“What’s the funniest/most thrilling moment you’ve experienced while scuba diving?”

[Letonpower01]

There are always some unexpected surprises when diving -

It could be being ‘punched in the face’ by a school of fish, or it could be a sudden problem with your equipment scaring your soul out of your body ......

What are some of the hilarious / thrilling / What are some of the hilarious/thrilling/unbelievable diving moments everyone has encountered? Let's talk about your stories

" Who gets it! Finding the wetsuit zipper closed while diving (social death moment +1)

What about your experiences?
Being “molested” by sea life?
Or was it the equipment malfunction/failure to operate moment?
Or was it the underwater spectacle of encountering the opposite side of the world altogether?

Please share! Preferably with a picture/video so I can laugh at you (and envy you)!

 

[Mr. X]

A large seal nibbled my fins while I was spearfishing in Devon, around Burgh Island!

Later, I dived down into a dark gulley, so I could watch fish swimming above me but as I swam down, I startled the large seal that was already laying in the dark gulley; likely it had a similar idea/plan to catch passing fish!!

BTW Many sea anglers pack up and leave if a seal shows up.

I figure they have as much or more right to be there. We're using their "larder" for our recreation, after all.

 

[HooSlayer]

Noty favorite moment but I was once spearing with a new set of carbon fins that was too loose and at the bottom of my dive the fin slipped off and started to sink. I did not have enough air to dive down and grab the fin and swim to the surface with one fin so the i shot the carbon fins with a spear gun as it was sinking. Fin had a hole in it thereafter but worked just fine.

 

[cdavis]

Shooting dog snapper (very thick skull) with a weak Hawaiian sling, I stoned the fish ( about 15 lb) but the shaft only went in about 1/2 inch and fell out as soon as i put my hand on it. So now I'm in 20 meters, running short on dive time, with one hand on the shaft and the other trying to grab a free floating, completely stoned, and very slick fish. Mad scramble. . I was scared to death he would wake up before I got some fingers in his gills. I never did get a good grip on the fish, but luckily he did not wake up and all came out fine, just crazy for a few seconds.

 

[Lauri_A]

Out spearfishing at my summer cabin and super focused on the task when suddenly something bites at my fin. Being in Finland we don't have seals or fish big enough so almost soiled my wetsuit.

Turns out our dog had seen my out there and swam out to "rescue" me, scared me out of my mind

 

[Bill McIntyre]

That last one reminds me of a couple of funny experiences with seals in Southern California. I came up from a scuba dive and started turning to locate the boat. When I turned I found a seal with its nose pressed against my mask. They aren't aggressive but it was starling since I thought I was alone.

And then years later I was free diving, swimming along at 25 feet, when something grabbed may fins and stopped may kick. It was just a seal clasping fins to its chest.

 

[Rob9876]

While doing our 3 minute safety stop my teenage son started a fake Seahunt-style "fight" with me. It's now become a tradition -- pretending to cut regulator hoses, lift masks, etc. Makes the time go by faster.