Tell us a tale!

[Dr. Syn]

AARC probably knows about old Hitler, "supposedly" a huge Hammer Head that cruises around Sanibel Island, FL.

Well, way back when, I was the Service Manager at a local marina, got a call from the Coast Guard about a blow boat stuck out there with a line wrapped around the prop. Well never to miss a chance to take out the tow boat, a 27' V hall, that came with a pair of 4 cyl. engines that somehow went missing and somehow a pair of hopped up small block Chevy's had taken their place. Boy would that thing scoot across the water.

Anywho, grabbed the dock master and off we went. Got out there, and it was kinda rough with maybe 4-5 foot waves tossing the boats around.
I left the dock master to run our boat, and grabbed a mask and snorkel and a knife. Dove in and swam over to the other boat. Grabbed the ladder hanging off the back and explained to the skipper/owner what I was going to do. Well he made in no uncertain terms that I was not allowed to cut the rope.

Great. Okay so I dive down and start trying to get the rope, which was wrapped tight around the prop and shaft loosened enough so that I could start getting it unwrapped. Well between the barnacles and the prop I managed to scrape the crap out of my hands. Took me three attempts coming up for air then going back down till I managed to loosen up the rope enough to to be able to pull it loose.

I gathered up the loose end and tossed it back onto the stern of the boat, swim back to the tow boat, and crawl back into it, leaving a bloody trail.

Dock master looks over at me and asks "Did you have fun?" Smart asp! He then says "By the way did you see you friends out there?"

I look up at him while wrapping my hands in some rags to slow the bleeding, and give him a puzzled look.

He points over the side, between us and the blow boat, and there are a group of Hammer Heads cruising around!

I just about soiled my undies seeing all those beasts. I never even noticed them while I was in the water.
I guess bleeding and thrashing about the water was like a dinner bell to them. Happily I missed dinner.

Don't think old Hitler was there but they were big enough to have made a snack out of me.

 

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[bill_wabo]

Really cool post, more stories please!

 

[ARC]

AARC probably knows about old Hitler, "supposedly" a huge Hammer Head that cruises around Sanibel Island, FL.

Well, way back when, I was the Service Manager at a local marina, got a call from the Coast Guard about a blow boat stuck out there with a line wrapped around the prop. Well never to miss a chance to take out the tow boat, a 27' V hall, that came with a pair of 4 cyl. engines that somehow went missing and somehow a pair of hopped up small block Chevy's had taken their place. Boy would that thing scoot across the water.

Anywho, grabbed the dock master and off we went. Got out there, and it was kinda rough with maybe 4-5 foot waves tossing the boats around.
I left the dock master to run our boat, and grabbed a mask and snorkel and a knife. Dove in and swam over to the other boat. Grabbed the ladder hanging off the back and explained to the skipper/owner what I was going to do. Well he made in no uncertain terms that I was not allowed to cut the rope.

Great. Okay so I dive down and start trying to get the rope, which was wrapped tight around the prop and shaft loosened enough so that I could start getting it unwrapped. Well between the barnacles and the prop I managed to scrape the crap out of my hands. Took me three attempts coming up for air then going back down till I managed to loosen up the rope enough to to be able to pull it loose.

I gathered up the loose end and tossed it back onto the stern of the boat, swim back to the tow boat, and crawl back into it, leaving a bloody trail.

Dock master looks over at me and asks "Did you have fun?" Smart asp! He then says "By the way did you see you friends out there?"

I look up at him while wrapping my hands in some rags to slow the bleeding, and give him a puzzled look.

He points over the side, between us and the blow boat, and there are a group of Hammer Heads cruising around!

I just about soiled my undies seeing all those beasts. I never even noticed them while I was in the water.
I guess bleeding and thrashing about the water was like a dinner bell to them. Happily I missed dinner.

Don't think old Hitler was there but they were big enough to have made a snack out of me.

Well depends on which version of the old tale...
Yes I have heard of em...
Said to be a White though in some versions...
Is said he has hooks and line stringing all around his mouth from the many "almost" got em's. heh

OH and the versions I have heard always say he's "under or around" the Skyway Bridge...
Which is close to Sanibel...
heck the dang thing could be all over the area.

