By Andy Keely on Thursday, November 1, 2001 - 2:35 am: |
Right....the silt has settled a little & everyone has had a chance to lick their wounds since the damaging "100 foot plus" thread. Has irrepairable damage been done to egos & relationships or is there a glimmer of hope of reconcilliation?
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By Meryl Virga on Thursday, November 1, 2001 - 9:39 am: |
Andy....this is very noble of you.(Sir Andy from now on!)..and a wonderful Idea....I cannot remember a "public humiliation" I can share, as I try to keep as low key as possible..(I'm sure if Steve were here he'd have a few about me though)..I guess that is why I like shore diving...no one is around to see my entry and exit blunders....but given this chance, I would like to formally apologize to Niki on this thread from a mental vomit I made to her months back...I'm sure Dave remembers the thread....sometimes I guess we just type faster than we think...our typing teachers would be proud...but I guess it is a good thing that this is a message board and not a live chat....as far as the 100 depth thread I also apologize if I have said anything that has been taken in anyway other than good hearted fun...This board is great...(thanks again to Jake and Linda) and everyone that has contributed they are also the reason it is that way.....we all have alot to say...sometimes good sometimes bad...but that is what makes us all "unique", We (I) have been through alot in the past few months and whether that has anything to do with our high strung comments of late is a possibility. I hope everyone from that thread or previous ones that have left...will stay and continue to add the diversity to this board that makes it wonderful... Thanks for the venting thread Andy.....Have a good day all! Time to clean cages!
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By Denise L. Kacavas on Thursday, November 1, 2001 - 10:46 am: |
OK, here is just one of my embarrasing dives: My husband, son and I were doing a dive in a cove in Maine, fairly shallow - just planning to carve pumpkins uw as part of a Halloween celebration. As we were just starting out uw I could see that my tank was loose, we opted to climb up onto the rocks on one side of the cove to fix it. MISTAKE... the waves were throwing us on and off the rocks, and with a tank slipping I could not control myself in those conditions. The three of us looked like the three stooges flopping around on the rocks while everybody else was quietly uw blowing bubbles enjoying their pumpkin carving... Lesson learned; be thorough in checking out your gear setup before you enter the water...
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By Cecil Berry on Thursday, November 1, 2001 - 10:47 am: |
Andy good idea for a thread, you did promise two stories. I only saw one, cough it up.
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By Jake Richter - NetTech on Thursday, November 1, 2001 - 11:10 am: |
I think this thread should not include the obvious "stupid diver tricks" (all of which I have personal experience with - they say your experiences make you a better person, so I must really be good now):
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By Peter Cabus on Thursday, November 1, 2001 - 1:27 pm: |
I've got a "serious" one to share with you guys (and girls).
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By Linnea Wimberly on Thursday, November 1, 2001 - 2:54 pm: |
I was diving a live-aboard off the great barrier reef and supposedly the current was slack at the time. Normally we jumped in off the stern and swam to the anchor line to follow it down to 50-60 feet to start our dive. My buddy for some reason wanted to jump in and drop down immediately and swim to the reef. Well, there was a strong current running at a right angle to the boat. I have to descend slowly as I don't clear easily. By the time I got to 30 feet my buddy, who normally drops fast, was not in sight and I looked up and couldn't see the boat. I went to the surface and was 150 some feet away from the boat. I tried to swim toward the reef, but was by a cut where the current both pushed me away from the reef and the boat. I had a whistle, but no one could hear me. My buddy finally went to the surface at the anchor line and said "Where's Linnea?". At that time someone went to the top of the boat with binoc's and spotted me and sent the rubber ducky (aka RIB or Zodiac) after me. Turns out my buddy decided to swim on the surface after all and did not let me know. GRRRRRRR. Almost terminal stupidity - partly on my part for letting my buddy talk me into changing procedure and partly on her part for not sticking with the plan. If she had dropped to the bottom which was at 60 feet under the boat in her usual rock-like manner, I would been able to track her bubbles and join her and bottom crawl to the reef on the bottom and then dive against the current along the reef, which should have taken us to the anchor line. Most of my other stories are of the "no or little surf at entry time - kick *ss surf at exit time" type Calif. shore diving.
