I'll be at the Long Beach Scuba Show this Sunday

[ScubaLawyer]

I'll be wandering the halls of the Long Beach Scuba Show this Sunday Morning - June 5th.

If any other West-Coasters (or anyone else for that matter) are attending stop me and say Hi to Mark.

How will you recognize me? I'm fairly certain I'll be the only one wearing my SEA HUNT FOREVER shirt that looks like this:

SHF SHIRT.jpg

[georgeaustin]

hey, Mark

I wanted to go but I need to be in Cedar Rapids for a nuclear job on Monday morning. We are going to dive Redondo on Friday if you'd care to join us - PM me. As well, why don't we do a boat dive sometime this summer from Sundiver out of Long Beach. Jerry Seawell went with us last June and had a blast on backside Catalina wreck Midnight Hour and we had a good couple dives on Farnsworth Banks. I got an email from Jerry a few weeks ago about going out soon again.

[ScubaLawyer]

Hi George,

Can't make a dive Friday, leaving for Sacramento today for a court case. Diving Catalina would be a blast. Let's try and coordinate a time this summer to do just that. Mark

[BigMike]

I know you will wear that shirt proudly, Mark. Let us know how many people ask you about it. Have fun, Mike

[ScubaLawyer]

Went to the show this weekend. Had one guy about tackle me saying he saw the logo on my shirt on the Sea Hunt Forever website and wanted to know if I was part of that and how did I ever learn to use a double-hose regulator since they "don't teach that stuff anymore" and how do you know how much air you have without a SPG, and how do you dive without a buoyancy compensator, and isn't 2" webbing for tank harness a PADI requirement and how did we get PADI to waive that for us so we could use the old-style vintage harnesses, and, and , and, and ... he must have gone on for 10 minutes. I was in a good mood so I politely explained some of us learned originally on this kind of equipment, that there were a lot of great how-to guides around, that we check our air supply before we dive, monitor our depth and time, and have a J-valve reserve if all else fails. I explained about careful weighting, about how we all have built-in buoyancy compensators in the form of lungs, etc.... At the end of it all he stood a little perplexed looking and said he understood all that, but how on earth did we get around the PADI law requiring 2" harness webbing? I simply said I was unaware of any such "law" and, asked him, by the way, what's a PADI?

Others came up wanting to talk about the original show and I had some great discussions. My 12 year old son was with me wearing his t-shirt and he did a pretty good job explaining all about the show and my role in the re-enactment. Here is a pic of me and my son giving each other a high-five as we prepared to enter the show and do verbal battle with the uninformed masses.

LB SS 1.jpg

[8dust]

friggin' sweet! Sounds like a great time, Mark, and a cool father/son experience!!!

[antique diver]

Am I going to be in some kind of trouble for diving with 1" webbing? Please don't let them know I was diving without any bouyancy control "device", and only dangerously guessing at my remaining air supply. Oh crap, I forgot my snorkel too.

As a legal professional, would you be willing to stand up for me if I get arrested? Does NAUI get to make laws too?

[ScubaLawyer]

Am I going to be in some kind of trouble for diving with 1" webbing? Please don't let them know I was diving without any bouyancy control "device", and only dangerously guessing at my remaining air supply. Oh crap, I forgot my snorkel too.

As a legal professional, would you be willing to stand up for me if I get arrested? Does NAUI get to make laws too?

Bill, If I were you I'd just report to prison now. Check yourself in and build up some credit for time served. I can come up with defenses for the webbing, BC and SPG violations but I'm afraid your gonna get the (dive training book) thrown at you for that snorkel violation. At least the NAUI "laws" give you the right to conjugal visits (I'm not visiting mind you - I have my reputation to think about). I simply can't be associated with a "snorkel crook."

[SeaHuntJerry]

Duh I taught Padi courses without bc's and used Double hose regulators 1971.
Good thing Kemp's Cow wasn't around then,Ha Ha !

[uwstlth]

Am I going to be in some kind of trouble for diving with 1" webbing? Please don't let them know I was diving without any bouyancy control "device", and only dangerously guessing at my remaining air supply. Oh crap, I forgot my snorkel too.

As a legal professional, would you be willing to stand up for me if I get arrested? Does NAUI get to make laws too?

