Would you dive with thunderstorms?

[FreediveWI]

I was on a charter boat tied up to the Willy a long time ago and we had another boat tied off of our bow. During our surface intervals, back in the days before computers when they use to last for over an hour, a thunderstorm came up and lightning almost struck the water next to the boats.

I say "almost" because 10' before it hit the water the lightning bolt made a 90 degree turn and went straight sideways to hit the Loran antenna on the boat next to us.  :o A spilt second later the antenna blew apart into a million pieces with shards of fiberglass landing all over our front deck. The poor captain on the other boat lost all of his electronics in the process.  :'(

Sitll one of the freakiest things I've ever seen. Makes you think twice about diving in a thunderstorm. A simple rain storm is no big deal, but when things get nasty there are other things I'de rather be doing.

Jon