Private diving in JP...

[Sniperx]

Hey...

I'm a new diver and have been living in JP almost 3 years now. My fiancee is a cert. diver and I just completed mine in CA this winter.

Now...I was raised in Socal USA. I spent 20 years growing up in the various beaches of southern california. What does that all mean? I'm used to walking down some random trail by the train tracks and hopping in the water. I am told its not quite so here in the JP.

My finacee up until I convinced her otherwise, with help of DiverDad (my dad is an old time J valve diver...can't believe you dove until you felt like you were running out of air then pull this rod and head up...what a wacky thing to do.), you don't need an instructor or massive group or rental tanks, or pay off some fishing yakuza.

I want to find undiscovered places and sights not trampled on by everyone else.

My questions three:

Can we just pull off the road or some isolated area and hop in?

Who are these fishing clowns that lay claim to all things wet? Can they be avoided? What if I tell them to F-off?

What about flags? My girl looked at me like I was nuts when I brought up a flag and float setup. Is this just thrown by the wayside here?


I have another friend who is a bit of an underwater pirate....helping himself to crab traps and what not. He says not to worry about the fisherman, they're just bullies and have no actual claim to anything.

 

[japan-diver]

Where in Japan are you? the fishing yakuza differ from place to place. Here in Okinawa jumping in anywhere is common, up north thats another story.

 

[Sniperx]

I'm down here in Ehime/Shikoku. I personally don't care what some self-important drunks have to say...especially if its not legally backed. If they really start a fight...I'lll just start speaking straight up Californian and they'll be completely lost and frustrated...hopefully go away. They want to go a round....thats fine by me....I've got a few tricks I've been dying to try on a live body.

 

[Geoff_H]

I wouldn't recommend getting into a physical fight with a Japanese person in Japan.

You can be locked up without charge for 30 days in here, then released without apology. Also they have a 99.2% conviction rate and a lot of Japanese policeman are not well disposed to foreigners.

 

[Sniperx]

I've also read of justified self defense and wait for them to hit first. I doubt it would come to any of that, but hey, I've been given hard looks by locals before. Usually younger chimpira types. People looking to take on the big guy to prove something...first day in prison type mentality. Don't get me wrong, I tread lightly in this country...but I also don't curl up and take it the way a lot of these thugs want you to do. Theres one guy locally, that we suspect he has something mentally wrong with him, who nearly threw down in front of the super market....he said something along the lines I was standing to close to his woman....yet the only woman who was around was my bosses wife...who in this case I WAS standing close to because of this persons aggressive nature.

 

[whoji]

You seem to have a leaning towards physical violence and aggression.
My advice, stop looking for a fight and dive more!!

 

[Sniperx]

It may seem that way...but after you've experienced the underside of Japan...you understand. Theres a lot of BS that goes on here. A prime example...the police are impotent....I know, my industry is based in developing training equipment and methods for police and military. The police will not respond to a crime, but rather wait until it has been committed and take the report. The past year someone in Tokyo, a simple valium-type junkie was wielding a kitchen knife....he managed to seriously injure 7! police officers before he was finally subdued. I know the UK coppers are still stuck with nightsticks....but a couple of your bobbies surely could take care of one opium doped dummy. These are the people I'm depending on to protect me and my loved one? Heck no. The city I live in has quite a few young and bored yakuza. One came into our shop monthly, drunk, and routinely threatened my bosses life. Finally, my boss said, go for it. The guy was on the ground writhing in pain from a simple submission hold of the wrist. After that the guy wanted to learn more...but was too drunk to ever keep up. Another time, a non-threatening yak showed up with his ladyfriend. When you see a guy in Gucci sunglasses and FUBU running gear step out of a brand new SLK55...you don't need to see his missing pinky and ring finger to know he was pretty high up. And yes he WAS missing both of those fingers. He just wanted to learn to shoot and show his lady how good a shot he was...although he was terrible...nice enough guy though.

You don't believe me about the yaks and thugs....heres a photo from the masculine festival in October...

airsoft

Look at the arms lifting the miniature shrine (mikoshi). Look at the guys riding the thing.

And yes....you're right...need to dive more. I'm just starting and am no where near confident enough to go out lone ranger style, otherwise I'd hop in in a second. Waiting for my girls tank to arrive this week and her next day off we're going to go out. I also want to get an idea of the opposition and rules/regs of this game here...makes sure I have the right to tell someone to pound sand before I actually say it.

 

[whoji]

Not everything revolves around violence, there are other ways of communicating. The picture you portray of japan is not a good one, im sure its only a very small percentage that is of the make up you describe.
question: If it is that bad why dont you move - If you truly fear for your safety what price do you put on it?

P.S. whats a "bobby"

 

[Sniperx]

Damnit....forum ate my reply....

Oh well.

Lets just say this...I'm big, I'm foreign, and a good target to try yourself out on. I never had the problem in the US...either I was not interesting enough or who knows what. And yes it is a small percentage, but it only took a handful of terrorists to change the history of the US, it only takes one J-ASS with a pocket knife to ruin your night, if threatened I will protect myself and my loved one. I have come to terms with this and am prepared to do what is necessary if there is no assistance around. In this world, its best to think of yourself as on your own...everyone else will inevitably let you down. You need to be ready to do things by yourself and on your own.

Answer: I don't fear this place. Fear was a creeping sensation I had walking down the Las Vegas Blvd. after midnight and some guy started following my fiancee and me. I don't fear Japan or its people. The goods of JP far outweigh the bads.

Your user name has UK under, though thats what they called police in the UK, bobbies.


Anyway...enough BS...........

I want to dive in this beautiful country and I don't want to pay these unnecessary people...fisherman yakuza, beach space rentals, tank rentals, dive instructors, dive sites, etcetcetce

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Use a boat, a small inflatable is all you need,you can probably be far enough away you could'nt hear them.