Lost and Found..

[PoorCop]

After reading in the lost and found, I am kind of curious as to everyones thinking relating to gear left sitting, when there doesnt appear to be any scuba guys left at a particular spot. I can think of positives and negatives for most any action/scenario.

1. I could pick up the gear expecting to post on CDF/TDS, while keepig it in my possesion. "Unless I am at a patrolled hole like PSSP or GS. Which you could turn it in and then report to te site"

2. Leave it and by-pass the trouble of a returning owner thinking I am shopping.

I know that there is alot of comon sense that needs to o along with this. Things like I know it belongs to the diver's that are gone now that I saw coming as I was going. But even still, should I leave it hoping they will realize it before they are to far gone, or leave it for the next local river rat?

Personally I have always just let everything be and went along my way. Now I can only wonder how I feel about any gear I might leave? I guess the odds are better if someone honest saw it and picked it up.

What is you opinion?
What do you do?

[jj1987]

I'd grab it and leave it with EE or Cave Excursions. From the average diver I meet, I trust them to return my stuff a lot more than I'd trust the average person walking around the springs.

[PoorCop]

I'd grab it and leave it with EE or Cave Excursions. From the average diver I meet, I trust them to return my stuff a lot more than I'd trust the average person walking around the springs.


Being so new to cave diving, I did not think of those two either. But that is an excellent suggestion being they "the local shops" more than likely know who it belongs to also. I have always been real suspicious of people in general, but most of the cave divers I have met have been awsome people.

[Line Squirrel]

If it's obviously left behind I grab it and drop it off at the nearest dive shop and post on line.

If you are uneasy about maybe the owner returning, what I have done is let somebody [another diver] know I'm going to take it to a dive shop, that way you sorta have a witness that your intentions are honorable.

I've returned several small items and I had my entire sm rig with (2)Scout lights, probably several spools clipped to it, returned to me...what goes around, comes around I say.

[TerryK]

Being the recent recipient of another caver's good will, I can say it is great to have divers out there who are willing to watch out for one another! I just need to be sure to pay it forward.

[amphipod06]

A couple of months back my buddies and I noticed a mask and fins set on the bank at Ginnie. It was not unusual since there were bunches of teams going in and out.
When we came back from our 100+ minutes dive the mask and fins were still right where we saw them first.

We started speculating about the booby traps that may be waiting for the locals with the gear. Since there were still other divers there we still assumed the owner was nearby. I mean, who in their right mind would not be within spitting distance of easily pilferable dive gear at Ginnie!

To make this story short (oops, too late!) the mask and fins were there when we left that evening. I usually do not touch anyone's stuff as I would expect reciprocity (provided I did not forget it...). However, I am sorry I did not even ask around about the mask and fins I saw sitting there. That evening one of our members (Serota) posted regarding his missing mask and fins....
Turns out the gear I saw was his and no one did anything. They went home (likely) with some college kid or local that was there on their tubes I imagine.

My point (yes, took me a long time eh?) is that if I had at least asked the question Serota may have recovered his mask and fins. Next time I will ask around and then take the stuff to the front desk or one of the local shops.

I lost a DR red reel a long time ago in Peacock (before Janet was there) and it was very clearly marked (my last name was stamped on the metal handle and written on the plastic rel itself, pretty obvious I thought) and to this day no one has come forth to return it. It left a bad taste and made me not rely on the honesty of others.

I am happy to say that my opinion has changed over the last few years after that happened. No, never recovered my reel but I have observed a large number of valuables being returned to their forgetful owners by cave divers who look after each other.

I recently (in January) lost my mp3 player at Eagle's Nest and I was VERY fortunate to have it returned by Jeff, who actually went and looked and then shipped it back from Maryland. He did not even accept my offer to pay postage!! All he asked was that I pass it forward and offer a bottle of water to other exiting cave divers....

So, I won't bore you further with my ramblings, take a second next time you see anything laying about that looks forgotten and ask questions. Next time it may be your own stuff.

Thanks Jeff and all those of you who watch out for the rest of us.