Which I do not doubt.
Due to probably every huge shark seen or almost caught is "him".
I think I first heard the story over 30 years ago...
So he is really an old shark...
Or the others IF they exist are his offspring. heh

 

[SADS 669]

...

 

[ARC]

...

I am flattered Sad s :P

 

[Boatlode]

Ah, the famous giant hammerhead known as Old Hitler. He even made the big time last year during Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" with his own show. I had to call my Dad when that show came on, because Old Hitler is a true Florida legend that we both heard passed down from fisherman to fisherman.

Old Hitler has been hanging around Boca Grande pass for as long as I can remember, eating 150 lb tarpon off fishermen's lines like a bass eats a shiner. I know two people who have personally met Old Hitler. Their stories are similar. Hooked a big tarpon, got it fairly close to the boat, and a big black shadow comes up from the depths and eats it. Both of them say the hammerhead was as wide as the transom of their boat. One of them got a good close look at Old Hitler as he swam past, and swears the fish was as long as his boat (24 feet).

If there really is a giant hammerhead named Old Hitler, the fish must be 50 years old, because the stories go back to the 60's. But there have been too many encounters to simply write it off as a fish story. I suspect there have been several "Old Hitler's" feeding in Boca Grande pass over the years.

 

[Darren in NC]

Old Hitler?

 

[Boatlode]

Old Hitler?

Nope - not according to what I have heard. Old Hitler is much bigger and has a nasty attitude. He got his name a long time ago from a guy named Bandy who decided he wanted to catch this monster fish. It became an obsession with Bandy, kind of like Captain Ahab and Moby Dick. Bandy finally managed to hook the fish, but instead of taking off the fish charged the boat and rammed it, cracking the transom. Bandy saw that the fish was bigger than his boat, so he cut the line to avoid further damage. But the fish wouldn't leave even though he was free - he continued to ram the boat and almost sank it. From that day on he was known as Old Hitler.

 

[SADS 669]

Having just spent the dive trip of a lifetime at Truk Lagoon I thought it interesting to share with you that I am not the only one to have to put up with Dumb Diving days. While I was there I decided like all hard core divers do, to buy myself a couple of T' shirts from the SS Thorfinn liveaboard I was diving from.

Now, everyone who is an experienced diver knows Truk (or Chuuk how it's now spelled by the locals) is definitely not spelled with a small 'c' in it anywhere. However, if you are a T'shirt printer in the Philippines where the order was placed and someone sends you an order for 500 shirts with the location spelled wrong it certainly behooves you to correct them, oops.

So we have therefore established the T' shirt printer thinks the owner of the operation is an idiot, because he can't even get a simple thing right like how to spell Truck. Don't worry I'll make sure he doesn't look like a Jackass with Truk not Truck on his shirts. I'll print all of them with the correct spelling. This is even though the proof reading and authorization was agreed with the correct spelling.

Imagine the Captain \ Owners demeanor when these shirts roll up with "Dive Truck Lagoon" plastered all over them. Also please help me out a little and imagine the bad language this ex Tug Boat Captain used when he opened the box, I bet he even made up some new swear words too.

When you go to Truck Lagoon, and you should for your dive vacation help him out like I did and buy a couple of these shirts. He can then organize some new ones that are spelled correctly, (we hope). I feel like a police search diver every time I wear it looking for dumped pick ups in a lake or something.

The front of the shirt also says in very big letters (right below "Dive Truck Lagoon") "Diving Excellence built from Experience". When I read this I thought "No ****, Shylock" sorry.......... Sherlock.

Great operation none the less, it just goes to show even the best have "Dumb Diving Days" too...........ha ha.

