Posted by Wayne on September 07, 2001 at 22:03:10:
In Reply to: Entited: "I Almost Made It Again, or ... posted by retrodiver on September 07, 2001 at 20:36:41:
There I was watching over a class of students on a "tour" portion of a dive. We were stopped while the instructor was showing some interesting marine life ot the class. I hovered ove rthe students in a quick clandestine air check and returned to a good vantage point behind the herd of students. One diver was heavy, laying on the bottom slithering like a slug bumping into the other divers. I was surprised since everybody else was off the bottom. He also seemed not to be watching the instructor.
Then he started his lame flopping finning and seemed to be moving out of the instructor's line of sight. He seemed to be ignoring the class and was crawling around a boulder. NOT ON MY WATCH, I thought and I grabbed him by the inflator and added a bit of air and them picked him up by the tank and placed him back in the class and signaled him to watch the instructor. He signals OK, but a moment later he starts sneaking off again. Again I grab him and set him back where I want him. I shook a finger at him and tried to make him pay attention. Meanwhile I was having to deal with this guy and watch my flock and it was time for me to see if everybody knew their air and I was getting angry at this guy's lack of concentration and his taking my attention away from the others. A third time he tries to leave. This time I grabbed him and he pulled out a game bag and let me know he was not one of my students. I did a quick head count and I was 1 over.
Later on the boat I discovered that this fellow was an idiot who delights in screwing with classes for the entertainment value. If I had understood what was going on while underwater I woudl have done a Mike Nelson and cut his hose or at least taken him up and removed his belt!
Wayne