Lost camera

[scubamatt1968]

I think many working the boats will keep gear...I had a double brain fart in Coz Oct 26 - Nov 6...day 1, did a long back roll entry at Rosa's with a 100 and hit the water too hard, dislodging my spare air from its holster...yes I carry a spare air and for good reason...Tried to recover but it was gone quickly on surface current. After dive our very helpful Captain on Blue Angel 1 yells in Spanish at a neighbouring boat if they found tank as they were towing a guy on a boogie board looking for 'stuff'. He thought he saw them pick it up...answer was first "nada" then DM suggested I show them my holster and stage 2 cap etc. and as we approached their very small 18' runabout, they said "oh yes" and pulled it out of a duffle bag. I was grateful so gave them a nice tip, but seemed clear they thought they were up a spare air and too bad for the careless diver.

Fast forward a week, and on a night dive Thurs Nov 5 with Blue Angel, I let my GoPro Hero 4 Silver on a green Evo stick slip off my wrist while waiting to board in pitch dark water. I have posted everywhere. I am hopeful that someone will give it up even if just for my micro sd card with 4 days of footage...isn't that always what we miss the most. I will now ALWAYS back up footage EVERY night...lesson learned.

I sure hope if Scuba Club actually knew of the diver who 'found' your camera that they encourage them to give it up, otherwise, that is just unreal diver etiquette. In 18 years I have left my gear, money, cc's, computers, camera etc. sitting around top side or in dive shop and never lost a thing, so I am keeping the faith for us both . Dive on!

 

[scubafanatic]

What a tool. Diving is a potentially dangerous sport with no room for ass holes. I wonder how he feels about sharing air? Probably for it only if it's him who needs it.

I hope it was insured. If not, do insure the next one - on your homeowners or rental insurance, or State Farm has a wonderful Personal Articles Policy that will cover dive cameras and more.

And you couldn't find it even on the boat? Not that many to suspect, but I guess you couldn't search their bags. I guess there are ass holes anywhere you go.

Don, I was told that the crew had done a detailed search of other divers' belongings while everyone was out diving so none of the passengers would be the wiser, but nothing was found. (I won't name the boat and specific boat crew names to avoid getting anyone in trouble that was involved in the search in case there are any legal issues there, I'll admit I'm not an expert on maritime law.)

 

[DandyDon]

Seriously, this is a great Personal Articles policy for anyone who cannot put cameras, etc. on home riders, or does not want to: https://www.statefarm.com/insurance/home-and-property/personal-articles-policy

I had it for a year, they paid a few claims easily & generously - bad year but I was lucky I had it. They did drop me for excessive claims, but I came out ahead. They insure cameras, sporting gear, art, dentures, whatever...

 

[Darol]

Sorry Don, I was so pissed when I read about this I couldn't think straight........

 

[ggunn]

Fortunately, there are counter examples, like the guy who found my wife's camera (which had a "this camera belongs to" image as the first one on the card) and took the strobe (which had separated from the camera and was not marked) away from another diver who had found it near the camera, contacted us when we got home (he tried when we were all down there but my phone was not internationally enabled), and shipped them to us from California. He went to a lot of trouble to do the right thing. I sent him a check for $100 but he never cashed it.

The diver who kept the found camera when the owner was right there looking for it is an abomination and an embarrassment flying in the face of the values I hold dear. I hope you are reading this, you selfish and morally deficient son of a bitch. Sorry for the language and the mixed metaphor.

 

[paulw]

Man I am sorry, what a jerk ! I lost my GoPro4 last July up on San Juan reef, the current ripped it out of my hand breaking the lanyard and goodbye camera. It would be doubly painful if I knew someone near by found it and would not return it.

 

[ronski101]

my 2 cents. ... Wasn't your camera lost on columbia pinnacles ist dive of the day sun nov 8? Your camera has positive buoyancy so it floated up too.......right through that hoard of scuba club divers who were descending upon us like the locust in the mummy movies.....hope you get the card back cuz you usually get a few great shots not to mention one or two of me just to show how handsome i am......

 

[James R]

This is an unfortunate example of why the buoyancy characteristics of your camera is important. My DSLR rig with two strobes etc is nearly neutral in salt water, sinks very slowly, which is what I want.

Also, depending on the value, insurance is vital. If you are a USAA member, they have a VPP (valuable personal property) option to cover cameras, guns, etc....my whole rig and all my guns are covered for a couple hundred bucks a year, with no deductible.

Anyway, sorry to hear you lost the camera and even more sorry to hear about the bs at the surface. I hope that person caught a case of Montezuma's Revenge and had to sit on a bright red hemorrhoid donut the whole flight home.

 

[DandyDon]

This is an unfortunate example of why the buoyancy characteristics of your camera is important. My DSLR rig with two strobes etc is nearly neutral in salt water, sinks very slowly, which is what I want.

Also, depending on the value, insurance is vital. If you are a USAA member, they have a VPP (valuable personal property) option to cover cameras, guns, etc....my whole rig and all my guns are covered for a couple hundred bucks a year, with no deductible.

Anyway, sorry to hear you lost the camera and even more sorry to hear about the bs at the surface. I hope that person caught a case of Montezuma's Revenge and had to sit on a bright red hemorrhoid donut the whole flight home.

Well, I like mine to float, but I'm not used to diving with thieves. Insurance is a good idea tho, for any dive camera - yours, mine, or other...

Seriously, this is a great Personal Articles policy for anyone who cannot put cameras, etc. on home riders, or does not want to: https://www.statefarm.com/insurance/home-and-property/personal-articles-policy

I had it for a year, they paid a few claims easily & generously - bad year but I was lucky I had it. They did drop me for excessive claims, but I came out ahead. They insure cameras, sporting gear, art, dentures, whatever...

 

[Sideways]

This is an unfortunate example of why the buoyancy characteristics of your camera is important. My DSLR rig with two strobes etc is nearly neutral in salt water, sinks very slowly, which is what I want.

Also, depending on the value, insurance is vital. If you are a USAA member, they have a VPP (valuable personal property) option to cover cameras, guns, etc....my whole rig and all my guns are covered for a couple hundred bucks a year, with no deductible.

Anyway, sorry to hear you lost the camera and even more sorry to hear about the bs at the surface. I hope that person caught a case of Montezuma's Revenge and had to sit on a bright red hemorrhoid donut the whole flight home.

Curious, I'm a USAA member. Does the VPP cover everything, including flooding? Same question to Don for the state farm policy. Thanks guys.