Funny... I remember an "ordinance" in Laguna that "outlawed" solo diving as well as required you to have a snorkel when diving. I never had any issues but have heard of some guys being harassed and ticketed by lifeguards for not having a snorkel- don't know it is actually true or not. Shaw's cove was famous for this...

There was some nice hardware at the Scuba Show... some crap too.

[ScubaLawyer]

Am I going to be in some kind of trouble for diving with 1" webbing? Please don't let them know I was diving without any bouyancy control "device", and only dangerously guessing at my remaining air supply. Oh crap, I forgot my snorkel too.

As a legal professional, would you be willing to stand up for me if I get arrested? Does NAUI get to make laws too?

Funny... I remember an "ordinance" in Laguna that "outlawed" solo diving as well as required you to have a snorkel when diving. I never had any issues but have heard of some guys being harassed and ticketed by lifeguards for not having a snorkel- don't know it is actually true or not. Shaw's cove was famous for this...

There was some nice hardware at the Scuba Show... some crap too.

Here's the article on the Laguna Beach Ordinance:

----------------------------------
Laguna Beach Diving Rules Get Relaxed

July 5, 2007

|
Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

By SPENCER KORNHABER, The Orange County Register

For scuba fanatics, Laguna Beach has long stood out for more than just its rock outcroppings, blue water and coves filled with marine life - it was also known as a city with some of the strictest diving laws.

Since the '60s, lifeguards checked each diver to make sure he had a "diving buddy," someone to go underwater with, and carried a snorkel with him.

While the same law requiring snorkels and a buddy still exists, lifeguards say they will be less stringent and won't enforce it as heavily as they had.

"The city and Marine Safety Department no longer feel it's feasible or reasonable for a lifeguard to check out all the scuba divers entering the coastal waters," said Mark Klosterman, Laguna Beach's marine safety chief.

Klosterman said divers are generally better prepared than in the past. Lifeguards shouldn't have to spend time approving each diver who enters the water, he said, especially when approval won't prevent the top cause of scuba accidents in Laguna Beach: bad judgment.

Lifeguards will still close beaches to scuba diving when conditions are hazardous.

Gordon Boivin, owner of Laguna Sea Sport, helped develop the policy shift with Klosterman. He said the diving community is behind the change "100 percent."

Dale Sheckler, publisher of California Diving News, said, "It gives divers more freedom to make choices about how they're going to dive."

Contact the writer: 714-445-6655 or [email protected]

[ScubaLawyer]

For hoots and giggles, here's the applicable portion of the actual Laguna Beach Diving Law. While I've personally seen it enforced it has always been against some knucklehead stroke who insists on entering the ocean off the beach with red flag warnings, huge storm surf and a crappy attitude. The lifeguards in Laguna I've met are great and if you are polite and seem like you know what you are doing when they approach you on the beach I've never had a problem. Mark.

Laguna Beach Municipal Code

Title 18 BEACH AND PARKS

Chapter 18.21 SKIN AND SCUBA DIVING


18.21.030 Hazardous skin diving and scuba diving—Discontinuance orders authorized.

(a) Hazard to Others or Self. No person shall participate in any skin diving or scuba diving activity at any time in the Pacific Ocean within the city in a manner that constitutes a hazard to any other person or to themselves.

(b) Authorized Order to Discontinue Skin Diving or Scuba Diving. The city manager, marine safety chief, police chief or their authorized designees, or any officer or employee designated by the city manager to enforce surfing regulations and control skin diving and scuba diving activities, may prohibit skin diving and scuba diving at any time diving conditions become hazardous as a result of storm, congestion of persons, lack of proper equipment (such equipment to include mask, fins, snorkel, buoyancy compensator and diving partner) or other conditions which cause a present danger to the persons skin diving or scuba diving or to others. No person shall fail, refuse or neglect to stop skin diving or scuba diving activities or to leave the water when ordered to do so by any such employee of the city. (Ord. 1369 § 7, 2000; Ord. 1157 § 1, 1988; Ord. 506, 1962).

18.21.060 Penalty for violations.

The violation of any of the provisions of this chapter is punishable as a misdemeanor. (Ord. 506, 1962).

[crimediver]

I was diving the wreck of the USS Huron in North Carolina Outer Banks about ten years ago. It was a beach dive. The wreck lies about 800 feet from shore in about 35 feet of water. A local operation charged divers 35 bucks to lead them on a tour of the wreck. It is marked by a buoy and the conditions that day were excellent. I also happened to be solo diving.