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By Meryl Virga on Friday, November 2, 2001 - 12:23 am: |
"But it's too soon to tell....Yes it's too soon to say....maybe someday we'll be able to wish you well...but right now...it's just......Tooooooo...Soooooonnnn....to....tellllll.....{sung to the tune of Bonnie Raitts "To soon to tell"
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By Emily Wedin on Friday, November 2, 2001 - 12:32 am: |
Ok, my first shore dive ever, and in Bonaire at Angel City. I'm a new diver and this was our first shore dive trip. There I was, all worried that our 14 year old daughter would have a hard time and trying to show her how great I was and so I geared up and headed into the water. With my fins on. Needless to say, I ended up on my back in the surf, unable to get up, floundering like an overturned turtle! The little waves and my laughter took all my strength away and my hubby and daughter had to haul me up
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By Andy Keely on Friday, November 2, 2001 - 2:07 am: |
You alright, Meryl?
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By Walt III on Friday, November 2, 2001 - 8:14 am: |
OK Andy I have been thinking about this for a day so here goes.
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By Kelly on Friday, November 2, 2001 - 9:22 am: |
"Andy BTW it's possible you will have Jason on one side and me on the other during your stay. Very scarry thought."
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By Meryl Virga on Friday, November 2, 2001 - 12:21 pm: |
Andy...thanks I'm fine...I was light-heartingly trying to make a point (bad one by the sound of your reply) that not many people were responding to this thread .....but after your last comment I'm sure this board will be buzzing...(I guess everyone knows now I can't carry a tune! more humility!)..
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By Andy Keely on Saturday, November 3, 2001 - 2:41 am: |
Well...what a happy coincidence neighbours. I trust it's ok to call you neighbours?
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By Kelly on Saturday, November 3, 2001 - 9:25 am: |
Andy, Jason is my baby brother who suckered me into diving many long years ago when I was happy motorcycle trash. He lured me with stories of awesome wrecks in clear blue waters, adoring tall leggy blonds, and warm tropical nites in paradise.
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By Emily Wedin on Saturday, November 3, 2001 - 12:14 pm: |
I dont know, Andy, I was pretty derned humiliated, pink fins flappin' in the air
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By Meryl Virga on Saturday, November 3, 2001 - 12:53 pm: |
Emily...just noticed your picture..what a beautiful bird...is he yours? if so maybe in another thread you can tell me about him...always wondered about the toucans!...Sorry Andy...my head is still bowed and I'm typing on my knee's getting ready for that confessional your constructing..
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By Andy Keely on Saturday, November 3, 2001 - 1:30 pm: |
I'm impressed Kelly...a definite hint of humility there.
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By Kelly on Saturday, November 3, 2001 - 4:49 pm: |
Andy you cause me to repeat myself...., I am what I am. Humility has little to do with it, understanding ones abilities is more to my point. If you dive with Walt and Jason you may very well find your "humility", and they can't hold a candle to Mary.
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By Glen Reem on Saturday, November 3, 2001 - 7:33 pm: |
Walt,
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By Walt III on Saturday, November 3, 2001 - 8:19 pm: |
I could leave a wrist computer anywhere, ON THE BOAT, IN THE RINSE TANK, AT THE BAR, IN MY ROOM, you get the picture! Just about any place other than where it belongs on my wrist while diving!
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By Andy Keely on Sunday, November 4, 2001 - 2:07 am: |
Now, don't go & spoil it Kelly. ;-)
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By Emily Wedin on Sunday, November 4, 2001 - 6:04 am: |
Meryl, I wish he was my bird! Just a friend I met on a day trip at a little restaurant/grass-hut resort called Clarissa Falls in Belize
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By Glen Reem on Sunday, November 4, 2001 - 8:39 am: |
Walt,
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By Glen Reem on Monday, November 5, 2001 - 3:13 am: |
Walt,
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By Jake Richter - NetTech on Monday, November 5, 2001 - 9:23 am: |
Glen,
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By Dave Scott on Monday, November 5, 2001 - 11:09 am: |
Good morning everybody. Good topic Andy. I have to say though, re. your first post here, I can’t understand why just having a rib secured to your arse would have caused you any problems, I’ve calculated that at your desired target depth, the rib would be but the size of a ping pong ball. As to the outboard, I just know with all those tanks and other stuff you dive with, you have a lift bag, so seems like it should have been no problem. As a bonus, you have your boat secured to you whilst you dive, cuz we all know that gettin back to where the boat was is a bad thing which is the hook for my contribution.
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By Jean Frechina on Monday, November 5, 2001 - 1:05 pm: |
"Salut tout le monde"
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By Emily Wedin on Monday, November 5, 2001 - 4:43 pm: |
??ok...now I'm confused......No, jean, I cant explain...tell me why???