Japanese submarine I 169

 

[MPH200]

My brother & I used to help our Father with his dive classes back in the 80's. He is a PADI Dive Master & Certified Master Diver. We would do the check out dives in Lake Travis in Austin. On a good day there is 12' visibility. One dive weekend while we were there, an emergency call went out to all available divers that a child was missing. All divers in the water to immediately to find him. At 16 & 13 years old, my brother & I really didn't want to find a dead body ... especially in water with no visibility. We agreed before we went in to go straight down, breathe up our air & head back up. Great plan, no dead bodies involved. We went in, straight down & proceeded to find a big log & breathe up our air. Well Lake Travis is a man made lake with trees & rocks, even old houses that were flooded when they damned it up, so the bottom is anything but smooth sand. Anyway we land smoothly on the bottom at about 60' & sit down at the same time on this big smooth log ... and IT MOVED. We had just sat on a 5' catfish. We thought it was the dead body & both were screaming & yelling as much as you can with a regulator in your mouth. Good news was the child was found alive asleep in the back of someone's station wagon.

 

[old man]

My brother & I used to help our Father with his dive classes back in the 80's. He is a PADI Dive Master & Certified Master Diver. We would do the check out dives in Lake Travis in Austin. On a good day there is 12' visibility. One dive weekend while we were there, an emergency call went out to all available divers that a child was missing. All divers in the water to immediately to find him. At 16 & 13 years old, my brother & I really didn't want to find a dead body ... especially in water with no visibility. We agreed before we went in to go straight down, breathe up our air & head back up. Great plan, no dead bodies involved. We went in, straight down & proceeded to find a big log & breathe up our air. Well Lake Travis is a man made lake with trees & rocks, even old houses that were flooded when they damned it up, so the bottom is anything but smooth sand. Anyway we land smoothly on the bottom at about 60' & sit down at the same time on this big smooth log ... and IT MOVED. We had just sat on a 5' catfish. We thought it was the dead body & both were screaming & yelling as much as you can with a regulator in your mouth. Good news was the child was found alive asleep in the back of someone's station wagon.

MPH200, Good one, but I wish you hadn't reminded me of diving and dead bodies.
When I was about 24 years old both of my parents died in a car accident and I came back from overseas to raise 3 younger sisters.

I wanted to continue with my diving career, so I took a job with a diving company in New Jersey, which was only about an hour away from my parents home.
One evening I saw the horizon light up from what appeared to be a massive fire near Philadelphia. ( I live about an hours drive north of Philadelphia. ) The next day when I went to work I heard that an oil tanker that was docked in the Delaware River next to Philadelphia International Airport had caught fire and exploded while transferring oil to storage tanks. About week after the explosion our boss told me and another diver that we had a job to go diving and to retrieve the Captains Log Book from the ship that exploded. ( He told us that it took a week or close to it for the ship to cool off enough to enter it.) The ship was still pretty much in one piece, with the deck visible just above the top of the water.
The other diver and I donned our wet suits with the Coast Guard and TV crews observing from shore. We first attempted to go down a gangway at low tide with our tanks on and found out that there were too many wires hanging over the entrance. So we took our tanks off and ducked through the entrance where we found that we could stand up in waist deep water with oil covering us and our dive lights. We were pretty much feeling our way around in the dark because our dive lights were covered in oil. I was on one side of the Captains Cabin when I heard the other diver let out this unGodly scream. I yelled over to him and asked him what was wrong and he yelled back, " It's Got Me. " I ask him what got him and he said, " A Body. " Apparently a female relative had been visiting the Captain and she must have been sitting on a couch in his Cabin during the explosion. When the explosion happened she must have had her arms out stretched, because her arms were wrapped around the other divers legs when he stumbled upon her.

To make a long story short, we brought the deceased to shore and a medical examiner was there with his hearse. When we put the lady into the hearse, the medical examiner told us that we were really contacted to bring the bodies out of the ship, Not to Find the Captain's Log Book.
Needless to say both diver's were really pissed off at our boss for not telling us what we were really contracted to do that day.
After I got out of my oil covered dive suit, I told my Boss what I thought of him for lying to us and I told him what he could do with his job.

 

[Blak bart]

Ah, the famous giant hammerhead known as Old Hitler. He even made the big time last year during Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" with his own show. I had to call my Dad when that show came on, because Old Hitler is a true Florida legend that we both heard passed down from fisherman to fisherman.

