Going in the water

[Magshad]

Down here in South Florida the main things you have to worry about are gators and water moccasins, despite that I will go in most water to retrieve my discs and grab anyone elses I find, always carry a mask with me and go in after the round(always call #'s and have returned many discs to suprised people) but most of the regulars down here don't have a problem going in the water and although we have seen the occational wildlife I have never heard of any incident. I actually worry more about checkeing the vegetation on the shore line than I do going in lakes or ponds.

 

[bfowler]

I played Goose Creek last week with some friends.

On hole #14 his disc gets up on it's wheel and rolls into the lake. He wades in a few feet and gets it.

On hole #18 he grip locks the heck out of his Champ Boss and slings it about 200 feet into the center of the lake. And to rub it in, somehow the disc floats. It's just out there in the lake, mocking us.

So, he retees and throws Katana towards the hole over the water. It hits a tree and rolls 40 feet back down the hill into the water. He goes wading again and is able to reach this one.

When we left the Boss was still floats but was drifting farther away.

 

[KniceZ]

Been in the water many times. A friend and I went into the pond at my local course in full wet suites last year looking for lost discs. He almost got stuck when he sank up to his crotch in muck. We'll probably do it again in the spring before the water lillies get too thick. I'd much rather go into the water than a briar or poisen ivy patch.

 

[razorsmith.com]

A buddy and I both typically carry a retriever and an 18' reach pole. Throwing water shots one day on a 220' anny line when the blizzards first came out. Ripped a wraith out waiting for the easy turn that never happened. Disc lands 50'ish in lake. So no wind, disc not moving, just floating. Reach pole to short+retriever not really for floating discs=wading time. Down to shorts and in I go. Realize when I get about 10' out that water is clear enough to see my knees, which is how far up the muck was coming to. 10 more feet and muck past waist. Not a deep pond but the muck was crazy. So I am 20 feet out holding trying to reach out with my 18' pole and trying not to lose it or my balance. Finally got the disc but after 45 min realized it would have been easier just to swim to the stupid disc. Ended up happily giving that stupid disc away a couple weeks later. Stupid blizzards!

 

[bfowler]

A buddy and I both typically carry a retriever and an 18' reach pole.

How the hell do you play carrying around an 18' pole?

 

[razorsmith.com]

How the hell do you play carrying around an 18' pole?

It telescopes to 18'. It is about 4.5 foot collapsed. When collapsed it makes for a great hiking stick and is so much quicker than a retriever most days.

That does sound odd now the way I worded it.

 

[schnelle]

Solomon trenton saw me jump in maple hill. Jrawk has probably seen me jump in to water more than he would admit. And there are pictures of me at parma, ny in the water with ice floating next to me.

^this. I can't wait for the local pond to thaw. I haven't been in there in 4 months. It's frozen now, but when it thaws and outside temp is >32 I'm in! Damn local kids keep it cleaned out over the summer. After the tourney in March I hopped in to retrieve discs and it was a bit chilly out (34). No pics to prove it but I do know that when your testicles get extremely cold they will hurt like a mother-f'er. Also if you strip to get into the shower in front of your wife afterwards she will laugh uncontrollably.

 

[DiscoBriscoe]

my first son threw my first golden retriever into the water going after his disc [string ripped out of his hand, of course.] my second son threw my second golden retriever into the water. I'm a slow learner, but i've had my third golden retriever about 3 years now. good thing i don't have a third son :thmbup:

 

[rakamkram]

^this. I can't wait for the local pond to thaw. I haven't been in there in 4 months. It's frozen now, but when it thaws and outside temp is >32 I'm in! Damn local kids keep it cleaned out over the summer. After the tourney in March I hopped in to retrieve discs and it was a bit chilly out (34). No pics to prove it but I do know that when your testicles get extremely cold they will hurt like a mother-f'er. Also if you strip to get into the shower in front of your wife afterwards she will laugh uncontrollably.

Do you wear a wet suit? I've been thinking about getting one to go diving at lower temperatures. I may be weak for wanting to avoid hypothermia, but unless it's in the 60's outside, I'm probably not going in the water.

