Jupiter diver in trauma center after ‘upper extremity’ injury

[The Chairman]

Wow, the guy is grossly overweight and shouldn't even be diving.

Have you ever seen a skinny whale? A svelte manatee? Fat bigots telling me what I should and should not do tick me off.

 

[YankBoffin]

That, of course. But I do have a naive question: if I'm doing doing this 3xday 5 days/week, why am I not wearing a shoulder-length titanium chainmail gauntlet?

I've actually spoken to Randy about this

Wow, the guy is grossly overweight and shouldn't even be diving. Wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't make a stop at the Cardiac Cath Lab, while he's in the hospital. Seriously though, The county's only trauma helicopter was not available for anyone else while taking care of this individual. Imagine if a child in an accident had to be airlifted?

Randy Jordan is PADI instructor who dives three times a day, five days week. You don't know what the hell you're telling about. Take the BS armchair criticism elsewhere.

 

[DoNotDstrb]

I have no idea if Randy conducts his dives safely or not, I've never been on one of his dives.

Diving isn't safe, but it can be done safely.

I've dove with Randy more times than I can count....... He conducts his dives as safely as one can conduct this type of dive. That said, the trips he conducts are definitely "advanced" in nature..... You are expected to be at the "second nature" experience level with all things SCUBA-related such as buoyancy, MOD, gas and bottom time monitoring, drift diving, reel and lift bag deployment, etc.. No one gets coddled like happens on countless Caribbean cattle boats. Newby divers are routinely turned away.....

Dive briefings begin at the dock with a statement to the effect that we are purposely going out to bait, attract, and feed sharks.... they will come, there will me many (on most days) and they will be big. Anyone not comfortable with this is invited to disembark with no ill feelings. On the actual dives, 1st time participants are relegated to a vantage point on top of a wreck a good 30 feet above and behind where the feeding is taking place.... Only after a certain comfort level is observed are new participants invited down for a closer look. No one handles bait or feeds sharks other than Randy and/or his employed diver(s).

I've done a lot of crazy shite both in and out of the water..... I am still walking this earth through a mixture of dumb luck and the grace of God..... I can tell anyone here from personal experience that Randy's shark feeding dives are neither reckless nor conducted unsafely...... That said..... shite happens once you separate ass from couch.

"Diving isn't safe, but it can be done safely." - I could not have summed it up any better....

 

[tilikum]

How much do his dives cost?

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

How much do his dives cost?

Trips | Emerald Charters

$100 for a 3 tank dive/ $125 on weekends plus $21.50 per tank rental and it looks like you rent weights as well. I'm just waiting on a stupid cheap Southwest airfare sale.

Jay.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

interesting story from Randy's blog. By the way, I tried to get on his boat 2 years ago and was turned away as too new. He means what he says about being a "good diver"

Puffer Fish
Diving the Hole in the Wall off Jupiter is always an unusual dive. The depth and proximity to the Gulfstream attracts many large pelagic visitors. This day turned stranger when a porcupine puffer fish launched out of a hole and bit my little finger off. Yes, I said puffer fish. Those cute, cuddly, doe –eyed denizens of the deep apparently have quite a temper and a vicious set of teeth.

After leading a group through the cavern called the hole in the wall, we traveled down the wall at a depth of 130'. In my peripheral, I saw an 18” long puffer fish neatly tucked into a lobster looking hole. I stopped the group so everyone could ooh and aah over the pretty fish. I first touched the fish on the head to get him to come out of the hole. Since the area is known to be a regular hangout for Bull sharks, this guy was not budging. Sharks like to eat blowfish. Persistently, I waggled my hand in front of his face acting like food. My hope was to entice him to come out and play. That is when he launched forward and got hold of my pinkie. Playtime over! Man that hurt. This cute little fish has teeth like a parrotfish and the ability to crush shells if necessary. He bit my kevlar gloved hand like a piranha on a dining mission. When he was ready, he let go. I was in pain, but relieved that my glove wasn't cut. When I took my glove off, I realized half of my finger was still in the glove. The stump that extended from my hand was clouding the water with green smoke. It was so thick I couldn't see my hand. I grabbed the base of my finger to attempt to stop the blood cloud and was shocked to see the damage inflicted.

