Superstitions, Rituals and Talismans

[patpicos]

I was just going to post something similar. Another one that I go by is "if you think you should call the dive then you already should have."

Finally, I'm very reluctant to touch dive gear that I find on the bottom. Some years ago I was diving in Tobermory, Canada on the wreck of the Arabia. Descending down the line we were blessed with surprisingly good visibility for Lake Huron. Anyway I began to notice a lot of gear that was strewn along the bottom, fins, a mask, BC with tank and regs attached. I thought someone might have lost it overboard in rough seas so I told myself that I'd collect it on the way back. As luck would have it another diver beat me to it.

What we found out when we surfaced was that a diver had drowned at the sight the previous day and that gear was his. Apparently during his struggle to surface he began to doff his gear. It didn't help and he drowned.

Why my reluctance? The diver who retrieved the gear started have a lot of problems with his gear the rest of that trip. Maybe it was coincidence but personally I think it was bad juju.

That must have been before the zebra mussels. Toby always has great viz. The arabia is also a site i've recovered some gear in one dive (dove it too many times, so i decided to explore. Recovered a mask, snorkel, an overweighted weight belt, and a AL60 w/ regulator attached...still pressurized from being under ~2 years. That was a fun dive (unlike the previous one where i lost sight of the wreck)

[Troglodyver]

Three things go wrong before or during a dive, thumb goes up. Doesn't have to be gear issues. The problems I worry about most are mistakes I make, even little ones. Too many of those is probably a sign the most important piece of gear -- my brain -- isn't fully in the game that day.

Sometimes nothing has gone wrong, but for whatever reason I get THAT feeling. Dive gets called. I've even called one after gearing up, about to walk to the water. Ding! Something says, maybe you shouldn't do this today. Got out of gear, reloaded car, figured out what to do the rest of the day. Never regretted calling one.

OK, Jill, your turn: What superstitions, rituals, and talismans do you have?

- Sid

[divingabe]

I just called a dive this morning that I drove over 4 hours to get to, did a prep/checkout dive yesterday, spent the night, got an early start at the site. The only reason was because I just was not feeling the desire to do it.

DITTO
Any 3 problems just prior or during the dive and its I am out of here.
Gabe

[PfcAJ]

Why 3 and not 2 or 4?

[jlillest]

Why 3 and not 2 or 4?

Because 3 is a magic number.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU4pyiB-kq0

[jlcdvr]

Do not, under any circumstances, pick up any found $$ before a cave dive.

Joel

[DarkCoffee]

If I forget any major piece of dive gear, like drysuit, fins, regs, mask or tanks, then I call the dive..usually.
I'm just superstitious that way... If I forget two or more of the above, then the dive is definitely over... mostly...

[lord1234]

I too follow the 3 strikes and I'm out rule. I almost broke it recently, and was glad I chose to keep it. Thankfully no incident occurred, but I felt much better.

[Scubaru]

If I forget my tanks, regs, or BC, I go ahead and call it.

[TONY CHANEY]

If I forget any major piece of dive gear, like drysuit, fins, regs, mask or tanks, then I call the dive..usually.
I'm just superstitious that way... If I forget two or more of the above, then the dive is definitely over... mostly...

kinda hard to dive without any of the pieces you listed.