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California Spearfishing Talk here about spearfishing on California's Pacific Coast, and post those reports and photos!

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Old 01-18-2018, 11:20 AM   #16
Lompoc Local
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

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Originally Posted by Dannowar View Post
Besides my own experiences....the thick of it was not experienced first hand by me, so I shall not tell the story.
Okay, so I wasn't there either but what I was told generally was that he ripped off the guy he started the trip with, has pulled shady shit with others and is some kind of veteran with a "disability" who's using his "benefits" to tour around the globe on the government dime when in fact he's perfectly capable of working like most of the rest of us.

That sound about right?
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Old 01-19-2018, 01:17 AM   #17
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

Butchered 400 chickens and screwed a beagle...in Nevada, he's wanted for banging horses...
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Old 01-22-2018, 08:16 PM   #18
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

Do you guys want the long version or the short version?


He got me for $1,300.00 cash, not counting the large amount of money I spent preparing for it. I tried to take him to court, but its hard to serve someone that lives in a trailer with no address. He high graded abalone in front of me after I warned him and he acknowledged it was illegal and wrong.

The trip lasted less than 24 hours. He roasted his brakes and warped his rotors going into shelter cove, and then expected me to pay for his mistake and not knowing how to drive a trailer.
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Old 01-22-2018, 10:16 PM   #19
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

how did he get your cash- did you sign up for a trip from that CL ad (this is a totally neutral question- not trying to instigate anything- I "housed" him for a night on the way up the coast on his trip)?
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Old 01-22-2018, 10:20 PM   #20
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

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how did he get your cash- did you sign up for a trip from that CL ad?
Yes. Well not that CL ad. He advertised he was looking for a travel dive buddy on Facebook. I agreed to go on what he said it would be(I believe it was no more than $600/mo). Day one he’s already asking for more, poached, causes a major repair, treated me, his “wife”, and several strangers like garbage. And he still has no idea what he’s doing besides “going to Alaska to dive.”

$1,000.00 deposit he refused to give back when I said I was out. $300.00 for the AK ferry I didn’t even go on.

Why was his non diving wife with us? Because no one else was stupid enough to agree to this besides me. We stop to empty the shitter before taking off and he’s making her do it, getting pissed at her because she wants gloves. Talking to her like she’s scum to the point a stranger mocks him and he doesnt even catch on. Walking into the store with him he turns to me and says “Can you believe how stupid she is?” It was pretty clear how this trip was going to go the weeks leading into it, but he wouldn’t refund my money so I figured I might as well give it a go. 24 hours later I’m back.

Last edited by wildernessmedic; 01-22-2018 at 10:30 PM.
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Old 01-22-2018, 10:33 PM   #21
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

ok. thanks for clarifying. I'm sorry- that sucks.
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Old 01-22-2018, 10:38 PM   #22
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

As for the disability/fraud. I won’t say his entire claim is fraudulent because obviously the guy has some major issues. But according to him he went trough the navy boot camp, and was injured in BUDS. I have no idea, and this is just personal speculation but... I was an infantryman in the military. People like him rarely make it through basic without getting the living shit beat out of them and discharged. So I’m thinking there’s more to that story.

As for the “wife”... he admitted to me they have never really been together. So I’m guessing it was purely for the extra VA money being married.

This guy is plenty capable of working. He made it clear to me it’s “awesome” to just collect money and spearfish. He also got pissy with more than one business for not having a military discount when he asked. On the way back he asked why it didn’t bother me. I told him because I didn’t serve to get a free breakfast and he just stared at me like I slapped him in the face.

Take it for what it’s worth, some dude on the internets opinion. But this guys a tool in every way in my opinion.
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Old 01-23-2018, 12:15 PM   #23
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

See, I woulda stayed on just for the stories. Driving CA => AK => to Cabo? You'd be set for life.
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Old 01-23-2018, 05:29 PM   #24
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

Can someone clarify name ?? I'm lost in translation. Gotta hand it to wilderness medic, I'd be a little upset..
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Old 01-23-2018, 07:59 PM   #25
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

Here is the link

http://www.spearboard.com/showthread...ht=alaska+Baja
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Old 01-23-2018, 11:29 PM   #26
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

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How'd the trip go ya dingus? Any issues with brakes on the truck/trailer combo?



