Mike,

The bullshit is that I have asked for assistance from the beginning, back in
May of this year as a matter of fact, to ensure that the proper  gas was
available.   It took me pulling out of the trip to get someone off their
dead ass to really see what kind of assistance we can get to do it the right
way.  Odyssey has said deep air was ok for all divers from the beginning and
I have challenged that from the beginning.  As far  as not diving if you are
using deep air, first its bullshit, second a moron like Gilliam recommended
that we do the deep air, and lastly you forget who is paying for the fucking
trip!  By the way, I was willing to put $4k up front for this trip.  And if
proper gas and appropriate diving procedures were not enough of and issue,
not one swing dick has answered the good DR. and my questions regarding
safety procedures if someone like the inexperience ill trained Teck divers
get bent.  If we are 12 hours from a chamber, what is Odyssey's evac plan?
We have been asking that question for months.

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Strong [mailto:divermike@fn*.ne*]
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2000 12:27 PM
To: trey@ne*.co*; Don.Hoover@ds*.co*
Cc: techdiver@aquanaut.com
Subject: Re: FW: And the beat goes on, and on, and on...


George:

Unfortunatly, you don't have the whole story on this one.  Don Hoover, whom
I steered to GUE, and set straight on where to get real training, is mad
because the boat will not go and pick up the helium for him.  The helium is
available, at 650 or so a bottle.  If he will get it shippped over, and
pick it up, he can use it all he wants.  What I told Don was that my advice
was to just do the dives above 130 feet.  I don't think the dives are worth
the price of the gas.  He is not missing out on much at all if he does
that.....Don can do what he wants.  This trip will not live or die by what
he chooses to do.  If he bails out, that is fine.  (it's not even my trip,
you see...I don't care about the money, I just thought he might like the
trip...)

As for me, (remember, you don't know me, George)  I by no means claim to be
or ever have claimed to be a big time diver.  I have from the start been a
supporter of the WKPP, GUE, and the idea of DIR.  I learned to dive from
one of the best in the business--Jason Weisacosky.  There is no better, in
my opinion.  I learned from him how to dive the right way.  I don't do the
long, 300 footers that you all do down there.  We don't have that cave up
here....I do the single, and double stage swim dives, 150 to 230 feet, in
50 degrees of water.  50 foot vis is a good day up here, you see.  Nothing
big time about me, I just want to dive in the safest manner possible, with
only the best divers I can find.  That way, I can always learn from the
best.  I dive with guys that know what is what, George.  You know who they
are.  I don't think they would have a single bad thing to say about me, or
my methods.  (I doubt you would either, if you knew me..)

I am sorry that this got off in a bad way.  I think if everyone involved
would have been up front with all the information, this would have been
more simple.  As for Don, he can do what ever.  We are right now working
with some Air Force guys to see if we can get a better angle on the Helium.
  I am very interested to see how that pans out.

As for you, George, I will always be a supporter of what you and the WKPP
are all about.  I just wish that sometimes you would get the whole story
before letting loose.  If you want to see me face to face, I will be at
DEMA.  We can meet there.  Otherwise, my phone number is at the bottom of
this post.  I'm here until 6, central time.

