ALERT: Les Davis Dive Gear THIEF (Tacoma)

Shaker100 · Post by **Shaker100** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 9:39 pm

Ben and I had an interesting night dive at Les Davis a few minutes ago...

Most of you know the parking lot and the area that people use to "gear up" at when diving at Les Davis in Tacoma. Well, ole Ben and I were gearing up tonight when a guy pulled up in a older red Honda Civic with no hub caps. He parked two stalls over from us, got out, and walked right by me to the bushes behind us. I guessed then to use the bathroom. He walked back to his car got out a nitrox labled tank and put his reg on it and got back into the car. That drew my attention right away (he didn't put a BC on his tank before the reg!) WHO dives nitrox and can't set up their gear?!

That's when I did the thing I always do when someone doesn't seem right: I went up and talked to him. He was approx 6'4", white male, late thirties, 250 lbs, wearing no pants (boxer like shorts), and long socks. He said that he was trying to get his brother out to dive with him. We asked him why he didn't have a BC hooked up to his reg, he said he hasn't dove lately and was diving with A-2-Z tonight. That's when Ben said "aren't they out of business?" He looked surprised and said he was meeting with the club at 7 pm (It was his brother earlier), then he went back to his car and pulled out a sweet backplate BC system, that he clearly didn't know how to use. Interestingly, he did put on a drysuit, but didn't have any undergarments. Seeing and hearing all of this, Ben and I slowed down our set up and at about 7 pm we asked him where the other A-2-Z club members were? He said they usually show up around 7:30 pm. (Mind you he was at the parking lot at 6:30pm).

Needless to say we moved our car to a more visible area and made sure he knew we took our gear with us. We dropped down for a few minutes and then popped up, he was still there, we came up 30 mins later and he and his car were gone and no other divers were around, confirming what we already knew. I know this post should go under "dive recap", but I never look there and this guy effects persons planning dives in the Tacoma area.

Please be on the look out for this man and his car, and if you see someone acting strangely, for your sake and everyone else who spends their hard earned money on dive gear , TALK TO THEM! These guys hate it and it's the best way to run them off.

Thanks

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 9:51 pm

Heh... or hang out, and when his dive buddies stand him up, just offer to have him come with you. Help him into his drysuit leaving the zipper about 3" open. See how long he lasts through a looooooong gear check. Then tell him you've written down his license plate and are forwarding it to police.

Shaker100 · Post by **Shaker100** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:10 pm

We thought about seeing how far we could get him to go with his dive gear (I mean: would he have gotten in the water??!), but didn't want to get him hurt. We just wanted him to leave the car and our stuff alone.

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:15 pm

Shaker100 wrote:We thought about seeing how far we could get him to go with his dive gear (I mean: would he have gotten in the water??!), but didn't want to get him hurt. We just wanted him to leave the car and our stuff alone.

I wouldn't have taken him under either... hence the LOOOOOONG surface check. I'm talking the best, most thorough, head-to-toe you've ever done. All the while, he's playing it cool and freezing as water pours into the suit. For grins, talk about sixgill sharks being the 3rd largest predatory shark in the world and that Puget Sound is one of the only places in the world they come shallow enough to be a threat (don't mention we LOVE seeing them) to divers.

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 4:32 am

So how do you know he was a thief?

I don't do Les Davis night dives anymore ... too many gang-bangers hang out down there at night. Messing with those people is a great way to end up on the wrong end of a News Tribune story.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:04 am

Grateful Diver wrote:So how do you know he was a thief?

I don't do Les Davis night dives anymore ... too many gang-bangers hang out down there at night. Messing with those people is a great way to end up on the wrong end of a News Tribune story.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

So what did he steal?

+1 not a good park to be hanging out in after dark.

Norris · Post by **Norris** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:10 am

Maybe the subject should be

Les Davis Suspicous Person

cardiver · Post by **cardiver** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 9:00 am

Norris wrote:Maybe the subject should be

Les Davis Suspicous Person

I agree. I read the title of this post and was expecting to hear a story of the op being ripped off.