Old Hitler has been hanging around Boca Grande pass for as long as I can remember, eating 150 lb tarpon off fishermen's lines like a bass eats a shiner. I know two people who have personally met Old Hitler. Their stories are similar. Hooked a big tarpon, got it fairly close to the boat, and a big black shadow comes up from the depths and eats it. Both of them say the hammerhead was as wide as the transom of their boat. One of them got a good close look at Old Hitler as he swam past, and swears the fish was as long as his boat (24 feet).

If there really is a giant hammerhead named Old Hitler, the fish must be 50 years old, because the stories go back to the 60's. But there have been too many encounters to simply write it off as a fish story. I suspect there have been several "Old Hitler's" feeding in Boca Grande pass over the years.

Iknow this aint a dive story , and I know we should stop with the shark stuff, and i know that some of you will not like me after this post. But. Here we go. I have worked on a federally permitted shak boat for the last 20 years. There are many old hitlers out there. We routinely catch these fish over 1000 pounds. Please dont bash me for this, I rarley post pics of the big ones because of the controversy. Every part of these fish are processed and sold including fins, skins , meat , livers, and jaws/teeth. We have an observer that rides with us from national marine fisheries and we do a lot of research for the gov. and many universitys. We participate in satellite tagging programs and traditional tag programs. We are the last of a dying breed of fisherman. So here are a few pics. By the way I do have a couple teeth marks, thank god not to bad. And thank god never from diving. I could go on and on with stories but no one belives them any way. Plus this aint a fishing website either, so ill just shut up now.
P. S. Shark populations are thriving not dying, trust I know we take all the numbers down.

 

[ivan salis]

I can vouch that hammerheads can be massive in size --once a long time ago I was based at the Island of DEIGO GARICA (B.I.O.T) as part of U.S military's the prepo ship program * well on day the ships capt who was a avid fisherman wanted to catch some of the big cubarra snappers so he had th3m launch one of the ships lifeboats and had me come along as the steerer / boat operator for his fishing trip .. plus as the chief steward it would be me that had to cook his "catch" for him ..and he knew that I loved fishing as much as him ...the island is in fact the rim of a giant dead volcano and is far away from anything --about 800 miles from any real land masses as such it draw huge deep sea animals to its lagoon --the king of the lagoon was a large hammerhead call "hector" by the local military folks --he was about 25 foot long --I saw him while on the "fishing trip" as he swam along side the life boat --he was a bit longer than it was --and frankly was a scary beast to behold --in the olden days if any natives lived on the island he most likely would have been worshipped as a "god" of the sea ---we were told upon arrival at the island NOT to swim in the lagoon due to the large number of big sharks ---sadly one drunk went swimming at night in the lagoon and just "disappeared" --like he drown and was washed out to sea -- but just in case --they killed off poor ole hector and any other "large" sharks they could spot using a machine gun armed helicopter ...hector I would say at the time was about 25 foot long ..and was of the greater hammerhead type

 

[SADS 669]

Simple story about a simple potato

I was teaching in the classroom trying to make learning scuba diving as interesting as I could for the soldiers, we even had an officer in the class. I was a trainee instructor at the time so I was pulling out all the stops in an effort to get my point across. We eventually get to the bit about how you stop a diving mask, goggles, face mask or thingy you stick on your face from fogging up? I am OK with all of these descriptions as a realist, some people aren't?

Anyway, I managed to get into the lesson that any number of things can be used to de-fog a mask, commercial de-fog, toothpaste, saliva, an apple and even a potato will work when rubbed on the inside of the lens. So the lessons in the classroom are complete and off we go to the south coast where the diving will occur. I should add at this point that the officer was a Cavalry officer better known to simple soldiers as a "Hooray Henry" these gentlemen are generally very young, very posh and very rich. Daddy normally sends them to the Army to toughen them up a little.

So we are on the dive site in the little rubber boat about to dive. Suddenly there is a high pitched voice from the front of the boat asking, " did anyone bring the potato?" Well soldiers, especially British ones, who generally have an outrageous sense of humour are extremely quick on the uptake, so to speak. "Hang on sir, I'll check in my bag" shouts one. " I am sure the instructors wouldn't have forgotten to bring it sir" shouts another.

