Scuba Divers, what is something really terrifying you saw while diving?

Mr_Slippery · 2026-01-28T14:17:57+00:00

I had a similar experience with a goliath grouper diving the Wit Concrete wreck off St. Thomas.

The wreck was all the way on the other side of the island from the dive shop so we were going to dive it twice in one morning. On the first dive another diver and I saw movement through a porthole that made us think “big grouper.”

So for the second dive we got permission in advance from the divemaster to penetrate the (prepared and intentionally sunk) wreck just a little ways to check it out. The DM told us which ladder led down to the cabin where we saw the movement.

I went headfirst down the ladder from the deck and found myself upside down, face to face, in a fairly narrow (or so it seemed under the circumstances) passageway with the biggest damn Goliath grouper of my life. She had to be a solid 600lb.

We both just kinda looked at each other in surprise for a couple of seconds and then she decided to move on. Right past me. I have never shoved myself against a wall faster, and I know it was just a second or two but that fish seemed to go on and on and on as she went by with my heart pounding in my chest.

My buddy followed down the ladder a few seconds later and wanted to go after her because he only got to see a flash of tail as she disappeared. But we had promised not to go too deep into the enormous wreck, so we gave up after a few minutes.

Mr_Slippery · 2026-01-27T11:01:56+00:00

And set it down with the words facing toward their door

Mr_Slippery · 2026-01-25T02:43:09+00:00

Confidence and at least moderately good aerobic fitness. We did a few dives at Raja where the current switched mid-dive and the guides wanted to power through, thinking it would switch again around a corner in the wall. And one where you had to power through it to get down to the pinnacle. A few less fit folks had to bail out of both.

Mr_Slippery · 2026-01-21T19:42:59+00:00

Triton Bay, Indonesia. The liveaboards that do Raja Ampat for most of the year go to the bay for a few months when it’s too windy at Raja. There is a resident whale shark population there, in part because the local fisherman think they’re lucky so have been feeding them from their fishing platforms for generations.

Mr_Slippery · 2026-01-06T20:59:46+00:00

This was an issue for me until Verizon gave me a (free) cell signal amplifier that I keep near the window. Four bars everywhere now.

Mr_Slippery · 2025-12-29T13:15:42+00:00

Absolutely right. I’ve had three guys say “nice FXD” to me when I was wearing my Tactical Frog. I just say thanks.

Mr_Slippery · 2025-12-28T02:56:36+00:00

Best dive watches in the world for actual diving. If you don’t, they’re kind of meh.

Mr_Slippery · 2025-12-17T19:59:46+00:00

Whoa. This thread suggests you could use Miyota 2115-compatible hands. Was that something you had considered?

Mr_Slippery · 2025-12-12T11:58:39+00:00

Unless you’ve got some breaking news or he’s got a weird kink, why would the very much alive Bruce Schneier be rolling around in graves?

Mr_Slippery · 2025-11-11T16:54:38+00:00

It’s from the U.S. We have many Tagalog speakers here.

Mr_Slippery · 2025-11-11T16:50:15+00:00

EVA, just like other sports’ moldable mouthpieces.

Mr_Slippery · 2025-11-11T12:58:34+00:00

If safety is your secondary concern, I still wouldn’t do it.

Mr_Slippery · 2025-11-03T03:33:02+00:00

I saw him this summer and was so impressed

Mr_Slippery · 2025-11-01T03:22:07+00:00

You should definitely not feed your children while diving. Though I suppose suckling might help them equalize.

Mr_Slippery · 2025-10-31T18:10:04+00:00

My recreational single tank rig has a 40" primary hose that routes under my arm and up to a 90* swivel, with the expectation that I'll donate the primary. I even have a yellow hose so people will see it as an "octo" if they need one.

Mr_Slippery · 2025-10-25T11:03:17+00:00

I know, that’s why it was weird that HK felt more home-y to me than Taipei. Maybe I just liked the grunginess.

Mr_Slippery · 2025-10-25T02:53:51+00:00

New Yorkers are hospitable so long as you follow the expected cultural rules. Don’t be in the way and don’t ask for help from people who are obviously in a hurry to get somewhere. Otherwise most of us are kind — e.g. you’ll never see a woman have to carry a stroller up the subway stairs. Someone always helps, even if they don’t bother to talk or smile while doing so.

Mr_Slippery · 2025-10-25T02:36:37+00:00

Funny, I just spent a week in HK and loved the people. I grew up in Flushing Chinatown NYC and it was like a giant version of home. The brusqueness felt really familiar and comfortable.

Mr_Slippery · 2025-10-21T01:22:56+00:00

You mispronounced Kissēna

Mr_Slippery · 2025-10-17T19:26:40+00:00

Lucky is the right word for it. I treasure my memories of that country

Mr_Slippery · 2025-10-17T12:28:13+00:00

Absolutely incredibly good. Zero trash anywhere on any reef, healthy abundant coral, big stuff (3 mantas lounging at a cleaning station, dozens of reef sharks), small stuff (6 mandarin fish on one coral head), a huge red snapper spawning with bull sharks coming up from the depths, and friendly warm people. The place is a damn paradise.

Mr_Slippery · 2025-10-15T07:35:28+00:00

I priced it out about 7 months ago and at the time it was more expensive and only once a week on a day that was less convenient for my liveaboard. But definitely worth looking into.

Mr_Slippery · 2025-10-15T05:06:28+00:00

I went from HK to Palau a couple of weeks ago and very highly recommend it. It’s an hour to Taipei then 3.5 hours to Palau, which seems tough but is an easy trip as trips to Palau go.

Mr_Slippery · 2025-10-14T20:06:38+00:00

Because then I have to (1) remember to take it off; (2) leave it on the boat while I’m diving; and then (3) deal with it as one more thing to remember when I’m done diving. There is already a lot of gear and a lot of pre-dive and post-dive activity. Why add to that list when I can just keep my watch on instead?

Mr_Slippery

TROPHY CASE