What creeps you out?

[Chevayea]

So we dropped in with about two feet of visibility for the first 30’ at midnight last week, heading down to see Lobster Shop Wall in the dark. We had to run out fingers through the eel grass to keep a reference as to where the bottom was because we couldn’t see. My buddy’s light was barely a dull glow about 5’ away and when you raised you light, all you could see was the faint glimmer of ratfish eyes in the distance, but not their biddies until you were about 2-3’ away. It opened up a bit down at the wall but then we had to come back up through the lack of visibility sit for our safety stop and navigate by brail to our exit point. When I came out I made the terrible mistake of saying “that kind of creeped me out!” Now of course, my dive buddies are giving me all sorts of grief about being afraid of the dark (jokingly of course – I did still have my knife on ).

But, it got us talking about the things that creep us out while diving. All of us dive regularly and haven't ever freaked out but everyone began to confess the things that make them uneasy. One of our guys really hates the slimy algae in freshwater lakes. It gives him the geebies. Another one is apprehensive about sea lions. Another of us hates the idea of getting eaten by something. We started wondering what everyone else’s issues were.

So, what kinds of things creep you out while diving?

[dwashbur]

Yesterday on our first dive at Monterey this season, we were fighting surf that sometimes reached as high as my head. We got out past the breakers and started surface swimming, but the waves were still big enough that we went face-down with our regs in. That was fine for my wife, but the water motion and bits of seaweed and stuff drifting around started giving me one of the worst cases of vertigo I've ever had before, during or after a dive. That pretty well creeped me out. We went ahead and dropped, and once I had the bottom for a reference I was okay. But then at the end of the dive I had to do it all again, and the vertigo came back. I wound up popping to the surface, keeping my reg in and riding the waves all the way to shore. The vertigo, especially in water that I've had a good relationship with before, was quite creepy, and I almost called the dive because of it.

It didn't help that right as we got to the Breakwater yesterday, there was a diver accident that we wound up helping with...

[Solitary]

Not seeing big sharks until long after they have seen me. Every time that happens, I'm reminded that my tunnel vision and slow relative speed make me awkward and out of place in an environment where larger animals feel right at home.

A few years ago I went head to head with an 8 foot Silky shark and didn't see him coming until he about head butted me. I'm glad that one of us was watching where he was going, and that neither of us was hungry.

[spatman]

I'm glad that one of us was watching where he was going, and that neither of us was hungry.

yeah, that silky shark would have been pretty unhappy if you hadn't had your wheaties that day.

[camerone]

That was fine for my wife, but the water motion and bits of seaweed and stuff drifting around started giving me one of the worst cases of vertigo I've ever had before, during or after a dive. That pretty well creeped me out.

You have my ultimate sympathy for that one. It's happened to me, too. Zero-zero viz, deep in the lake, deco obligation, and the world is spinning round and round in my head. That creeped me out, too, and there's little to do but power through it.

I've had it happen while flying IFR, too, but at least then there's an instrument cluster that you can force yourself to focus on. No such luck underwater...

-C

[BASSMAN]

Descending down in a lake after a short surface swim and when we put our hands out to touch bottom{as newer divers it was just a normal practice}, my hand dissapeared in to this suspended silt with no resistance and the my dive buddy inserted his light cannon and it dissapeared too!
we looked at each other and aborted the dive and went shallow {less than 6feet} for the rest of the dive.
Not sure if I want to try that again or not

Now Clear Lake or Crescent Lake? Oh yeah! {some day}

[enchantmentdivi]

So, what kinds of things creep you out while diving?

Shrimp.

[BASSMAN]

So, what kinds of things creep you out while diving?

Shrimp.

Why?
Shrimp make me hungry, but not as hungry as Maverick
Maverick --->Shrimp ---> --->
Keith

[Chevayea]

Shrimp.

Shrimp? Of all things, why shrimp? It's their beady 'lil eyes, isn't it!

[SwimmerTodd]

We were diving at Three Tree once and for several minutes, I had this uneasy feeling and I couldn't figure out what was bothering me. Finally, I realized that to my left (more shallow water) I could see very well and to my right (deeper water) it was like a curtain of darkness. I swam into the darkness and once I passed the line, I could see well. It must have been the line where light couldn't penetrate. I haven't seen it again since that day. It must have just been the conditions. After I figured out what was creeping me out, I was fine, but it did give me the heebie-jeebies for the first part of the dive!

[enchantmentdivi]

To me, shrimp are like the cockroaches of the ocean....scurrying around, eating poop. Yuck.

[spatman]

To me, shrimp are like the cockroaches of the ocean....scurrying around, eating poop. Yuck.

but they sure are tasty poop-eating sea cockroaches.

