When you find an item while diving, do you try and locate the owner?

[dc4bs]

The only really usefull thing I have found was a dive knife that I picked off the bottom on an AOW dive. In the sheith with the straps on it. Either it was dropped or just fell off someones leg I guess.

There were only 3 of us there that day and noone at the LDS knew anything about it so I kept it and have taken it on most every dive since.

 

[Arduous]

If I’m in an area where there are people, swimmers / divers ect. I will always make an attempt to locate owner regardless of the items value. I was diving in a popular training dive sight in Maine last summer ( Nubble Light ) and I found a Scuba Pro dive knife that was like brand new. No rust or scaring on the blade or handle. When I exited the water I stood high on a rock overlooking a group of more than 25 divers. I held the knife over my head and announced my find and asked if anyone had lost this knife. A male subject yelled out from the crowd, that’s mine! I yelled back show me the sheath ! All 25 divers broke out laughing and the knife went home with me. ………………Arduous

 

[ninja]

Finders Keepers ????
As a rule if the item doesn't belong to one of your dive party, i'ts finders keepers. But if it's a big ticket item, I well attempt to locate the owner. like a computer,


Dido on that one !!

NINJA:ninja:

 

[Jonathan]

Like most I would try to return it if I could or at least ask around. But then I have only found a suunto compass on a dive in the Red Sea - checked around the boat and noone claimed so finders keepers.

Strangely on the same dive my buddy came up and said that he lost his knife on the last dive. A few minutes later another friend came up saying waht a great dive and he even found a knife - you guessed it and duely swapped for a beer!!

Still if anyone finds/found my Custom Diver reel (marked and named) on the Thistlegorm then please let me know - but I won't be holding my breath!

Jonathan

 

[Rooster]

A few years back, after a long weekend of diving, I got a call from someone I didn't know. He asked if I owned a Datamax Sport computer? I said yes, why? He said he found one with my name on it. I didn't even know I had lost it. It was a spare computer and had apparently, some how, made it into the water with me. The guy didn't know me from Adam, and had gone to several of the dive shops asking around until the shop I teach through gave him my #. When I went to pick it up, I thanked him and offered a small reward. He said no, but said it would be nice if I ever had the chance, to do the same for someone else. This happened over ten years ago, and since then I have had the pleasure to "pay back" my debt several times. I plan on continuing with this personal policy.

 

[ebbtide]

well at one time in my life i would have said no way its mine !
UNTIL i started to dive , my life changed musta been the nitrogen the wife said but i saw things from a different point of view (bottem looking up) i know change of heart bla bla bla BUT on one of my last dives in august past , i found 2 hooks that were used by a Lobster companie and tossing them into the trunk i kinds forgot about them till i saw the feller that runs the companie , figured i dident need them for myself so i offered them back to him he asked if i wanted $ for them and i thaught naaa i am having a good day well time passed and never herd from him agin Until last week when he offered me a part time job diving for him and for me to set my price . now i think back to when i offered a millionair one of his tools back and never asked anything in return now i work for the man ?
ya sometimes it is a change of heart
ut:

 

[MNScuba]

Wow... who'd have thought that would happen!? I guess it really does depend on the item and the circumstances. I'm sure if you ARE lucky enough to find something you might be interested in, chances are the owner probably wishes they still had it. I'm glad I made this poll, it helped me realize that just because something is on the bottom of a lake/ocean, doesn't mean it's anymore right to not try and locate the owner. If I found a wallet on the street I would do so, so why not in the water? I guess you have to take diving as a priviledge, and do right by helping those who are not priviledged to do so.

Things that make you go HMMMM!

 

[ebbtide]

murdock
thats the exact way i feal man ,
it is a privlage to be a naturlest in a place that only divers can visite it is like going to the rainforrest and cutting down ALL the trees i mean ya cut a couple to let others grow up too but man take care of what you can for thoes to come!
we are only visitors here !

 

[trymixdiver]

I would return any equipment that is marked.

I would return any item i found if the person who lost it is actually there looking for it still, which has happened.

It sucks to lose equipment, i return all equipment if its possible, i know how it feels to lose an item.

I mostly find Knives, Lights, reels. These are expensive items, return them. We are all divers, we should stick together. If i kept everything i found i would have to rent storage space for it all.

On a single dive i found 3 masks and snorkles plus 1 wight belt.

i am sure most people have way too much equipment they dont use anyway, what could i possibly need that someone drops that i dont have 2 or 3 of already.

Make a new friends, return the items

TMD

 

[hook]

I would try to return it if marked. I found a mask last fall. Last Sunday I discovered a group from Fairbanks who were certifying off our city dock and went to see what was up. Mentioning that I had found a mask in the area they were diving, one of the beach monitors asked what color. Turns out one of the shop owners had one kicked off the previous spring while instructing an OW class and lost it. I went home to get it and it was apparently a great "special award" when they handed out c-cards!

hook