As I exited the surf I encountered a group of about a dozen divers gearing up who had paid to go on this beach dive. I have no issue with them charging for leading divers to the site. But the tour basically consists of a visit to a nearby gazebo that has a small display showing the diagram of the wreck and the history of what happened the night the ship ran into the shoal and killed almost a hundred sailors. Then they swim out to the buoy and dive the wreck and return to the beach when the dive is over.

Basically I did the same dive they were getting ready to do but I was doing it for free. The group gawked at me as I exited. I smiled at them and told them they would enjoy the wreck. Good viz, minimal current and a lot of sea life and octopus. I had even seen a small sail fish at the wreck which was the last thing I expected that close to shore. It was just one of those great dives that you get every now and then.

All of a sudden one guy who was the dive master came up to me and in an irate voice told me I had broken the number one rule in diving by not having a buddy. I have done a lot of solo diving back in the day and even when I dive with others it is often a solo dive as we are looking for relics and doing our own thing. After about 30 years of this I took a TDI course and got certified as a solo diver. Anyway I had gotten away for 30 years diving solo without dying and never knew how close to death I had been!

He continued to blast me in a loud voice that was drawing everyone's attention on the beach declared that his other job was working "Ocean Rescue". He also told me that it was a good thing he was off-duty because if he had been on duty "I would yank you!"

I told him explicitly just what he could yank.

If he had an issue with me he could have talked to me privately but he had to make a big display of his "authority".

I reckon he was just probably mad because his group were probably wondering what they were paying him for as they just saw me doing the dive for free. I was ticked off at first but then realized I had an even better dive rubbing his nose in it so it was just the icing on the cake and made it an even more memorable dive experience for me.

[ScubaLawyer]

I've run into a few people like that as well. We had a friend of a friend on our boat once who got really irate because the other three of us took off on three different compass headings looking for lobster. The dive plan was to meet back at the boat in an hour. That apparently did not jibe with his indoctrinated dive training at __________ (fill in the initials). Oh well, it's a big world. Can't please everyone. Mark

[uwstlth]

For hoots and giggles, here's the applicable portion of the actual Laguna Beach Diving Law. While I've personally seen it enforced it has always been against some knucklehead stroke who insists on entering the ocean off the beach with red flag warnings, huge storm surf and a crappy attitude. The lifeguards in Laguna I've met are great and if you are polite and seem like you know what you are doing when they approach you on the beach I've never had a problem. Mark.

Laguna Beach Municipal Code

Title 18 BEACH AND PARKS

Chapter 18.21 SKIN AND SCUBA DIVING


18.21.030 Hazardous skin diving and scuba diving—Discontinuance orders authorized.

(a) Hazard to Others or Self. No person shall participate in any skin diving or scuba diving activity at any time in the Pacific Ocean within the city in a manner that constitutes a hazard to any other person or to themselves.
(b) Authorized Order to Discontinue Skin Diving or Scuba Diving. The city manager, marine safety chief, police chief or their authorized designees, or any officer or employee designated by the city manager to enforce surfing regulations and control skin diving and scuba diving activities, may prohibit skin diving and scuba diving at any time diving conditions become hazardous as a result of storm, congestion of persons, lack of proper equipment (such equipment to include mask, fins, snorkel, buoyancy compensator and diving partner) or other conditions which cause a present danger to the persons skin diving or scuba diving or to others. No person shall fail, refuse or neglect to stop skin diving or scuba diving activities or to leave the water when ordered to do so by any such employee of the city. (Ord. 1369 § 7, 2000; Ord. 1157 § 1, 1988; Ord. 506, 1962).

18.21.060 Penalty for violations.

The violation of any of the provisions of this chapter is punishable as a misdemeanor. (Ord. 506, 1962).

Mark, thanks for the info. If I understand this correctly, snorkeling solo is forbidden as well (don't we all call that skin diving, who snorkels with a BC?) I can understand the city's issue with all the classes, novice divers, etc but find it sort of "nanny" if you get my drift. Down here in San Diego we are responsible for ourselves, the charter boats even allow solo diving. I guess to each his/her own (I solo dive often and kind of prefer it unless I'm diving for work). The snorkel issue has always bothered me, kind of stupid to mandate it.