Geek · Post by **Geek** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 10:03 am

All you wussy's, just pay the nice gang banger guy $20 to watch your stuff

Only time I had an issue at LD was a day time weekday dive, smashed my window and grabed my laptop bag.... didn't have a laptop in it but now I'm more carefull what I leave visable in my truck.... through tinted glass

dwashbur · Post by **dwashbur** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 10:04 am

The fact that he claimed to be doing something with A2Z nearly a week after they closed up shop would have been enough to make me suspicious, but it does raise the question of what his real motives were. Whatever they were, it sounds like you thwarted them sufficiently.

Waynne Fowler · Post by **Waynne Fowler** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 10:36 am

did you get a licsense plate number?
I've seen instructor's and DM's who didn't know how to put gear together properly. That in and of itself, while disconcerting, wouldn't lead me to believe they are a thief. It would however, make me suspicious just as it did you.
The easiest thing to do I think, would be to take the plate # and pass it on to the cops. Not that they could do much with it but at least it's been past on and maybe it'd link the car with something else and/or you may be adding intel (a discription of the driver) to some info the cops already have, and if anything does come up missing in the future maybe your intel will pop up and produce results at that time.

airsix · Post by **airsix** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 11:07 am

If A2Z had a history of diving weekly at that time this might be a guy who's used to joining them irregularly and just expected them to be there because they have been in the past.

~Might~ have been a crook but for that matter he might have been Elvis. I think it's more likely he's just a guy who needs a mentor. Think like a criminal. What motive would there be for standing around in plain sight, putting on an act and stringing around a bunch of stolen gear for the world to see while pretending to be a diver. That makes no sense. A thief doesn't want to be seen. He's more likely to keep a safe distance and swoop in when the coast was clear. I think the only thing this guy is guilty of is inexperience and low self confidence. He needs some real dive buddies and it sounds like he was passively looking for some. I know I could be wrong. I wasn't there, so can't really judge.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 11:10 am

airsix wrote:If A2Z had a history of diving weekly at that time this might be a guy who's used to joining them irregularly and just expected them to be there because they have been in the past.

~Might~ have been a crook but for that matter he might have been Elvis. I think it's more likely he's just a guy who needs a mentor. Think like a criminal. What motive would there be for standing around in plain sigh, putting on an act and stringing around a bunch of stolen gear for the world to see while pretending to be a diver. That makes no sense. A thief doesn't want to be seen. He's more likely to keep a safe distance and swoop in when the coast was clear. I think the only thing this guy is guilty of is inexperience and low self confidence. He needs some real dive buddies and it sounds like he was passively looking for some.

+1 Sounds like he needed help getting back in the water more than being reported to the police.

Tangfish · Post by **Tangfish** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 11:22 am

Whatever the case may be, it wouldn't have hurt to jot down his license plate number or better yet, snap a photo of his car and/or him - IF your instincts told you that he might have possibly been a dive gear thief. I am a big believer in following your instincts about people. It doesn't sound like this guy was a diver just trying to find some buddies. I was one a long time ago and was dying to talk to anyone in a parking lot about diving. Also, I didn't hesitate to ask people if I could tag along with them, exchange numbers, etc. Taking photos of people in a public place where there is no implied privacy is perfectly legal. Doing so in error might be a little annoying, but if you were right and he was scoping out the next smash and grab - doing so would probably have saved your fellow divers several kits of dive gear. Something I know that Valerie would appreciate anyway.

I think that you guys did the right thing by approaching the guy. IF he were just looking for dive buddies, you broke the ice. IF he was up to no good, you likely scared him off from this jacking and likely others.

Shaker100 · Post by **Shaker100** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 2:42 pm

Tangfish - That was how I read it too. We spent 30 minutes with the guy, he never asked to go out with us (he also smelled like battery acid and was not wearing pants in 36 degree weather). I really don't think that people should be afraid to talk to other people in a public setting and asking what about people are doing is ok and within social norms.

The post was intended to alert other divers to potential do danger or loss of gear. I am glad someone understands that.

FYI - I didn't get plates. Should have.

Diver_C · Post by **Diver_C** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 6:16 pm

Should have asked to take a picture with him (with his license plate in the picture) for your "log book".

Isn't A2Z is still around as a dive club? I thought I read that somewhere. But, he sure didn't sound like he was actually going diving (at least underwater, maybe into a car, not the water).

Dive Monkey · Post by **Dive Monkey** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:46 pm

Diver_C wrote:Should have asked to take a picture with him (with his license plate in the picture) for your "log book".