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By Glen Reem on Monday, November 5, 2001 - 9:39 pm: |
Ah, the old 'chronometers at sea for months' problem: when two DC's differ significantly, which is right?? I know what you would do, you would follow the most conservative--ok and good for a dive. But you don't know which is accurate, so what about the next dive???
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By Meryl Virga on Tuesday, November 6, 2001 - 12:25 am: |
Emily...look at Dave's profile picture....That should explain the dog....Jean Im not sure where the dentist thing comes in ....and where Emily is connected....but typing instead of talking does leave out alot of accent on sentence content. But we are all at least contributing to this topic which Andy has abandoned for swimming with the fishes.....I think he still is expecting more "visitors" to this thread.who had comments from the previous one..before he returns....Remember he did expect everyone from that thread to participate in this one....no matter how small the humility....Think of what he will wear if we don't!
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By Linda Richter - NetTech on Tuesday, November 6, 2001 - 8:25 am: |
Here is one from an acquaintance, Michael deGruy. He does nature based films for companies like National Geography and IMAX.
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By Jake Richter - NetTech on Tuesday, November 6, 2001 - 10:43 am: |
Glen,
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By Denise L. Kacavas on Tuesday, November 6, 2001 - 12:58 pm: |
Linda, the boat sinking is one I would not expect to hear from many people!!!
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By Jean Frechina on Tuesday, November 6, 2001 - 1:11 pm: |
Jake,
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By Emily Wedin on Wednesday, November 7, 2001 - 6:29 am: |
Three more days 'till I have a weeks opportunity to add to this thread
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By Meryl Virga on Wednesday, November 7, 2001 - 12:01 pm: |
Em...will do...thats my daughters name too!
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By Dave Scott on Wednesday, November 14, 2001 - 11:32 am: |
Hello gang, back at the home base. Looks like the board changed since the 100' thing.
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By Meryl Virga on Wednesday, November 14, 2001 - 11:58 pm: |
DAVE! you finally surfaced... was getting a tad worried....thought it was the Andy withdrawl....Thanks for the kind words....We really need to get Barry back...any suggestions....We miss ya Barry.....do I have to beg? Andy will not be pleased with the follow up here so we better "bunker down" for his homecoming.....I'm sure he expected more gut stories.....but Hey.....he abandoned us!
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By Meryl Virga on Thursday, November 15, 2001 - 12:10 am: |
I do have a good story...not a scuba one but "stupid" none the less....I like the paranoid fool I am....suckered into this terrorist frenzy...ordered gas masks for the family....Well when they finally arrived we got 2 instead of 4 and their whole order was screwed up... we paid by check and they charged an AMEX card..which we dont have...plus 185 dollars for 2nd day air! Masks arrived 6 weeks after purchase order went in....anyway.....next day I took them out of the nice little khacky bags they came in and sat on my bed and opened them and started windexing them cause they seemed a little dirty...Well my sister call and asked what I was doing and I said...just sitting here cleaning my new gas masks....She asked why I would be cleaning them...and I told her well...they have all this white dusty stuff all inside....(mind you I have already put this on my head to check the fit..) but they were all nicely scrubbed by the time she called...She than began to say..."Mer...think of what you are saying...you are sitting on your bed with Gas masks that you shouldnt have in the first place....but you are not alarmed that you are cleaning "white Powder out of the insides of them.." Well urban reality...(or stupidity hit) and I had to hang up as I totally stripped down...and stripped the room and threw everying out on the porch...after an Hour shower...washing of everying in the room....walls...curtains....blah blah blah.... I got a hold of the company who told me it was normal packing material...but he would ask his "superior" just in case..... As Steve was leaving that morning for a golf game he said "would you get rid of those things...! people are gonna think your weird....well...I held back from calling Hazmat....didnt think he could handle that.....we have seemed to make it through the week and have been having fun looking like underground moles.....I'm sure this has to win the prize for best Humility story....or should it read Stupidity.....( more Steve material...)
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By Andy Keely on Tuesday, November 27, 2001 - 7:07 pm: |
Well, over three weeks have passed since I threatened a verbal lashing to non-contributing diving heavyweights on this thread. Somehow I just don't have the stomach for it anymore & I'm going to close things with just a last couple of weak passing shots......
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By Cynde Lee on Wednesday, November 28, 2001 - 4:29 pm: |
Sir Andy, don't close the thread yet...I just discovered it yesterday! Meryl, good story (I won't tell anyone I promise)...after the first anthrax deal our CEO wanted to hire a temp to open the mail so it would be "screened" before we got it! Poor temp!
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