Embarassing Moment - Shore Dive FAIL

[UforSCUBA?]

Just when I start to feel somewhat confident in my diving abilities, wham! Reality hits.

My buddy and I decide to head to LBTS for some shore diving. We get out of the car and head down to the beach to check out the conditions. The surf was a little rough, but there were a couple of dive flags out on the reef, so we decided to give it a shot.

I'm struggling a little, but not too bad. I manage to get my fins on and just as I'm about to descend, I get tumbled in a wave and lose a fin. I find it, but it's about 10 feet away, so the chase begins. My buddy is also trying to reach it, but he's schlepping the dive flag, so I wave him off and tell him I'll get it and to just stay there. As soon as I get close enough to touch it, here comes another wave. This game of cat-n-mouse goes on for a bit until me and my fin are washed up near the shore. A kind passerby saw my fin and brought it over to me. OK, great, time to get back in. I'm now on my butt in the sand and I'm trying to figure out the best way to get back out to my buddy, who is patiently waiting and riding out the waves (and probably having a good laugh). I hook my fins on my arm and decide to try and crawl out towards him. No go. For every few feet I crawl, I get knocked back futher on the beach. Ok, next move. I try to crawl back to the beach so I can stand up and walk back out. No go. The opposite happens. I crawl out a few feet, only to get pulled back in. By this time, I am beat. I decide to just relax and let the waves take me where they will. I'm rolling back and forth in the surf for a bit before I finally wash up on shore far enough to avoid the worst of the waves. Now I can crawl effeciently, but I can't stand up. All of my strength is gone, not that I have much to begin with anyway (I'm 4'10" and 115 lbs). I'm on my hands and knees, trying to decide if I want to crawl further away or just take a nap right then and there when my knight in shining armor/buddy arrives and helps me to my feet.

Needless to say, I called the dive and spent the rest of the day cleaning sand out of my gear. I also decided that I need to hit the gym more often.

How embarassing.

Help me feel better about myself and share your embarassing stories!

 

[Boingo]

I clip my fins onto the bottom d-ring of my BCD using a carabiner,
when I walk out in the water. It helps to have my hands free as I'm flailing & stumbling.

 

[CindyMac]

Been there, done that!!

First ever shore dive in beautiful, beautiful Bonaire - checkout dive. We had to gear up a bit away from the entry point (including going down some steps). Got down to the water with my husband. Trying to get my footing on the rocks when a nice little wave knocked me off balance. My husband was beside me and the seawall was next to him. I knocked him onto the wall - he landed on his full face mask (it survived) - he couldn't help me up. Took several minutes and two people to get me up! I seriously thought about crawling back to my room and just hiding out (with occasional trips out to the bar)! After getting myself settled down, went on to have a seriously beautiful dive! My first for real, as a OW diver, ocean dive and at my age, firsts are especially sweet.

Earlier in the year, I was diving at our local quarry. I got to the entry point and noted the water was just a bit lower than the last time I dove. I was just saying "This looks a little slip......." when I crashed down on my keister (really, I think the tank hit first). There were quite a few people on hand to witness this shining moment. It was also the day my wetsuit finally got really broken in (I really baptized that thing). Again, two people and a lot of laughter later, I got in the water. My pride suffered more than anything else.

I'm sure I'll slip and fall again! I seem to be so good at it.

 

[uncfnp]

I clip my fins onto the bottom d-ring of my BCD using a carabiner,
when I walk out in the water. It helps to have my hands free as I'm flailing & stumbling.

I do the same thing then wade out and put the fins on in the water. An example of learning from experience! If entry rough, I also have mask on and regulator in.

 

[Jax]

Just when I start to feel somewhat confident in my diving abilities, wham! Reality hits.

My buddy and I decide to head to LBTS for some shore diving. We get out of the car and head down to the beach to check out the conditions. The surf was a little rough, but there were a couple of dive flags out on the reef, so we decided to give it a shot.