[enchantmentdivi]

but they sure are tasty poop-eating sea cockroaches.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Blech! But, I don't anything that comes out of the water. It either smells too bad, tastes too bad, or feels way too funny.

[airsix]

Bobbing on the surface used to creep me out. It doesn't any more. At least not in Puget Sound. Now, off the coast of South Africa, Australia, and a few other places it would still creep me out though. I view that about like going to the arctic and mooning polar bears. Either way you're baiting a great white with your great white.

-Ben

[spatman]

It either smells too bad, tastes too bad, or feels way too funny.

that could be said for many things in life!

i grew up pulling things from the sea to make for dinner. i have found memories of clambakes on the beach after a day of foraging.

[Sounder]

It either smells too bad, tastes too bad, or feels way too funny.

that could be said for many things in life!

(Sounder steps away from the keyboard)

[Chevayea]

[nwscubamom]

Many of you already know....it's THESE guys.....in groups...



<shudder>

- Janna

[Tom Nic]

I have to go with Janna on this one. Something about being repeatedly "pushed" down into the bottom by a good sized female sea lion with a fascination for our tanks on a night dive in Stika when I was a fairly new diver and my mask was fogging AND leaking at the same time has made my adrenaline go a bit higher than normal when I see one. Or maybe it was seeing said sea lion madam "hanging" in the water upside down right over Diver Dave's head while he has no clue that she is there, opening her mouth and easily encompassing his head in it, then deciding he tastes nasty and moving away. Or maybe seeing Keith on the same dive look around for said sea lion madam, not being able to find her, then looking straight up and being mask to cute little snout with her and then screaming like a girl into his regulator! I know, I know, they're really harmless and just really playful, etc. etc. They still creep me out.

That and the thought that the same water had a big male about 12 ft long and 3,000 lbs with a bad disposition just adds to it.

"Really Mr. Sea Lion bull, Sir, I have NO interest in your women, sir... uh, of course they're pretty Mr. Bull sir, but no... not that pretty, er... I mean... not pretty in THAT way Mr. Bull Sir... uh, excuse me I really need to be going now...."

[Sounder]

Laser pointers and dogfish.

[lurch]

I have to go with Janna on this one. Something about being repeatedly "pushed" down into the bottom by a good sized female sea lion with a fascination for our tanks on a night dive in Stika when I was a fairly new diver and my mask was fogging AND leaking at the same time has made my adrenaline go a bit higher than normal when I see one. Or maybe it was seeing said sea lion madam "hanging" in the water upside down right over Diver Dave's head while he has no clue that she is there, opening her mouth and easily encompassing his head in it, then deciding he tastes nasty and moving away. Or maybe seeing Keith on the same dive look around for said sea lion madam, not being able to find her, then looking straight up and being mask to cute little snout with her

That actually sounds like a bitchin dive!

Pay me no mind. I'm just weird.

[Tom Nic]

That actually sounds like a bitchin dive!

Pay me no mind. I'm just weird.

Yup. But it would have been lots cooler if I was more comfortable under water, a little more experience, no mask fogs / leaks / not first dive in alaska, etc. etc. etc.

Like I said, it creeps me out. Shrimp don't. :-) Sea lions are borderline.

[nwscubamom]

Coonstripe shrimp don't creep me out...but I did have one dive where the larger spot prawns really DID creep me out!!

We were in very bad viz, descending, until PLOP we landed on the bottom in 90 feet of water, still horrible vis, maybe a few feet max. Stuff was rapidly skittering all over around us, stirring up the silt, until things settled a bit and I realized we were surrounded by HUGE Spot prawns. It was very Alfred Hitchcock-ish, and gave me the total creeps. I was grateful to be wearing thick neoprene everywhere!!



- Janna

[BASSMAN]

Laser pointers and dogfish.

Yeah, I would have to go with this one!
Anyone want to buy an underwater Lazer pointer?

Oh yeah, I forgot , I thew it away after several days of being dry, and it quit working.
( I've always wanted to use the microwave smilie)

[H20doctor]

Diving at night used to freek me out bad.... Edmonds underwater park dropping from the surface to the bottom at night pitch black, untill you hit bottom. Then Hearing and feeling the ferry pounding and vibrating your hole chest and body.. 2nd. thing Just doing a free descent with No line, or Bouy or piling..day or night..very tough for me still. The fear that somethings down there....Something Big and nasty like a giant diver eating Octopus, Or some alien sea creature..? 3rd thing thats spooks me Bad... Being deep at night below 90 feet, in a dive area I have never dove before.. Even though I have plenty of air, I know my compas heading to shore, and what to do... I still get the heebie geebies, the panic feeling of am I going to be ok... where am I? , what if this happens? or what if I have to save my partner..? Good Times..!