Barracuda experience

[2 Bar]

All you cuda people are simply hard core metal!

:bang:

 

[CBulla]

I'm one of those rare people who were born and raised on the beaches of FL, the end result being that 'cuda were always around in some facet or another. However, until last year when I was doing a check out dive I'd never really had 'cuda hang around when diving. On this particular dive I had taken my watch and turned it over on my wrist so that when I was looking at my guages, I could see my watch and guages all at the same time. I looked back over my right shoulder to do a visual "all's well" with my buddy and he was 20' up above me giving me this "IT was THIS BIG" hands/arm size measurement. He finally came down and wrote on my slate "CUDA!" then pointed out this long silver beastie gliding around out to our right. Back on the boat after the dive he explained that this beastie had glided in between he and I and stopped behind my head, appearently curious about my shiny console and watch, and my buddy wanted no part of the buck toothed cuda that wanted to be my dive partner!

 

[Windwalker]

hehe.. Well.. Not that long ago..

I was snorkeling in Key Largo at John Pennicamp National park.
My Brother and I were by the swimming platform in about six feet of water, when I noticed a rather strange looking fish. SO I decided to screw with it. I would "Sneak" up behind it until I dwarfed it, it would scoot out to one side, and I would sneak up behind it again. I played with this fish for about five minutes, until my brother came over, tapped me on my shoulder and motioned that I should go to the surface. So I popped my head to the surface and he said "Stop playing with the Barracuda." Being the first time I had seen a real live barracuda, I swallowed my heart and looked back at the fish. At this time I swear the barracuda chuckled, it then took off like greased lightning.

At that point the realization hit me.. Who was screwing with who..

 

[Cudabait]

The barracuda is a great and facinating fish. They are territorial agressive sight feeders. They will make unprovoked attacks. They should not be feared, but never, never underestimated.

 

[dlegros]

I am heading over to St. Lucia in October and will be diving.

As most of my diving is in murky quarries, I have hi-viz reflective patches all over my fins and am a little concerned about possible unwanted attention.

What do you think folks, do I have an excuse for new fins?

Dom

 

[CBulla]

Windwalker, I know where you are coming from with who was screwing with who. October last year I was diving on Molasses Reef in Key Largo and had a little barracuda shadow the entire time, seemingly playing with myself and my buddy. It was a lot like having a dog tagging along with you for a walk and I couldnt resist taking a picture of Fidocuda -

http://home.earthlink.net/~nytalchemy/images/keylargo-dive2-3.jpg

dlegros.. I would deshiny your fins or get new ones unless you want to play dive-n-go-seek with curious fish and dive gear.

 

[Cudabait]

Hey Dom,

I assume your diving has been in fresh water. Anyway, you don't say what kind of relectors you have on your fins. Are they highly reflective. I would not recommed wearing them at night. Particularly where underwater lights are being used and predators frerquent. (Particularly barracuda) I have recently gone back to all very dark equipment, particularly my mask. See some of my posts in this thread under "Barracuda Attack".

 

[dlegros]

Thanks for the replies folks, you're quite right cudabait - almost all of my diving has been fresh water. I have about 10 reflective stickers 1/2" by 1" on each fin.

It look slike I'll have to see how easy they come off.

Dom

 

[Kettle]

I saw this big guy, while diving in a chanel in Yap. He wasn't aggressive, just hovered were he was as we passed by.
Cuda

 

[pdoege]

I was down solo with a school of a few hundred once. Unnerving, the school could have picked me apart, no problems.

They just hung out. An even larger school of jacks came along and chased them off.

Go figure.

I call them my 'buddy fish'. I always have a buddy, perhaps not a human one

Peter