Experienced Divers?
Most of us motley crew that dive around Lanzarote are quite experienced divers, but things can go wrong, even for BSAC qualified divers!
It was a Sunday, the Sun was shining, nothing could go wrong. Four of us went for a dive, but we were using underwater scooters, these are the type that you hang on to the back of, not sit on the front, they are however quite powerful.
Two of the group had not used them before, so I gave a quick briefing: “Hang on the back, press start and go!”
So we settled on the bottom in about 6 or 7 meters to sort ourselves out. We all suddenly noticed that Financial Fred had his scooter the wrong way round, but before we could get to him he hit the start button.
Now, those of you that are able to remember the Road Runner cartoons will recall there was a character called Coyote that kept getting hit, usually in the stomach with cannon balls or logs, and would be propelled backwards doubled over.
The scooter hit Fred in the stomach, and propelled him backwards for some distance, then turned him over and shot him up to the surface upside down!! I can’t imagine what the people on the harbor wall above us thought! We were laughing so hard our masks were a mess.
He eventually got back down and got the scooter the right way round, then promptly disappeared in the general direction of Cape Verde - I had forgotten to tell him how to steer!!
Yes I know there was a potential danger of an embolism, but believe me with 25 kilos of scooter travelling at 5 knots hitting you in the stomach; the last thing you are going to to is hold your breath!!
Once Fred had sorted himself out, we headed out to the reef and really enjoyed the little scooters, and then it was Chris’ turn to have a crisis.
As the dive progressed, Crisis Chris indicated he was not getting enough air from his reg, this was apparent to us as he kept on getting very concave cheeks, face cheeks that is! On exiting the water the cause became apparent, it had to do with the technical problem of hardly turning his air on so he felt like he was running out of air. Now this is very strange, because a week ago he had a call from a friend of his who is a medium, spiritual that is, who advised him not to dive as he had a vision of him running out of air and dying!!
Read more from Medical Mick here:
Hopeless!
I miss one dive with you boys and it all goes to pieces! Bloody funny story though! I have a mental picture of Fred surfacing bum first and Chris sucking desperately.
Good job I'm recovered enough to sort you all out next weekend!
Scuba Mike
Older Beserk Divers!!!!!!!!!!
What can one say, I am at a loss for words and from me that is amazing, but having spent a considerable amount of time underwater with a certain Medical Mick, nothing this guy organises would surprise me. Great story Mick, all the guys downunder love your stories and we often talk about you and your crazy exploits in the bar on a Saturday. Keep being the total barn pot you are.
Crisis Chris well the name says it all!!
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