I didn't find out about Steves post about this dive trip until the other day and thought I should chime in about this trip since I was on it. For one, Steve started complaining before the boat even left the dock. There was nothing unusual about the trip out and the seas where not as bad as he made them sound. Yes, some of the other divers got sea sick as we were waiting to go down in a rocky boat, big deal it happens, get over it.
I'm the one who set the hook for the Captain, I've done it several times for him. The problem this time was that the swells were causing the line to surge and I could only get one tine of the hook into a crevass in the ledge, plus the anchor line was pulling along the length of the ledge. I wasn't sure it would hold, but after about 3 minutes of watching it and it hadn't dropped out, I tied off my reel and went about the dive. Yes, it did end up dropping out of the hole somehow, but that is one of the reasons we have lines attached to the anchor so we don't get separated or lost from it. When it started dragging (at a very slow rate) I was able to reel in my line and easily catch up to the anchor. In fact as it was dragging I was able to swim away from it at times and pick up teeth and swim back to it. On this kind of bottom, this can happen from time to time, again, NO BIG DEAL!
Everyone made it back to the anchor except one individual, and it was a mistake on his part coupled with the dragging anchor that ended with him doing a free accent.
I was to blame for telling the Captain that I thought the diver was below me. I didn't realize that the dive mates deco bottle was hanging below the boat on a line still and that is what I had seen in the murk. I did say I wasn't positive, and they continued to look for bubbles and the diver. it was while we were all looking that his sausage was spotted. There was no problem getting over to him and picking him up and he wasn't upset about the situation.
Steve had been grumbling the entire time about every little thing, making small remarks about the boat and its crew. He finally pushed too much when he made a derogatory comment about the achor type and the Captain and mate called him on it, this during the attempt to set the anchor for the second dive when tensions were a little high. When the Captain told him they had to use a hook because of the bottom type and ledge, he made another derogatory remark/gesture behind the Captains back that the mate saw, and this is where the mate put him in his place, rightfully so in my mind.
I have been diving with this Captain for years and he runs a very good charter. I don't know what this guy Steve's problem is, but he is not someone I would feel safe diving with or even want to be around due to his attitude.
I have found out also that Steve is a snitch and reported the Captains use of a trailer to transfer his fuel to the boat for filling, which resulted in him having to rebuild his trailer. That to me is just spiteful and low (Plus I think snitches are the lowest form of life!)
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I recommend Captain Tom's SpearIt Charters to anyone who wants to spearfish or fossil dive off of North Carolina and stick by that recommendation!