Isn't A2Z is still around as a dive club? I thought I read that somewhere. But, he sure didn't sound like he was actually going diving (at least underwater, maybe into a car, not the water).

It looks like they are. They had it posted on their facebook for club dives on thursday nights at 7pm

Nwbrewer · Post by **Nwbrewer** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:57 pm

Dive Monkey wrote:
Diver_C wrote:Should have asked to take a picture with him (with his license plate in the picture) for your "log book".

Isn't A2Z is still around as a dive club? I thought I read that somewhere. But, he sure didn't sound like he was actually going diving (at least underwater, maybe into a car, not the water).
It looks like they are. They had it posted on their facebook for club dives on thursday nights at 7pm

If you're a thief, doesn't that mean "Pricey unattended gear (and wallets!) in cars at the dive site 7:30pm"?

Shaker I think we all understood your point. Without actually having seen the individual in question you can see how there may be some doubt that he was indeed a thief. I have no doubt that in context I probably would have been certain too.

pogiguy05 · Post by **pogiguy05** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 2:58 am

+1 for the go over and talk to someone that seems out of place. Nothing wrong or illegal about it. I also agree with a criminal will likely NOT be around while you are there. I have had a car stolen once and someone also stole power tools out of my garage. I live on a quiet dead end street in Edgewood never seen anyone either time.

Should have asked him how much Nitrox he was going to be diving on. Once I was at Les Davis waiting to dive with some guys but really did not know them that well. They were there and they did dive, but not me. Had I just said HEY are you from NWDiveclub things would have been different. I probably looked like some strange dude standing in the back of his truck.

Mattleycrue76 · Post by **Mattleycrue76** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 7:17 am

Shaker100 wrote:(he also smelled like battery acid and was not wearing pants in 36 degree weather).

FYI - I didn't get plates. Should have.

Between the description of the diving, and fashion skills I have no doubt you merely had a run in with Fishstiq. Don't worry, he's pretty harmless unless you buddy up with him for a dive.

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Mon Jan 10, 2011 4:48 pm

So...just so everyone knows, he is not a thief. I am pretty sure, based on the physical and car description, someone who, with his brother, got certified about a year ago. Neither of them have been in the water (as far as we know) in about 6-8 months.

He called us in December looking to get back in the water. We let them know that we dive on Thursday evenings at 7pm at Les Davis. We didn't dive last Thursday (divemasters had colds) and he probably showed up, looking for people from the group to dive.

Looks can be deceiving. Both of these men are extremely wealthy, but are rough around the edges. They purchased most of their equipment from A-2-Z. They are active outdoors men enjoy hunting and fishing, and both of them work in the logging industry. Diving was something new, and they both enjoyed it. They had been working a lot, then hunting season, so we haven't seen them in a long time. Both men were very nice and would do anything to help someone. However, they look a little "different".

While Les Davis can be a scary place, the only time I have ever run into issues there are warm summer evenings. Gang-Bangers don't like the cold weather. Also, Tacoma PD has a heavy influence there, so most of the trouble makers avoid the park. But, like anywhere, there can be trouble after dark. Don't leave valuables in your car, and bring a shore buddy if you can.

Tangfish · Post by **Tangfish** » Mon Jan 10, 2011 4:51 pm

Diver_C wrote:Should have asked to take a picture with him (with his license plate in the picture) for your "log book".

Hey Rich, I'm going back through some old dives in my logbook, and realized that I need a photo of you, without pants on, smelling like battery acid, in front of your truck with the license plate visible. What are you doing next Tuesday?

BASSMAN · Post by **BASSMAN** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 6:12 pm

Tangfish wrote:
Diver_C wrote:Should have asked to take a picture with him (with his license plate in the picture) for your "log book".
Hey Rich, I'm going back through some old dives in my logbook, and realized that I need a photo of you, without pants on, smelling like battery acid, in front of your truck with the license plate visible. What are you doing next Tuesday?

Diver_C · Post by **Diver_C** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 1:07 am

Tangfish wrote:
Diver_C wrote:Should have asked to take a picture with him (with his license plate in the picture) for your "log book".
Hey Rich, I'm going back through some old dives in my logbook, and realized that I need a photo of you, without pants on, smelling like battery acid, in front of your truck with the license plate visible. What are you doing next Tuesday?

Northwest Dive Club