Golf ball divers

[SSIdiver02]

I used to have a contract with a course by my house, and like everyones said, the conditions suck. It can make you quite a bit of money, but its not gonna be a dive for pleasure.

 

[terrydarc]

...with a long aluminum pole with a funny little widget on the end. I never though of it as a piece of dive equipment before, but I have gotten in trouble for using it. They do have concessionaires who retrieve all the golf balls that somehow fall into this state of no longer being owned by the person or persons placing them in the water in the first place. I was baffled by this turn of events until it was fully explained to me on the course one day. This did not prevent new excursions into non-diving retrieval.
Terry

 

[another mike]

Be careful what you get yourself into: You'll want to find out the legal in's and out's before signing up for this. Here in Ontario, golf ball diving and snowmobile retrieval require commercial diving liscences ($$$$)


mike

 

[SwimJim]

Dirtiest nastiest work you'll ever do. Not to mention the toxins. Many years ago I used to be called into a local course once in awhile to clear the intake screens for thier pumps. You could fill a ten pound potato sack very quickly.
Talk to the pro shop and or greens keeper if your interested in doing this. Bear in mind that nothing is free and this is a job.

good luck

Jim

 

[Seafarer_Paul]

I'll break it down for you in terms that won't overtax your thought process. I've had over 15 years of experience doing this. If you so choose to pursue this hazardous path, then adhere to my councel young Jedi...otherwise your eminent demise awaits in the murky depths...

1. Use a drysuit with a dry hood, dry boots and dry gloves.
2.Use a full face mask.
3.Use a floating compressor with at least a 20 ft hose.
4.Have a quick release system for your air hose.
5.Use a weight 'harness' rather than a belt.
6.Use 'Force Fins'
7.Carry a first aid kit (with snake bite kit)
8.Carry a tool box for repairs.
9.Do not fear the dark.
10.Do not fear things that move in the dark. (Except Gators and Aligator snapping turtles.. Go right ahead and fear those)
11.Keep your cell phone on your float ...and your wallet
12.Use nets that will hold at least 300 balls at a time.
13. Hang the net around your neck, but have a quick release.

Be prepared to deal with continous repairs, thick weeds, tons of slime and mud, raw sewage, tree limbs, pipes, leaches, whirlpools, flying golf balls, dead animals, fish hooks, used syringes, sharp metal objects, pesticides, herbicides, bacteria, gigantic catfish, muscrats, snakes, bitchy golfers, primadonna golf pros, and most of all - 'Golf ball brokers' They are 'by far' the nastiest of all hazards you'll encounter.

Become at one with 'Murphy's Law'.. and 'ALWAYS' expect and prepare for the unexpected...

 

[sberanek]

Another Mike... I'm assuming that snow mobile retrieval is when someone drives it across thin ice and looses it into the water. Is this a regular occurance? We don't have much of the way of bodies of water where I live, but we get the snow mobilers who end up trying to drive through wire fences separating the farm fields.

--Shannon

 

[Debraw]

Wow talk about revival of an old thread! Last post was from November 2002, then Seafarer_Paul popped up to bring it back to life. I really liked reading this thread all the way through. I used to have a few guys that came in my old dive shop to buy gear and such for golfball diving. They bought thick wetsuits, gloves, and boots, a lot. They paid in cash, and had plenty of it in their pockets. There's money in it because the risk is so high.

 

[Joe-Diver]

Wow talk about revival of an old thread! Last post was from November 2002, .....

This might just be a record.......

 

[alewar]

here is an interview with a "professional golf ball retriever":

LiveLeak.com - Diving for Golf Balls Takes Balls! OK.

 

[sporket]

My old room mate use to poach ponds at night until, he grabbed something that large jerked his arm. Also no vis. No need to open your eyes.