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Captains Corner, some dive tales

	Captains Corner, some dive tales
Author: d2reid Posted: 16-May-06 IP: Logged	New Jersey Divers We where off of Haulover 2 weekends ago, C-one, Ms Karmine area. Current was running pretty good. We where picking up the second pair of divers when one my divers said "Hey, theres two more over there!" We looked around, no boat for at least a mile. (ok maybe less, but I couldn't have made the swim) Naw, it couldn't be! They wouldn't be that far from their boat!!!! Ok, maybe they are, it's not like I haven't made that mistake when I was still learning.... So we started toward them at idle, they submerged. Gotta give them an "A" for effort, they had a lot of ground to cover against the current, even if they are on the bottom. So we motored around behind them and watched bubbles for about 10 minutes, sure enough they surfaced. We approached them with our dive flag up and smiles on our faces (no we were not laughing, a smile is the international greeting of good intentions) and asked if we could give them a lift back to their boat? "No thank you", they said, "We're fine". "Ok",we said "We will just hang over here for a while, if you need help give us shout." Young guys, good swimmers. In about 10 minutes they stopped and waived, so we went over. They asked if we could toss a line and pull them to the boat. Ok, we aren't pretty but what do they have against getting into our boat, it's not they would sink it???? Anyway we complied and tossed out a fifty foot rope, no sense in feeding them gas fumes.... They had snorkels on, I have been pulled by boats several time particularly hunting lobster in the keys, there is a knack to it. One guy got it, the other didn't. Now realize that we are going into the current at a little better than idle to make some headway. Any way the back guy wouldn't keep his head down which resulted in a lot of drag which resulted in more pressure on his mask and snorkel which resulted in his mask slipping and him drinking some water, yuck. So we stopped and asked again if we could give them a lift. They said that would be fine. Whew! As we approached their boat we asked if anyone was on board, they said yes, their girl friends. We didn't say anything, but the wheels are turning. We dropped them about 30 yards up current of their anchored boat and watched them drift back to it. As we left I noted that their boat had a New Jersey home port. They must have been down on holiday. I'm glad they had fun!     Reply | Report to Moderator
Author: raf Posted: 17-May-06 IP: Logged	They're lucky you bothered to stay a while after they rebuffed your gracious offer to help. Very luck!     Reply | Report to Moderator
Author: davesdiving Posted: 21-May-06 IP: Logged	WOW! great story, and yes those divers were very lucky. Sometimes a mans pride can really get the best of him. Good looking out.     Reply | Report to Moderator
Author: TheScubaLady Posted: 28-Nov-06 IP: Logged	Good story with a happy ending. Among the things I have learned in 44 years of diving is "if someone offers to help you - they probably know more about the situtation than you do and you should say yes". Years ago several us got caught off shore in a rip tide current that was pretty "impressive". Fortunately a passing fisherman offered to get us through the pass - we accepted and were not embarassed to say "thank you".     Reply | Report to Moderator
Author: gerardandjana Posted: 31-Aug-07 IP: Logged	I lost a good friend years ago in those currents they are very lucky indeed     Reply | Report to Moderator
Author: dyvher2 Posted: 30-Apr-08 IP: Logged	i can only pray that should that happen to me and wifeee, that someone like you is there. congrats to you captain,,it'll make me think if i see someone in the water as such.     Reply | Report to Moderator