So there we were tearing the boat apart looking for this fictitious potato that Harry, sorry Henry assumed one of his "servants" or " the help" as I am sure he viewed us 'other ranks' must have brought with them for his use. I still smile to this day thinking of the "lads" ripping up the wooden floor of the boat, coming out with humorous quips like " can't find the potato sir, will my sandwich do the trick?" It was about 10 minutes of 'us versus them' that everyone except the poor defenseless young officer really enjoyed.

So next time you hear someone talking with a terribly posh British accent think of the potato story, it will put a smile on your face, it does for me............

 

[grossmusic]

"Dive Truck Lagoon" plastered all over them

I love it. A story that combines diving & editing. My kinda story!

 

[grossmusic]

I have worked on a federally permitted [shark] boat for the last 20 years.

Thanks for "coming out" Blak Bart - no judgment here (well, not from me at least). Treasure divers are likewise vilified for blowing holes & supposedly messing with the environment. A few bad players have given the entire industry a bad name.

It's not my story to tell, but ask Capt. Billy about the wreck he KNOWS is there, but can't dive it because of "seagrass" (better yet, buy his book).

There are countless stories here of sea turtles' eggs, UNESCO, hoity-toity archaeological programs, etc. blocking treasure divers whose work actually benefits all. No doubt the work you do benefits all here.

If you have stories - do tell!

 

[MPH200]

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,

A tale of a fateful trip

That started from this tropic port

Aboard this tiny ship.



The mate was a mighty sailing man,

The skipper brave and sure.

Five passengers set sail that day

For a three hour tour, a three hour tour.



The weather started getting rough,

The tiny ship was tossed,

If not for the courage of the fearless crew

The minnow would be lost, the minnow would be lost.



The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle

With Gilligan

The Skipper too,

The millionaire and his wife,

The movie star

The professor and Mary Ann,

Here on Gilligan's Isle.



So this is the tale of the castaways,

They're here for a long, long time,

They'll have to make the best of things,

It's an uphill climb.



The first mate and the Skipper too,

Will do their very best,

To make the others comfortable,

In the tropic island nest.



No phone, no lights no motor cars,

Not a single luxury,

Like Robinson Crusoe,

As primitive as can be.



So join us here each week my friends,

You're sure to get a smile,

From seven stranded castaways,

Here on "Gilligan's Isle."





Hey someone had to go there.

 

[SADS 669]

200, we getting a story from you too?

 

[audigger53]

Different but you may like it. My Nephew-in-Law and Niece go diving in the Salt River in Arizona. They found a place after a set of rapids that is 30 feet deep. At the bottom they sweep 2-3 feet of beer cans to see the goodies lost by people. If the wallet has an ID they try and return it. They have found many watches, rings, necklaces, and "Lots" of sunglasses. I didn't realize that you could pay $300 for a pair of sunglasses. They give to the Lion's Club 2-3 boxes of sunglasses every 2-3 months or so. People that go Tubing on the river loose lots of stuff. This includes money in the pockets of pants and cutoffs. Girls take off the cutoffs so they can show off their Bikinis and get sunburnt. So if your anywhere near where people go tubing, look for places that the coolers get dumped from rapids. Like the river that goes past Austin to San Antonio.

 

[Boatlode]

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,

A tale of a fateful trip

That started from this tropic port

Aboard this tiny ship.



The mate was a mighty sailing man,

The skipper brave and sure.

Five passengers set sail that day

For a three hour tour, a three hour tour.



The weather started getting rough,

The tiny ship was tossed,

If not for the courage of the fearless crew

The minnow would be lost, the minnow would be lost.



The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle

With Gilligan

The Skipper too,

The millionaire and his wife,

The movie star

The professor and Mary Ann,

Here on Gilligan's Isle.



So this is the tale of the castaways,

They're here for a long, long time,

They'll have to make the best of things,

It's an uphill climb.



The first mate and the Skipper too,

Will do their very best,

To make the others comfortable,

In the tropic island nest.



No phone, no lights no motor cars,

Not a single luxury,

Like Robinson Crusoe,

As primitive as can be.



So join us here each week my friends,

You're sure to get a smile,

From seven stranded castaways,

Here on "Gilligan's Isle."





Hey someone had to go there.

Ok, the age old question: Ginger or Mary Ann?

This thread is now officially derailed.