On Thu, 1 Feb 2001 10:59:58 +0700, Bjorn Vang Jensen
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>> Dive Paradise's 3-tank combo cost only $59 or $61, I recall, marginally
>> more than a 2-tank;
>
>I think we paid $60. We did not use Al***a :-)

I knew that.  As I said, if Chuck had any clout with DP, he probably could
have gotten it for $50.  As I said also, Chuck must have had too much pesos
to squander to have even CONSIDERED diving with Aldora, with friends no
less.  :-)  Prior to that, he was bitching and whining about how Aldora
had gone down the tubes, and *I* had to speak up FOR ALDORA, saying he was
over-reacting, because Aldora wasn't THAT bad ... just wasn't as GOOD as
some had tried to sell its big tanks and other features none of us need
but the clueless air-sucking pigs like Ron Lee do. :-)


>> Unlikely.  That DM was with Scuba Du.  The Scorpionfish pick-up trick
>> sounded almost like one of Geyler's tricks, but I don't think he was
>> with Dive Paradise, and he wouldn't hand it to a newbie, only to oldies
>> like me.  :-)
>
>Well, he sure was as annoying :-)

But with more justification THIS time cuz as you said, the boat was full
of newbies except for you and Chuck.  There was no excuse whatsoever with
the CozNEDfest group -- which I found out later, it was more the fault of
the Scuba Du MANAGER I dealt with, than the DMs themselves, because the
MANAGER didn't bother to brief them what our group consisted, even though
I stressed to her several times that we were all seasoned divers.

>I've seen the pick-up trick before, but
>only rarely. Probably because our scorpionfish out here tend to be up
>to a foot long :-)

That's probably a regional difference in characteristics, like the
Triggerfishes.  :-)  The Caribbean ones, especially the Cozumel variety,
are probably so used to DMs picking them up that they probably think
divers are cleaner shrimps.

In any event, it is well advised to exercise CAUTION, when approaching
the unknown. (A trait lacking by all CNs <G>)  But I always believe that
none of the sea-critters are aggressive to divers and as long as we treat
them gently, and not grab or chase or otherwise act aggressively toward
them, they reciprocate.  Come to think of it, this is the way da Feeesh
treats posters.  :-))

I must have told the story more than once that Sue and were playing with
this strange-looking critter in Turks & Caicos, having the body shape of
a stingray, and barbs at the tail like a shark.  We petted it and played
with it until it finally decided it had enough of our attention and swam
away.  We learned later, that it was an Atlantic Torpedo, CAPABLE of
giving us enough voltage of electricity to knock our fins off.  :-)


>> > And it did not disappoint. Gigantic king crabs and LOTS of
>> > lobsters, inclusing a hole that must have been shared by 10 of
>> > them, judging by the number of antennae poking out!
>>
>> That sounded like Las Palmas.  You might have had some features of
>> those two sites juxtaposed.  I've never seen those lobster holes
>> at the Paso, but plenty times at Las Palmas.
>
>I'm pretty sure I have it right, but defer to Chuck's final verdict....

If you dived the portion of Paso del Cedral as I think you did, from
the usual dropoff at start to end at the swim-through, then there
ain't no lobster clusters, even if Chuck said so.  :-)  There are
spotted eels, green eels, black groupers, barracudas, and assorted
fishes, but no lobster clusters in holes.  I have all the holes
of that reef charted and catalogued.  <BWG>
>
>> Kudos indeed.  Crusty is always an all-American Nice Guy, his love
>> of Cockroaches notwithstanding, and there are SOME redeeming value in
>> that fella Chuck afterall.  :-)
>
>Absolutely to both!
>
>Bjorn

-- Bob.