Most of the time we don't dive during DEMA week. We did for many years, but it just got ruined by stupidity.
About 7 years ago we dove Orange Grove and about 400 ft in or so (this is from memory so don't qoute that part) we saw weird stuff ahead we couldn't describe. What we came up on was 3 divers. One in OK trim (for OW diving), one dude with his fins flat on the ground half standing half crouched down with one hand on the ceiling so he could basically stand without falling over. The third dude had his ass on the wall, fins/feet in the ground just sitting there like he was sitting on a bench. The bottom of his doubles helped him sit straight up. It was the most insane thing I've ever seen in a cave. Like they set up a lounge to hang out. Next time I dive OG I will make a note as to where the rock the dude was sitting on is. When you pass it you don't even notice it, but if you are looking for it, it's obvious if you were a jackass you might actually be able to sit there.
3 years ago(I think) was the last time I dove during DEMA where the dudes blocked my exit. I was doing a little solo ccr dive in Ginnie up the bone line and back. I literally was removing my spool off the bone line at the park bench when these 4 dudes started putting in their jump. They could clearly see me, but they chose to ignore me. I signaled with my light, hand signaled I was exiting. I even pointed at my spool which was off the line at this point and in my hand and then signaled I was going in their direction. It was clear they didn't give 2 sh-ts, and I suddenly realized it was four dbags not 2. So I quickly tied my spool back on and then sat for just over 4 minutes in that little nook to the left of the bone line/park bench (from the perspective of exiting) and just hovered while these morons took forever to tie in and drop their stages. On top of that they dropped their stages so 3 were on the bone line side of my spool and one was on the outbound side. So besides waiting, I had to work my spool around their stages. I saw them predive and waited about 45 minutes post-dive to rip them new buttholes, but I finally gave up. They were a group from Brazil who regularly dive out of CCDS (this story has no reflection on CCDS) when Dema comes to town. One of the guys I know for sure is a technical instructor from down there. I actually met him in person years prior and wasn't a fan. After that experience I'm really not a fan of any of them. If I actually knew his name I would post it because it was egregious and him and his group are deserving of a shaming. I'm still pissed enough that if I ever saw him at a dive site I woud still bring it up to him. Its the one time I wish I had a go pro on me.
