Meet "The Landlord" or How To Kill Yourself While Ab Diving

GREAT post!!!!!!! You should get bonus posts for that one.
A friend of mine from college, Column Tinley, got nailed by the landlord near that very spot several years ago. Luckily he survived.
I have not, nor will I ever dive in that area for the exact reason you posted.
I will however dive elsewhere.
There are much better places to go for your first time.
Could you imagine the very first time you donned a football helmet having to go against someone like Mean Joe Green, L.T., or having to try to tackle Earl Campbell???
You need to have some sort of gradient when learning how to ab dive. Not easy beginning at the apex of it all.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

That was really enjoyable to read.  

Important message too.  

I'm with you....That fish knew all about you and just didn't conlude it's investigation before you got back to the boat.

Hopefully you saved someone else by sharing it with us.

Shirk

great, great read. Send that to a magazine...Seriously! Gald you were able to make it back to share with us all.

Kirk, just 3 more posts and youll be able to read the current fishing reports 
'
cause i know how badly you need to see fish other people caught

and how much you need this info to figure out where the hot bite is

Fantastic writing - thanks for sharing that in such an entertaining way.   

Now, your bud, JB, he needs a butt-chewing for putting you out there for your first time and not overseeing your discovery of too heavy of a weightbelt and other safety issues...  (if it was just a little embelishment for the readers' pleasure then JB's off the hook!   )

WOW! Great read there buddy. Don't give up though . Hookup with someone who can better show you the ropes in a safer environment, like Monterey

Ben

Best new guy post I've ever read.

Ditto I got sick worrying about you while reading and you made it out to write it up. I did something similar not as drastic but similar. Take the class don't let your buddies talk you into barrowed gear and jumping in

Great story and excellent writing. Very well crafted. Thanks--I enjoyed reading it.

The stats about being killed by a car on the way to the beach are DEAD wrong.

No they aren't--they are facts. Simple, unalterable, unarguable facts. Facts are facts and cannot be wrong by definition. They are statistics based on the number of participants and the fatalities per thousand and they are correct. Go ahead--take a poll on this board--how many fatalities do people know of from cars, airplanes, lightning, and GWS? Everyone they know or heard of. GWs will be the most rare. For certain. Free diving is dangerous--many more drown than are killed by sharks.

But, I understand the issue people have with balancing horrible calamities with tiny probabilities with less scary more frequent ones. It's a well-known, well-researched, and well-documented flaw in human reasoning. But that doesn't stop people from insisting anyway. Fear is a strong distortion field--its an instinct we carry over from our ancestors.

However, just like the lottery--if that number you drew is up and Mr. Greysuit is staring you down then statistics mean nothing--you are it. It is statistically a very risky to free dive in Northern California--and sharks aren't the only problem. So what--life is statistically risky--100% fatalities--no one gets out alive. Further a few things said here imply something untrue and smack of bravado over sense--no matter how experienced you are, if a GWS has you in its sights you're in trouble. Experience didn't help Randy Fry nor many others. Bt statistics show it isn't Mr. Greysuit that is likely to get you Abalone diving--there are plenty of other things that can and are more likely to get you but fortunately they are mostly in your control. So if you really want to do it--learn to do it safely and with as much control as you can over it. the rest is up to fate. And that's part of life.

Do it with full knowledge that it is statistically dangerous and that perfectly evolved apex predator who is in its element and you are not is probably aware of you every single time you are out there--but better things are on the menu a good majority of the time.

It's okay. Do it because you love to do it. I don't do it, but I climb mountains with ice axe and crampons and ropes and belays and that isn't so statistically safe either. I do it because I just cannot imagine a life without it despite the risks. My wife doesn't like that part of it but she knows I need it to feel alive. And bottom line, that's what you should consider. A life well-lived is it's own reward even if there is a risk it might be shorter. To me, it is worth the reward and the living.

Amazing story you are lucky It didn't turn out bad.  That is a very sharky area you have more guts then me even trying to ab diving there.

The stats about being killed by a car on the way to the beach are DEAD wrong.

No they aren't--they are facts. Simple, unalterable, unarguable facts. Facts are facts and cannot be wrong by definition. They are statistics based on the number of participants and the fatalities per thousand and they are correct. Go ahead--take a poll on this board--how many fatalities do people know of from cars, airplanes, lightning, and GWS?

Those "stats" are just numbers used to "prove" a point. Its the kinda math that got Wall Street into trouble. They are used by enviros, and people who make their money from beach tourism scared of Jaws mania gripping the country.

they may be closer to true for average beach goers...average beach goers we are not! We are in way more danger than the average beach goer.

Real numbers from my life tell a completely different thing, with cars and the ocean on par, with sharks doing their fare share of damage and death.

death by whitey isn't the only outcome. Ive carried life long disabilities for 20 years now. At times they have made life quite difficult.

facts they may be, but not facts that relate to what were doing on the ocean, where we do it.

I am a GWS attack survivor and nobody knows the risk vs reward factor better than I, and yet I still do what i do.

I think i just argued the unarguable  

Kirk,

Great, rgreat post, and I agree with EWB, get it published... aside from the ego boost (good medicine at the moment, no?  ) you might save a life or two.

Ben

Kirk,

Great, rgreat post, and I agree with EWB, get it published... aside from the ego boost (good medicine at the moment, no?  ) you might save a life or two.

Ben

Kirk was not gonna post and i told him he had a duty to all of us to post (plus i know what a great writer he is and that it would be entertaining.)

Sharks are definitely scary creatures but when I'm diving it's the kelp I fear. Big time. I guess that's one of the reasons I suck at diving. Kirk, if you ever dive again try in the 10 to 15lbs neighborhood and make your next dive all about getting your weight dialed in and not scoring abs. Once your gear is perfect you can relax a bit and enjoy the scenery. jim

Well, what can I say?  Thank you gents.  The positive feedback is nice.  Anyway, the whole thing will make for a great article in the upcoming Monkeyface News. 

And no... I'm not done with abbing.  I just need to go slower, get some snorkling chops and try again. 

Bye.

--Kirk

Kirk,

I'm glad you're not giving up on diving. Everyone's going to have a different formula for weight belt pounds. For me at 6'5" and 206lbs with a 7mm suit, I use 10% of my body weight plus 6lbs. It just works with the percentage body fat I have.

Thanks again for a MOST entertaining read.

Rich