Rudebob
Contributor
I was out Diving with the Ed's this weekend. Saw what happened to Kris and Mindy. This is the email in which you can send your safety concerns to: lakepleasant@mail.maricopa.gov
My email was three pages long. Here are a few excerpts:
I think the following actions need to be undertaken as soon as possible:
1. A dedicated area for divers needs to established and roped off from Jet Skis and Boats.,
2. A brochure needs to be developed and handed to boaters and jetskis educating them about dive flag and dive below markers. You could add 1 dollar to the boat fees to pay for this.
3. The lake patrol needs to start patroling known dive areas and ticketing people for endangering divers.
These are EASY fixes to help protects the lives of hundreds of divers who frequent the lakes every week, It would be negilgent to ignore this growing safety issue.
If you agree with these, email the address above with your solution.
Maybe if enough people bring this concern to their attention, someone will actually listen.
jcf
Please don’t take this personally, but I cannot agree with this approach to enhance diver safety, other than enforcement of current laws.
I have been to Pleasant 300 - 400 times of the last 25 years as a user for several different forms of recreation. I have publicly lobbied and attended multiple county meetings to protect certain user rights over the years and have come to understand that you are in the wrong user group if you want to see any positive changes take place.
First of all, you need to remember that the lake was primarily built and funded for irrigation purposes. Recreation is only a secondary benefit but not a right. If this were the case they would use their colorado river allocation water to maintain maximum levels rather than sell those rights. As an example there are people who slip large boats at well over $500.00 per month that effectively end up in a mud puddle in September during some drier years. It they can’t/won’t do anything about keeping these folks happy (ie, actually providing a lake you can boat in), you and your $5.00 (or $6.00 on the MWD side) entry fee means nothing to them.
If any user group has more protective or influential status than it is the fisherman. They have organized lobbies, both nationally and locally, and frankly more people fish-including the park rangers (of which many still fuction in a "Good ole’ boy"network).
As far as a designated area for exclusive scuba use. This IMO is the last thing we need. Because if we get it I will guarantee it will be the only place you will be allowed to dive. All other areas will become off limits. That also puts the burden of the site selection on the park rangers which they will likely select the least desirable area for access and conditions. Also, if fisherman think there might be fish in a designated "scuba" area they will fight for access. Personally, I want the freedom to select my own dive site and will take my chances.
Second of all the idea of thinking that the lake would raise their entry fees by 20% to provide signage to educate users regarding boating laws relating to diving is naive. There is probably 500 - 1,000 non-scuba lake users for every one of us. They each have their own special interest. If we all agreed to fund a dollar for education of all aspects of lake usage, including safety, it is going to cost us $50.00 every time we enter.
Your last point about enforcement is the only realistic answer. But in defense of the law enforcement officers, they have their hands full each weekend just trying to keep people alive. They don’t have the time to deal with potential safety issues as the ones on the surface of the water each weekend are real. Honestly, although I waterski/wakeboard weekly, I never take my boat out on the weekend-because I have a legitimate safety concern. I do scuba dive Pleasant on the weekend, however, because I consider myself to be in a much safer environment from potential boating accidents underwater than I do on the surface. I believe the LEO’s are thinking the same thing and so that is where they spend their time enforcing the law. If you have not had a chance to go into Humbug cove on a weekend between April and September you cannot appreciate this assessment. Spend five minutes there and you will realize you are much safer underwater than on top of it.
My experience with these agencies is that they will seldom do anything positive to one users benefit. It is not worth the cost or opposition unless there is a significant financial incentive. Usually, when problems arise, instead of making changes to protect the affected users they find it is easier to just eliminate the use and thus completely eliminate the same problem from occurring in the future. I feel we are fortunate up to this point to have a decent place to dive without much restrictions. I would rather assume the potential risks as they are, while trying to gently educate boaters in the process, than to lose the right to dive completely.
Just my opinion. We can disagree and still dive together.
‘Bob