Spent the weekend in Catalina. Vis was down a bit, but an enjoyable Sat and Sun nonetheless. Met Bill (of the Dr. variety) for the first time and had a short chat about our respective video systems and housings.
Saw a GBS. Not so giant, but a good 3 1/2 footer... and meaty. Bill says it's ealry in the year, so I felt doubly honored to spend a minute with the beauty (the sea bass, not Dr Bill).
Some BRILLIANT instructor saw fit to conduct Rescue Diver class drills on the surface of the park without notifying authorities beforehand (major no-no) and without having his entire class (as well as himself) don red hoods/caps over their dive hoods.
End result? When his student rescuer started shouting, "Diver, diver! Are you alright?!?", at the motionless, face-down diver 15 yards away people up in the parking lot started to freak. At least one called 911.
Why didn't I call? I spotted thin red stripes on two of the approximately eight divers hoods. That and the nonchalant manner of the nearby "observers" in what was (to me) obviously a class told me all I needed to know, but before you could shake a stick at the wayward instructor a Harbor Master was at the wall shouting down to the class to see if they were alright. Another four minutes later and 4 paramedics/EMTS arrived in two emergency vehicles with lights flashing.
Moral of the story- Follow the rules, don't freak out the civilian populace as they're spending a relaxing day watching the interesting divers in the water, and don't waste my tax money by needlessly mobilizing 3/4 of Catalina's Emergency Rescue squad. (Although I'm sure it was good training for them and kudos for arriving on-scene so quickly.)
Saw a GBS. Not so giant, but a good 3 1/2 footer... and meaty. Bill says it's ealry in the year, so I felt doubly honored to spend a minute with the beauty (the sea bass, not Dr Bill).
Some BRILLIANT instructor saw fit to conduct Rescue Diver class drills on the surface of the park without notifying authorities beforehand (major no-no) and without having his entire class (as well as himself) don red hoods/caps over their dive hoods.
End result? When his student rescuer started shouting, "Diver, diver! Are you alright?!?", at the motionless, face-down diver 15 yards away people up in the parking lot started to freak. At least one called 911.
Why didn't I call? I spotted thin red stripes on two of the approximately eight divers hoods. That and the nonchalant manner of the nearby "observers" in what was (to me) obviously a class told me all I needed to know, but before you could shake a stick at the wayward instructor a Harbor Master was at the wall shouting down to the class to see if they were alright. Another four minutes later and 4 paramedics/EMTS arrived in two emergency vehicles with lights flashing.
Moral of the story- Follow the rules, don't freak out the civilian populace as they're spending a relaxing day watching the interesting divers in the water, and don't waste my tax money by needlessly mobilizing 3/4 of Catalina's Emergency Rescue squad. (Although I'm sure it was good training for them and kudos for arriving on-scene so quickly.)
