Warning for Monterey Divers (especially women): Beware of Fred

[archman]

Well, Fred appears to have EXCELLENT taste in vehicles. The "Toreador Red" of those late '90's models was particularly attractive.

 

[RoyN]

My super acura MDX is alot better then his too and it matches the color of my wetsuit.

 

[reefugee]

Roy - My wife and I were at Breakwater today and met Fred. Anyway - he pretty much ignored me, so I don't think he's attracted to asian male. I think you're safe.

TO Everyone: We talked to a husband/wife friends of ours who have dove with Fred. They said he's weird - but harmless. He didn't try doing anything to them. They wouldn't dive with him again though. BTW - I agree with Ben_Ca and Chuck Tribolet's comment that he may be weird - but we have no confirmed report that he has done anything illegal. So leave the poor guy alone. If you don't want to dive with him, just say "No." But no need to post his pictures on a public forum.

Minh

:11:

Roy don't worry Fred usually hits up the females... usually

 

[Jim Ernst]

Take it easy guys.... The only thing that Fred's guilty of is being a little "wierd" so don't go crazy posting pictures and all that....

That's funny Ben, he is A lot wierd!! Well sorta.

 

[RoyN]

Roy - My wife and I were at Breakwater today and met Fred. Anyway - he pretty much ignored me, so I don't think he's attracted to asian male. I think you're safe.

Alright, I think I'll try and stop laughing now.

 

[Fuzzmutton]

Roy - My wife and I were at Breakwater today and met Fred. Anyway - he pretty much ignored me, so I don't think he's attracted to asian male. I think you're safe.

TO Everyone: We talked to a husband/wife friends of ours who have dove with Fred. They said he's weird - but harmless. He didn't try doing anything to them. They wouldn't dive with him again though. BTW - I agree with Ben_Ca and Chuck Tribolet's comment that he may be weird - but we have no confirmed report that he has done anything illegal. So leave the poor guy alone. If you don't want to dive with him, just say "No." But no need to post his pictures on a public forum.

Minh

Illegal? Confirmed reports? No....BUT, I've had two run-in's with Fred asking me to dive, the second time my husband was gearing up next to me and Fred acted like my husband was not even alive. The man just stared at me and hardly blinked and when we finally convinced him that we were not diving with him, he didn't leave, he just sat there in his truck in the middle of the lane, staring at me. My husband was ticked. That is mentally unbalanced, not "weird".

Don't you think the unsuspecting public has a right to put a face with a man whose behavior is bizarre and crazy when he is presenting himself as a fit dive partner? Would you want to dive with him? Or, better yet, how would you like to dive with a mentally unfit person and find out that that there were people who knew but didn't tell you "for that person's privacy".

 

[RoyN]

I still say my car is better then Freddy's red pickup and it matches the color of my wetsuit .

 

[mweitz]

Reread the original post. She says that he grabbed her underwater and tried to drag her off.

Mark

I just wanted to post a warning to anyone who dives in Monterey to
be wary of a local diver named Fred who approaches divers, especially women, at local dive sites and asks to join them on their dives. He drives an older red pickup truck and typically wears a cap with a dive flag on the front.

I had a very disturbing experience with this guy about a month ago where he grabbed me underwater and tried to drag me off in an unplanned direction. I have since learned other disturbing facts about his reputation.

I am not one to spread rumors, but the information I got was from several very reliable sources and I think it's important information for divers to have in making choices about who NOT to dive with.

According to several professionals at various dive shops in Monterey, Fred has had a reputation for this kind of behavior. They shared their knowledge about cards he has had that misrepresented him as a dive professional and "certified dive buddy". They also indicated that there was evidence that he has turned off air to force a buddy breathing situation. The dive professionals that I've talked to try to dissuade people from diving with him and one dive shop won't even fill his tanks.

I learned a very important lesson that day I let him tag along. I was not so kind and accomodating the second time he approached me. I hope this information helps others from having a similar experience.

~LittleFrog, a little wiser.

 

[reefugee]

Fuzzmutton and mweitz -

I respect your opinion, and am sorry that Fuzzmutton had a "weird" experience with him. But every posts have indicated he is a bad and/or weird buddy - not a buddy that has done anything illegal. I am not trying to defend Fred's odd behavior - but this thread is going from an information warning thread about Fred to a what i would consider a "Fred" bashing thread.

I still think it's going too far to post his pictures. It's one thimg to post stories about Fred and warn people, but it's another thing to post his pictures. What next? Maybe someone should follow him home and post his home address? How about posting his phone number?

Minh

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

He hands out cards with his phone number: Fred S., Dive Buddy, 123-456-7890

I don't think there's a need to post pictures: You'll know it INSTANTLY when you meet
him.