best,

Mike Strong
316-684-9738

At 08:14 PM 9/25/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Don, this mike stroke is obviously one severe moron. I'd like to see
>this asshole face to face so I could tell him personally how fucking
>stupid I think he is, and then prove it to him. Mike why don't you tell
>me what a big time diver you are and how I don't know what I am talking
>about, you idiot. Come on , and do it on techdiver. I am calling you out
>, asshole. Don, post this moron's stuff to techdiver, and cancel on him.
>He needs your money for the trip, so fuck him like he is trying to fuck
>you. How did you get mixed up with this idiot, Don?
>
>Don Hoover wrote:
>> 
>> I think Bret Gilliam is a moron, and you have even said this.  Odyssey is
>> operating their diving practices under Gilliams' rules of safe
diving...what
>> a joke.  Enough said..Gilliam is a stroke... and I will not support or
dive
>> with this idiot or his associates.
>> 
>> I have no problem backing out of this trip.  I have said all along that I
>> was looking for a Technical Dive Trip. With the provider having available
>> the proper gas and the right diving attitude.  Odyssey is not customer
>> oriented, does not intend to supply the correct gas, and engages in
unsafe
>> diving practices...any operation that supports deep air is not going to
>> receive my dollar vote.  I will go else where thank you very much.
>> 
>> Sorry, but I have been very up front with my expectations...proper gas,
>> correct diving methods.  Odyssey is a joke along with Gilliam.
>> 
>> Don
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Mike Strong [mailto:divermike@fn*.ne*]
>> Sent: Monday, September 25, 2000 12:08 PM
>> To: Don Hoover
>> Subject: Re: FW: And the beat goes on, and on, and on...
>> 
>> Don, the capitan called us about the Helium.  He said the reason why they
>> can not provide Helium is that they don't know when the shippment will
>> arrive.  That is, they will have to send a crew member over to the
airport
>> and have that person wait there, most likely all day, to pick it up.
Then,
>> after getting it to clear all the customs, and pay the *huge* duty, they
>> transport back over to the ship.  This must be done jon the one day that
>> the ship is in port....also the only day the crew has to do repairs, and
>> restock the boat.  Also, the only day the crew has off, provided they get
>> the work done....
>> 
>> What you need to understand, Don, is that these guys on the list only see
>> what they want.  They see nothing else.  This whole list started out
great,
>> but is jaded, now.  Truk offers great diving above 130 feet, jsut as well
>> as below.  90% of these dives will be abouve the 130' limit, at least
>> that's my guess.  Some of these guys think that when they say jump,
>> everyone in the dive business should say "how high, oh great one..."  It
>> does not work that way.  If you wan tthe Helium, and you are going over
>> early, just set up the delivery, and wait at the airport.  It's that
>> simple.  Otherwise, you have 2 chioces:  you can bail out, and miss the
>> trip of a lifetime, or you can go, do the great dives it has to offer.
If
>> you want, skip the 200 footers.  skip the 150's.  Up to you--but i would
>> *really* think about your decision first....
>> 
>> best,
>> 
>> Mike
>> 
>> At 09:03 PM 9/24/00 -0400, you wrote:
>> >Mike,
>> >
>> >If this is why Odyssey is stone walling on not provide Trimix, then I
will
>> >have to back out of the Truck Trip.
>> >
>> >This explains allot and I am not willing to spend that kind of money on
>> this
>> >trip with this type of bullshit going on.
>> >
>> >Sorry,
>> >
>> >Don
>> >
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From: john.r.strohm@BI*.co* [mailto:john.r.strohm@BI*.co*]
>> >Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2000 12:59 PM
>> >To: techdiver@aquanaut.com
>> >Subject: And the beat goes on, and on, and on...
>> >
>> >
>> >Check out the lower half of page 95 of the October 2000 issue of
Rodale's
>> >"SCUBA Diving".
>> >
>> >This is "An RSD Dive Expedition", to Truk Lagoon, aboard the "Odyssey".
>> >Special features of the trip include "Free training and supervision in
>> >extended-range diving and decompression techniques (if desired) from
Bret
>> >Gilliam, president of Technical Diving International".
>> >
>> >Later in the pitch they say they are offering double tanks with
dual-valve
>> >isolation manifolds.  I guess that's an improvement.  When they had
Mitch
>> >Skaggs doing it, they were using independent doubles.
>> >
>> >Notably absent from the ad is any mention whatsoever of trimix.  They
also
>> >don't say what deco mixes are available.  Previously, they have used
80/20.
>> >
>> >And, if that wasn't enough, and by golly don't you think it ought to
be, on
>> >page 6, in the masthead for the magazine, we find: "Technical Diving
>> >Editor: Bret Gilliam".
>> >--
>> >Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
>> >Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
>> >
>> >
>
>
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