with a second hydro stamp and tries to get them to not bring them there for fills. But they have no problem with my LP 72 doubles from the early 70's and my single ones from 53 and 55. There's another shop in West Virgina that will not fill 72's. And these people supposedly do tech training!

 

[Nemrod]

I think one thing that disturbs the Scuba Police is that when the "vintage" diver is actually a junk gear diver with hoses leaking, fins split (not by design), crap that don't work and never did etc. I occasionally have Scuba Police issues but most are kept under control because my s---t actually works and I make sure it is in 100% condition BEFORE I arrive for my dive, not while sitting on a rock.

But, we all have our own styles, that is just mine. As to the Scuba Police who will not go away, I find trimming my finger nails with my 18 inch long Seas Hawk knife sends them packing. Well, another tactic, I learned it from the infamous "Broxton Chuck", spritz your equipment with Old Hawk whiskey and maybe even take a gulp, then stumble into the water, or crawl, while singing Dixie and yelling Yahooooooooo, generally have the whole place to myself.

N

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I still can't understand why you guys back there have issues getting 72's and older stuff filled.
Here in California I've never had a shop refuse to fill any tank. As long as the tank is steel, in hydro, has current VIP sticker, and has a current new style burst disc, a tank is a tank and a fill is a fill as far as they're concerned. Cave fills no, that they won't do.

As far as the scuba police, we're not lucky enough to have any up on my stretch of coastline.
I'd have to go down to Monterey to the Breakwater on any given weekend during the summer when there are at least 200 open water students there with their instructors and DM's.
Knowing my luck I would probably just get a thumbs up or a Hey dude that's cool or some other friendly comment.
I did get the stink eye once from an instructor because I was talking to one of his pupils but it never turned into anything fun.

 

[DevonDiver]

I think the standard protocol for dealing with Scuba Police is to laugh... loudly and unashamedly.