to do what Jim was discussing

[TheHobster]

In early August I took a couple folks to Haigh and Lake Michigan for my Dive Planner class. So we just don't do quarries!

The day at Haigh was cut a tad short as we got a much needed thunderstorm that got all our dry clothes soaked. The funny part was at the end pof the dive. One of my students was shooting a liftbag from about 30'. He had watched his buddy do it the dive previous, and he was very methodical (he's an engineer). He's got the bag, he gets the reel, unstops the lock, pulls out the loop, runs the loop thru the bag loop, runs the reel thru the end loop. Looking good. Until he drops the reel. It of course free spools and like all folks, he starts trying to "retrieve" it. Now we have more line than needed. We went down and got it, and as we were getting out the t-storm hit. So off to Chicago area and some more stories.

So there I was the next day. He dives with me on his last dive of the course. We have an excellent dive on the Mack, 75', 40-50' viz, cool but not bracingly cold at the bottom. A very nice dive. So at the end we do our safety stop, ascend and then go to back of the boat. There are 6 of us diving, he is next to last to exit, I am last. I am hanging on the tag line waiting for him to exit. He is climbing out, the captain is helping the person before him get out of the way. All of a sudden, he kind of spins to the right, and drops into the water. But, the ladder is still sticking out of the water.

Now this man has a hearing loss that requires that he wear hearing aids. So now, no hearing aids, plus a hood, and an idling engine. That and he is NOT letting go of that ladder like he did the reel!! We are trying to get his attention, and Capt Jim's attention. He keeps asking what do I do w/it?? Didn't matter what we said, he couldn't hear us!

The upshot is Capt Jim and the other instructor got the ladder, then hauled him out and I got out too. Turned out the welds on the ladder broke as he was getting out. So it added to "So there I was.." fodder around the campfire at Gilboa last weekend since 4 of us were there It got embellished just a bit. The Broken Ladder Incident is now part of Traveling Dive and Liars Club lore

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Thanks for the report Preston!

 

[CamG]

Ah the rest of the story!
Now for Jims version if you wish you can fill me in at the M&G.
Glad no one was hurt ladders can be dangerous at times.
I witness two such tumbles this past March in FL at fresh water springs.
Quick actions on the part of other divers made all the difference.

CamG

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Ah the rest of the story!
Now for Jims version if you wish you can fill me in at the M&G.
Glad no one was hurt ladders can be dangerous at times.
I witness two such tumbles this past March in FL at fresh water springs.
Quick actions on the part of other divers made all the difference.

CamG

I wasn't on this charter Cam.

 

[The Chairman]

I wasn't on this charter Cam.

That's never stopped anyone before!

 

[TheHobster]

I wasn't on this charter Cam.

We were with Capt Jim Gentile, a rather gregarious guy with a very irreverent sense of humor, and we were out of Burnham Harbor. The view of Chicago from the water is worth the charter. Beautiful. As were the sights IN the harbor on a sunny, warm afternoon. Which gave way to a discussion with Ken on his son, and some other Purdue students, and their co-ed rating system in this digital age using only 0 and 1. So, of course, being responsible researchers, Mike, Ken and I had to do a beta test.

Then of course we discussed our findings at Lou Malnotti's afterwards. All for science don't ya know

 

[Davemohio]

The view of Chicago from land is too cool already. I cannot imagine seeing it from water AND on a dive boat.
Sounds fantastic.

Another thing for my bucket list. Thanks for the report.