I'm struggling a little, but not too bad. I manage to get my fins on and just as I'm about to descend, I get tumbled in a wave and lose a fin. I find it, but it's about 10 feet away, so the chase begins. My buddy is also trying to reach it, but he's schlepping the dive flag, so I wave him off and tell him I'll get it and to just stay there. As soon as I get close enough to touch it, here comes another wave. This game of cat-n-mouse goes on for a bit until me and my fin are washed up near the shore. A kind passerby saw my fin and brought it over to me. OK, great, time to get back in. I'm now on my butt in the sand and I'm trying to figure out the best way to get back out to my buddy, who is patiently waiting and riding out the waves (and probably having a good laugh). I hook my fins on my arm and decide to try and crawl out towards him. No go. For every few feet I crawl, I get knocked back futher on the beach. Ok, next move. I try to crawl back to the beach so I can stand up and walk back out. No go. The opposite happens. I crawl out a few feet, only to get pulled back in. By this time, I am beat. I decide to just relax and let the waves take me where they will. I'm rolling back and forth in the surf for a bit before I finally wash up on shore far enough to avoid the worst of the waves. Now I can crawl effeciently, but I can't stand up. All of my strength is gone, not that I have much to begin with anyway (I'm 4'10" and 115 lbs). I'm on my hands and knees, trying to decide if I want to crawl further away or just take a nap right then and there when my knight in shining armor/buddy arrives and helps me to my feet.

Needless to say, I called the dive and spent the rest of the day cleaning sand out of my gear. I also decided that I need to hit the gym more often.

How embarassing.

Help me feel better about myself and share your embarassing stories!

Dude, you just wrote my story!!!!

Only difference is, the waves snatched the fin from my hand, so I dove after it! HUGE mistake . . . . cost me a mask, too!!

 

[uncfnp]

Been there, done that!!

First ever shore dive in beautiful, beautiful Bonaire - checkout dive. We had to gear up a bit away from the entry point (including going down some steps). Got down to the water with my husband. Trying to get my footing on the rocks when a nice little wave knocked me off balance. My husband was beside me and the seawall was next to him. I knocked him onto the wall - he landed on his full face mask (it survived) - he couldn't help me up. Took several minutes and two people to get me up! I seriously thought about crawling back to my room and just hiding out (with occasional trips out to the bar)! After getting myself settled down, went on to have a seriously beautiful dive! My first for real, as a OW diver, ocean dive and at my age, firsts are especially sweet.

Earlier in the year, I was diving at our local quarry. I got to the entry point and noted the water was just a bit lower than the last time I dove. I was just saying "This looks a little slip......." when I crashed down on my keister (really, I think the tank hit first). There were quite a few people on hand to witness this shining moment. It was also the day my wetsuit finally got really broken in (I really baptized that thing). Again, two people and a lot of laughter later, I got in the water. My pride suffered more than anything else.

I'm sure I'll slip and fall again! I seem to be so good at it.

Ditto on Bonaire. But well worth the humiliation, IMO.

 

[UforSCUBA?]

I knew I wasn't the only one, but it's sure nice to hear others' tales! Just call me Grace!

I clip my fins onto the bottom d-ring of my BCD using a carabiner,
when I walk out in the water. It helps to have my hands free as I'm flailing & stumbling.

I do the same thing then wade out and put the fins on in the water. An example of learning from experience! If entry rough, I also have mask on and regulator in.

I had already conquered the hard part (or so I thought)! I was ready to go, until that last wave decided to rip my fin off. Maybe I should attach a double-ender from my fin to the leg of my wetsuit?? lol

And yes, I definitely had my mask on and my reg in my mouth. This would have been in the A&I forum if not!

 

[Mike]

LOL

You were definitely not for scuba that day scuba Claude.

Happens to the best of us, at least you can laugh about it now.

 

[spectrum]

Yea it happens. Some days the conditions are safe enough but challenging and sometimes the challenge gets the best of you. We use the fin keepers to slip our fins to my BC. It keeps our hand free so my wive and I can steady each other when conditions are not so hot. A little more situational awareness of what's rolling in make have helped you brace yourself. Sometimes no bracing will stall mother nature.

At least you weren't home wishing you had tried to go diving that day!

All of the gear came home, nobody got hurt and you learned something.... I call that a good dive.

Pete

 

[DennisS]

I took a look today, no go, a good rule of thumb in S FL is that if there are surfers and kiteboarders out, find something else to do.

I've been spit out by the ocean and done the beach crawl quite a few times. I'm too old for that anymore. I just pick my days