I got nasty infections jumping in at Como Lake in Buffalo. I have jumped in Luther Britt in Lumberton SC. I think I have been in water hazards in 10 states

I'm not surprised one bit. I've been in Como Lake more times than I can count. Definitely one of the nastiest places I've dived in when it comes to the mud and the smell. Considering how gross it can be in there, you pretty much have to go barefoot if you ever want to actually find your disc in the muck that settles in the summer since you can't ever actually see the bottom even in the places where it's only 3 feet deep. Add in all the fallen tree parts and rocks, and no golden retriever or rake is ever going to actually come back with your disc. One of the locals has a lot of success with a fishing pole though. I think she recovered over 500 discs this past year. Gross water is a goldmine when people decide it isn't worth braving it for their lost disc. I must have pulled hundreds of discs out of here by now. 25 discs pulled out on a Monday morning is not uncommon during the summer. Just try to stay away from the snapping turtles...

 

[banknwank]

I have seen a guy throw his golden retriever too hard and pull the string out of his hand...... he was new to dg and struggling in general, totally embarassed, and getting to be dark. his wife had just bought the retriever , so he couldnt leave it..... So i helped him tie a rock to second half of string , that came with retriever, and fished the line back to shore. And yes i have gone swimming for discs before, hurts a little when you throw your fav star plastic in the pond. And if you dont find yours, you will certainly find some other discs in the muck. i have heard stories about horrible cuts from broken glass in the mud. so keep your sh0es on if you must go in. i watched a friend pull 20 discs out of the pond once wile looking for his favorite thumber disc that came up short. And yes, we called the numbers on the discs before calling any of them our own.

 

[schnelle]

No wet suit. Just feel with my feet. Hurts something fierce when your feet are numb and you hit a rock!!

 

[koogs]

I keep my "river shoes" in my trunk at all times to keep the river that runs thru my local course cleaned up. I've taken as many as 10 out at one time. I've taken around 150 out in 4 years, returned maybe 30. About a week ago, I went in for 3 that I saw from the edge. It was partially iced over, and I forgot how painful it is going in there at this time of year.

 

[Knarfks]

I made a "lake rake" with pvc and modified a golden retriever. Over the last 2 years I have pulled 400+ discs out. I keep the no namers and give the others to the local shop for return. I haven't paid for many discs in the last 2 years.

 

[b-mart]

I dove into a pond to rescue some random guy's disc once. I don't think I had a shirt on, but I was fully clothed other than that. Guy gave me $20 for it though. I waded into the lake by my house after a HORRIBLE griplock last January, and did the same about two months ago because someone left a Predator in plain sight out there. I didn't want it. Didn't "text" the guy either. Turned it in at a disc shop down south. If you're too lazy to get your disc, you don't deserve it back unless you work for it. I never keep found discs without permission though, no matter what.

 

[Shmacka]

I swamp my local pond weekly when the weather is nice. Maybe not again until summer.

There is a sign there that says not to dredge, so I go in barefoot. Yes, it hurts like heck when your feet get too cold.

I've pulled out 200+ discs since Easter. Stage one hypothermia, stubbed toes, skinned knees, but no snakes, glass or fishing nasties. I did almost pee when a GIANT bullfrog croaked and jumped out of the muck right in front of me at 10:30 at night.

I still have a big pile of swamped discs that I called on, and even talked to people about, but haven't met up yet. I called one guy about a Boss with his # on it. He asked me if I found his tie-dye Katana that he plunked down next to the Boss. I was sad to admit it, but I had found a tie-dye Katana: one was on top of the other! We arranged to meet that weekend, and I handed the discs over (I won't hold a disc for ransom). The Katana I found wasn't the one he lost! I gave it to him, anyways.

Some go to PIAS (I got a longboard, a nice discraft bag, and a few pairs of shades on the credit I built up). Many discs have been handed out as prizes for our weekly pickup round. This summer I had so many discs that I could trade them for some new discs to hand out for the prize.

Once, I found a tee sign for one of the holes along the pond that vandals had ripped out of the ground a couple of summers before!


There are a couple of apartment buildings going in near the course, and I suspect that the tranquil, out-of-the-way nature of the park will change. Oh well, it is a nasty little runoff basin, and I suppose I'm lucky I didn't get leeches, malaria or brain eating amoebas. I may end up needing to spend cash money on my DG habit...

 

[aron_w]

I pulled 4 discs out of a creek, using a stick, on Friday. A couple of hours ago, I got in the Arkansas River and found two more. I'm just now getting the feeling back in my feet. Felt like walking on needles for a while.

 

[Monkeypaws]

Last time I played the Valley, the pond had a sheet of ice on it - there was a disc about 20 feet from shore on the ice. I thought about getting it, but then thought about how stupid it would be to go through thin ice, probably freeze, drown, and die, and my family not knowing where I was and the final denouement of the whole situation when they'd find the car, all for a 10 buck piece of plastic.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

lollll would be an epic way to go out though. all for the love of plastic.