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"Fear the PADI Open Water Diver..."

Yup, qualified over the weekend after a few dives in cold, scummy, zero visibility lakewater. One of the divemasters there yesterday is encouraging me to meet up with sharks and has provided me with the details of a team in south africa that organise white shark cage diving.

Now, cage diving is interesting because the presence of the cage in the water often causes the sharks to act unpredictably, and they often bite the cage in frustration, which you are holding onto so that the water doesn't batter you against the sides and crush your bones. So, immediately, you have a very good chance of losing fingers. Further, the cages are don't have lids, and white sharks are known to be able to leap right out of the water, and there is technically nothing to prevent them from jumping right into the cage with you. Something could also go wrong, sinking the cage and leaving you as fishbait, or an unexpected surge pushing you against the cage with your arm flailing out of the side like a meatflag.

So, I know I would, hell, I'm insane, but would you jump into the cage with the most notorious predatory "maneater" in the world?

Personally, I wouldn't hesitate.

It was gnarly extreme. They're idiots though. They peck at you, and even at parts of your hadn that isn't food. And then when all the food has run out, they still do it for a few minutes.

But while I had some bread I actually caught one in my hand and pulled it out of the water. Proof that I'm superior to sardines.

Woah, like...most excellent, dude.

I was gnarly on holiday.

I had sardines eating bread out of my hand.

Shark attacks aren't as common as people think. Mostly happens when yuppies think it's a great idea to interpret "Don't go surfing in shark-infested waters, it makes you look like a seal and they like seals" as "Surf in shark-infested water is like, way gnarly."

Me? Dive? I get flustered just paddling. All those unknown creatures don't scare me, actually it's the known creatures I have a problem with. I've seen the BBC Blue Planet on DVD, there's no way I'm going in there!!


Damn the BBC, they made me afraid of the water but increasingly interested at the same time...

I went to an aquarium the other week too, in Cherbourg. They have crabs well in excess of three feet wide.

Those things actually live in the sea.

I'm not going in the sea.

I always get busted trying to be clever.

*mental note - don;t bother in future....

Ah, this will be my gimmick account...

Not you as well. what the hell is wrong with everyone today???

Insane bartender...... you obviousy have two accounts as your name has just changed colour and your no. of posts/words has changed......

odd......