News traveled fast I guess. I hope my write up spared any potential people he may have screwed over in the future from making the same mistake I did.
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Old 01-24-2018, 05:10 PM   #27
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

Wow, I almost took a leave of absence to go on this "trip of a lifetime". Such a bummer, hopefully he learns from this and others see before making a similar mistake.

It sounds like you took it all in stride Wilderness Medic and addressed it as good as possible given the situation. Better to learn this at the beginning than somewhere in Alaska.
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Old 01-24-2018, 09:02 PM   #28
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

Here’s his short version of the story. Looking forward to the long version:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...05293479692159
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Old 01-25-2018, 12:01 PM   #29
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

"It's been one crazy adventure after another. And a World Record! Finally got some time to put up a little post of what's been and what's to come. But this is just a teaser. The West coast tour took me all over from San Diego all the way up to Alaska. I met some incredible people along the way. Eventually reaching Alaska I came face to face with such incredible abundance of wildlife, under, on and above the water. Eventually I was fortunate to get a world record - www.iusarecords.com/viewrecord.aspx?ID=945 And from it made the most savory sushi, sashimi, poke, dip and even wontons! I've blessed to get the cover of the New Zealand Bayfisher magazine for this month of January 2018. Where I talk about my last spearfishing dive when I was New Zealand. Over last several months I've taken a much needed break from traveling and posting online to work on some things long overdue. Dental work, tumor/cancer scare, replenishing my savings, responding to messages and helping other spearos with their travel goals, organizing to then editing some 2TB's of pictures and videos, surfing and laying the ground work for my next major adventures. I'm really excited for what is to come in the next year. This is just a small bit of what's been happening, more to come soon."

So if this guy is such a douche, what's with all the people who seem to be supportive? Including Kelsea???
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Old 01-25-2018, 03:32 PM   #30
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Re: guide for hire, anyone know this guy??

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lompoc Local View Post
"It's been one crazy adventure after another. And a World Record! Finally got some time to put up a little post of what's been and what's to come. But this is just a teaser. The West coast tour took me all over from San Diego all the way up to Alaska. I met some incredible people along the way. Eventually reaching Alaska I came face to face with such incredible abundance of wildlife, under, on and above the water. Eventually I was fortunate to get a world record - www.iusarecords.com/viewrecord.aspx?ID=945 And from it made the most savory sushi, sashimi, poke, dip and even wontons! I've blessed to get the cover of the New Zealand Bayfisher magazine for this month of January 2018. Where I talk about my last spearfishing dive when I was New Zealand. Over last several months I've taken a much needed break from traveling and posting online to work on some things long overdue. Dental work, tumor/cancer scare, replenishing my savings, responding to messages and helping other spearos with their travel goals, organizing to then editing some 2TB's of pictures and videos, surfing and laying the ground work for my next major adventures. I'm really excited for what is to come in the next year. This is just a small bit of what's been happening, more to come soon."

So if this guy is such a douche, what's with all the people who seem to be supportive? Including Kelsea???

I’m not saying there aren’t people he hasn’t pissed off or that don’t like him. You just don’t hear about all the people he’s pissed off, mostly because he automatically blocks them. After my write up I started receiving quite a few PMs from various strangers here and in other countries about their own horrible experiences with him. Apparently he pissed off a lot of kiwis and gave “Americans a bad name there.” Someone (a lawyer) had such a bad experience with him they offered to go after him legally just because they disliked him that much. Unfortunately there was no way to procede without some sort of address or residence.

Apparently he was ran out of OC spearos too? I have no idea. Just what people sent me. That was last year and I’m not worried about it. Just reporting on how it went from my side and the money it cost me.
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