a few questions, possible rants

[Savitar]

Hello all,

I've got a few questions that have been bothering me for a while.

#1:
How do you feel about the FBI collecting names at dive shops?
Did you know that they were going to bookstores too?
Did you know George Orwell wrote a book about this?

#2:
In the July issue of Florida Scuba News there is an article saying
all divers must purchase a $10 medallion to dive on any of the artificial reefs in Key Largo.
Why do I have to pay yet another "tax" in Florida to dive in national waters. To pay for the Speigle Grove? Why not tax the dive boat operators as they will be the ones to gain by this. I didn't ask or vote for them to throw a trash ship in a national park. Let's all pay $10 to go see a tyre dump in Yosemite, or an auto scrap yard in Aspen. Burnt out cars provide shelter for little furry animals.

#3:
Are dive shops getting carried away with certification classes?
Pretty soon you'll see a cert course for learning how to use hard sole booties. There's so many types of classes on each peice of equipment, it's starting to look like a scam.


Ok end....

Warren

 

[Scubaroo]

1. I think it's an investigation into possible terrorist activities. Shame no-one followed up tips about flight schools last year.

2. Aren't the divers diving the artificial wrecks the ones who are gaining?

3. Leave the merit card collecting to boy scouts. Just go diving.

 

[Uncle Pug]

#1 Orwell must be stopped... he is giving it all away :upset:

#2 Can I dump my tyres in Yosemite too?

#3 GUE is the only agency that can teach the DIR way to dive using hard sole booties! ut:

 

[Savitar]

Uncle Pug once bubbled...
#3 GUE is the only agency that can teach the DIR way to dive using hard sole booties! ut:

Is that Doing it Right and Doing it Left?

Thanks Uncle Pug, I always enjoy your posts!

best wishes,
Warren

 

[MikeFerrara]

Many specialties are an attempt to give people another way to have fun. Dive shops can't sell gear anymore but we still provide diving (entertainment) and yes we attempt to do it for money. If we don't sell something we will go away. How would you like it if there was only one show on TV. And nobody takes the specialties anyway but all the certs look good on our wall and we wouldnt have much of a price list if there were only one price on it. They want you to dive so they offer to take you diving. It would be silly to do it for free. We don't want you to dive bad enough to pay for it ourselvs. Our time isn't valued unless we give a card. I'm thinking about offering a Wednesday diver cert. Any certified diver can dive on a weekend but with specialty training youu too can enjouy diving on Wednesdays. I could just envite you out diving on Wednesday but you wouldn't pay for my guidance without a card. If I was to dive for free I would probably give my son that private day of diving I have been promising. Some people enjoy the classes. If you don't then don't take them.

 

[chepar]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...
I'm thinking about offering a Wednesday diver cert. Any certified diver can dive on a weekend but with specialty training youu too can enjouy diving on Wednesdays. I could just envite you out diving on Wednesday but you wouldn't pay for my guidance without a card.

Hey hey hey -

This is something right up my alley. When you've got all the prerequisites figured out - you know, no ER watchers (oh, that's Thursday nights), must have beer money for after, etc. - let me know.

 

[MikeFerrara]

When it comes to booties, if you don't "do it right" and "do it left" it will make one of your feet hurt!

 

[landlocked]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...
When it comes to booties, if you don't "do it right" and "do it left" it will make one of your feet hurt!

I think your sense of humor is showing! (Twice in one day I see from another thread!)

 

[WreckWriter]

Ten bucks a year. Is that going to kill you? Likely you spend more than that at McDonalds having lunch. The purpose is not just to pay for the Speigel Grove, also for buoy maintenance, research, future projects and all sorts of other stuff.

It's hardly a new concept. Ever been to Tobermory? Probably not. Bet you've been to Cozumel, right? Maybe Cayman too?

If you don't like it, stay off the artificial reefs in the Keys and you won't be asked to pay it. It's only for people diving the wrecks, not reefs. You don't want to dive them anyway, they're trash, right?

Tom

 

[Northeastwrecks]

Would one bootie be considered the redundant backup for the other? How about gloves? If not, there is only so much that I can fit in my bellows pockets.