WARNING: BOATERS POACHING DIVERS!
Twice now I have had boaters try to poach my dive flag; we me attached!
Two weeks ago by a drunk and/or stupid boater who wanted my dive flag as a souvenir.
The boater told a guy on jet ski that he "lost (my) it (dive flag)" and to "grab it for him".
The guy on the jet ski pulled me up by my dive flag.
I admit there was lots of noise overhead from the boat trying to get into the correct position to make a grab.
The guy on the jet ski was apologetic, but the boater wasn't and went on to say "you shouldn't be diving here".
(I didn't think he should be breathing here). You can't argue with a drunk. Where is FWC or PBSO when you need them.
FWC is usually more polite about trying to pull you up. They are better at it too.
Today there was lots of noise overhead from what sounds like a boat trying to get into the correct position to make a grab.
I look up and sure enough there is a boat with a dock hook reaching for my flag
I say to heck with this and pull my flag down and go into stealth mode. Well, I stealthy as I could and still blow bubbles.
Unfortunately, there weren't enough waves to hide my bubbles.
I go over and hide behind an anchored boat and I thought that I had lost them. But no, here comes the boat overhead again.
I see the dock hook reaching down for me. It is kind of funny. I am 15 feet deep and this guy can only reach 3 feet deep with his dock hook.
This goes on for another 30 minutes.
I finally take refuge just under the bridge and this guy is now pushing off the low bridge (trying to keep from running into the bridge)
and he still reaching down with his dock hook.
I was really wishing I had a bang stick, but I don't own one. Be my luck that I spear an FWC boat.
It was probably justified, but I am willing to kill someone over it. Be my luck I would hit the fuel tank!
I considered going up and reaching up and grabbing the dock hook and snatching it out of his hand.
I decided against that, since I really didn't want a drunk boater falling on top of me.
Yes, I probably could have gone up and "talked" to the guy, but as I said before you can't argue with a drunk.
I went further under the bridge to try to make the boater think I was going over to the other side of the bridge.
I hang my flag just off the bottom further under the bridge.
The boat pulled away for awhile. I say yeah, you go all the way around the island and wait for me.
I will sneak out by the riprap.
After a few minutes, I go back to take a picture of an octopus, and the boat is back!
I considered grabbing the street sign laying on the bottom and sticking the sign up into his prop.
I decided against that, since I really didn't know if it wasn't an FWC boat.
going up and reaching up and grabbing the dock hook and snatching it out of his hand.
I ignore him while I take my shots until my battery goes dead.
I decided that what I needed was rope to put in his prop.
I finally came up with the idea of a small fish net with a couple small floats to pull it to the surface.
Add some heavy line to help control the net and it will foul the prop.
I will have it next time. Sounds safe for me and hard to trace.
I collect my flag and make my way back to the other side of the bridge.
I poke my head out and there aren't any boats in sight, but there are lots of flags, divers, and swimmers.
I make my way out without hassle. I walk over to the other side, but the boat is gone.
Unless someone has a better idea, I will be ready next time.
We tried to educate boaters about dive flags after the last incidence.
Labor Day brings out all the drunken idiots though.
Dive safe.