The guffaws at the emergency room were endless. “A puffer fish?” everyone asked. They were unable to reattach the digit due to the crushing effect of the teeth on the glove. I will go to a plastic surgeon next week to get a skin graft or” flap over” as they called it. I am considering having a small Captain Hook style attachment but decided I would probably poke my eye out before I got used to it. With a generous supply of painkillers, I am restricted to shop duties. I am however humiliated by the weak reputation of the attacker.

The other comment I got from divers was” I never knew puffers could bite. I didn't even think they had teeth. “ Yes they can and do. Please be officially advised: Do not mess with the animals; they will defend themselves.

In my thirty years of diving, I am sorry to say I have touched the fishes. I have even captured a puffer to let it blow up for the crowd. I realized several years ago it is not nice to blow up the puffers and all the wildlife should be left to it's natural self. In my time I have swam with sharks on numerous occasions and had Green morays swim into my BC looking for a treat. Just last week I had a Goliath Grouper fight me over a cobia I speared too close to his territory. I never imagined I would have to tell my grandchildren I lost my finger to a puffer. Instead I will tell them I discovered a new species of deep-water puffer fishes. Just like their porcupine cousins, they are cuddly but have teeth half the length of their torso and can bite through a shark in a single lunge. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

 

[Joneill]

interesting story from Randy's blog. By the way, I tried to get on his boat 2 years ago and was turned away as too new. He means what he says about being a "good diver"

Puffer Fish
Diving the Hole in the Wall off Jupiter is always an unusual dive. The depth and proximity to the Gulfstream attracts many large pelagic visitors. This day turned stranger when a porcupine puffer fish launched out of a hole and bit my little finger off. Yes, I said puffer fish. Those cute, cuddly, doe –eyed denizens of the deep apparently have quite a temper and a vicious set of teeth.

After leading a group through the cavern called the hole in the wall, we traveled down the wall at a depth of 130'. In my peripheral, I saw an 18” long puffer fish neatly tucked into a lobster looking hole. I stopped the group so everyone could ooh and aah over the pretty fish. I first touched the fish on the head to get him to come out of the hole. Since the area is known to be a regular hangout for Bull sharks, this guy was not budging. Sharks like to eat blowfish. Persistently, I waggled my hand in front of his face acting like food. My hope was to entice him to come out and play. That is when he launched forward and got hold of my pinkie. Playtime over! Man that hurt. This cute little fish has teeth like a parrotfish and the ability to crush shells if necessary. He bit my kevlar gloved hand like a piranha on a dining mission. When he was ready, he let go. I was in pain, but relieved that my glove wasn't cut. When I took my glove off, I realized half of my finger was still in the glove. The stump that extended from my hand was clouding the water with green smoke. It was so thick I couldn't see my hand. I grabbed the base of my finger to attempt to stop the blood cloud and was shocked to see the damage inflicted.

The guffaws at the emergency room were endless. “A puffer fish?” everyone asked. They were unable to reattach the digit due to the crushing effect of the teeth on the glove. I will go to a plastic surgeon next week to get a skin graft or” flap over” as they called it. I am considering having a small Captain Hook style attachment but decided I would probably poke my eye out before I got used to it. With a generous supply of painkillers, I am restricted to shop duties. I am however humiliated by the weak reputation of the attacker.

The other comment I got from divers was” I never knew puffers could bite. I didn't even think they had teeth. “ Yes they can and do. Please be officially advised: Do not mess with the animals; they will defend themselves.

In my thirty years of diving, I am sorry to say I have touched the fishes. I have even captured a puffer to let it blow up for the crowd. I realized several years ago it is not nice to blow up the puffers and all the wildlife should be left to it's natural self. In my time I have swam with sharks on numerous occasions and had Green morays swim into my BC looking for a treat. Just last week I had a Goliath Grouper fight me over a cobia I speared too close to his territory. I never imagined I would have to tell my grandchildren I lost my finger to a puffer. Instead I will tell them I discovered a new species of deep-water puffer fishes. Just like their porcupine cousins, they are cuddly but have teeth half the length of their torso and can bite through a shark in a single lunge. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Sounds like he got what he deserved from the puffer on that dive...

 

[tilikum]

I would be pissed if I was turned away from a dive.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

I would be pissed if I was turned away from a dive.

I've known quite a few captains who, if they don't think you're up to snuff, won't let you on the boat. As far as I'm concerned, that's their right.

 

[tilikum]

The good news is you can always find someone to take your money...