Dive safe,

Celia (very happy to have her deco toy back)

[tomhauburn]

I pick it up after looking for the owner and asking around and turn it into the shop. I post I found it on the forum, I have lost my fair share of things and hope good Karma comes back to me although recently it has not worked so well. On a reel left in the system I will not touch unless someone asks me to do so.

Tom

[aainslie]

Well, on MY gear i write my name all over it. It's something of a joke amongst my diving friends since I don't do it too carefully... but as a result i prefer it when people hand it in as it's easy to prove it's mine.

of course if I was called john Smith, my tactics might be different...

[tomhauburn]

Well, on MY gear i write my name all over it. It's something of a joke amongst my diving friends since I don't do it too carefully... but as a result i prefer it when people hand it in as it's easy to prove it's mine.

of course if I was called john Smith, my tactics might be different...

Andrew do you put your real name on stuff after some of the arguments on here? ( Really more on the Deco Stop ) You might not ever see it. LOL

[RN]

I pick up the gear and turn it in. Usually it gets turned into Edd at Cave Adventurers. Most people realize they lost it and have already called before I even get there with it. I've also found line markers in the cave and just grabbed them on the way out. They usually go into the back of my van. I've returned those items to their owners when coming across them at the dive site.

[chimie007]

I recently (in January) lost my mp3 player at Eagle's Nest and I was VERY fortunate to have it returned by Jeff, who actually went and looked and then shipped it back from Maryland.

Celia, that was expected since it's full of Celine Dion. No one want that stuff around ;)

[chimie007]

After reading in the lost and found, I am kind of curious as to everyones thinking relating to gear left sitting, when there doesnt appear to be any scuba guys left at a particular spot. I can think of positives and negatives for most any action/scenario.

1. I could pick up the gear expecting to post on CDF/TDS, while keepig it in my possesion. "Unless I am at a patrolled hole like PSSP or GS. Which you could turn it in and then report to te site"

2. Leave it and by-pass the trouble of a returning owner thinking I am shopping.

I know that there is alot of comon sense that needs to o along with this. Things like I know it belongs to the diver's that are gone now that I saw coming as I was going. But even still, should I leave it hoping they will realize it before they are to far gone, or leave it for the next local river rat?

Personally I have always just let everything be and went along my way. Now I can only wonder how I feel about any gear I might leave? I guess the odds are better if someone honest saw it and picked it up.

What is you opinion?
What do you do?

Ask round, pick it up and why not leave a little note that you have it. That will cover a case of the owner coming back to the site to find nothing.

[aainslie]

Andrew do you put your real name on stuff after some of the arguments on here? ( Really more on the Deco Stop ) You might not ever see it. LOL

Yeah I know - I just got a sweet PM asking me to make babies with myself. Go figure...

:)

[Mike Edmonston]

Yeah I know - I just got a sweet PM asking me to make babies with myself. Go figure...

:)

ROFL, that pretty funny :smt081

Tell them "sorry I wear protection"

[amphipod06]

Celia, that was expected since it's full of Celine Dion. No one want that stuff around ;)

Celine who?

Raphael, pleeeeze!!!!!

Loved it though.....:-)


Dive safe,

Celia

[BgDadddy]

I found a brannd new AL80 at Turkey Roost several months ago... When no one came back to claim it after an hour or so, I took it over to Eric, who turned it in.

Several years ago, I left a brand new pair of Powerfins at Ginnie when I drove back to Tampa. Someone grabbed them, gave them to someone else, they made the rounds and eventually showed up about 3 months later after I posted here that I had lost them.

Definately, what comes around goes around.

[MengTze]

We found valve knobs from a RB80.. 3000ft in Ginnie............................(we did return them with a big grin)

[amphipod06]

We found valve knobs from a RB80.. 3000ft in Ginnie............................(we did return them with a big grin)

HAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHA, that was funny!!!!

Dive safe,

Celia

[OFG-1]

You take it and sell it on ebay. Don't you?

[guru caver]

My plan is to use only the crappiest gear I can find and it usually stays right where I put it...