accompanied diving - yes or no

[orbiter]

in general - after recieving diving certification in israel - you can dive on your own unaccompanied - i know this is not the case everywhere else in the world but i for one love diving on my own (with a buddy of course) without the constant headache of someone watching my back (i felt this way before i was certified as a dive leader).
a new regulation in israel states that a new diver is to complete his/her first 20 dives accomponied and cannot dive them alone. many people (myself included) feel that this ties down new divers and instead of contributing to their experience - it prolongs their lack of personal responsibility (if something will happen - well the dive leader will take care of it - but what will happen afterwards...?)
i personally feel that the appropriate way to deal with the inexperience of new divers is to write up a regulation in which they have to dive their first number of dives (be it 20-30 or whatever number) with experienced divers (also according to a drafted criterion) - that way they will be under the care of someone with more experience and the ability to handle underwater situations.
what has caused the controversy is that the regulation makes these new divers take accomponied dives which are very costly while not reaching the goal of safer diving - only a diving club dive leader can lead these dives - not even an instructor or a divemaster/divecon can.
well enough background - what do you think - should these dives be mandatory and through a club - or not (i feel that any divemaster/con or instructor is able to lead them).
p.s
on another note - if a diver isnt fit for diving unaccompanied - why is he/she certified???
please excuse my ravings - i just want a wider opinion.:doctor:

 

[Diversauras]

What is the level or affiliation of the divers that can do the accompanying? Is it a ** or *** diver or does it have to be an instructor.

Do the students have to pay for this additional babysitting or how is it going to happen that a dive master (for lack of a better term) is available when they want to go?

 

[jepuskar]

Divers who have taken a DIR class can dive solo down to 10,000ft using one Spare Air container and one fin.

 

[O-ring]

Divers who have taken a DIR class can dive solo down to 10,000ft using one Spare Air container and one fin.

Any idiot knows you have to have a manifold on those spare airs...sheesh

 

[Joe R.]

If you seriously knock dir your only plea is ignorance. I am not 100% dir but after having taken a course the one thing I did learn is that I have a lot to learn. You think you have your bouancy down pat? Take a 'simple fundamentals" [gue of course] and then get back to me. Joe R.

 

[orbiter]

the issue as far as i'm concerned is that they have to pay for the accomponied dives as these are conducted by the dive club. i could accept a regulation permitting any divemaster/instructor to take an inexperienced diver for these mandatory accompanied dives - but as the current law states - these dives have to be with the dive clubs staff - making each dive cost approx. 42$ even if the diver has his/her own gear!!! (a dive usually costs me with my gear - about 6$).
if i want to take a buddy of mine (as i stated - i am a divemaster) who hasnt completed his/her mandatory 20 dives, on a dive - i cant - they have to pay.:upset:

 

[Diversauras]

That makes learning to dive very expensive. Maybe TIDF should make 1 star 10 dives and 2 star ten more, then at least it could make a bit of sense. TIDF could allow a DM or DL to take students on dives 6 thru 10 and 16 thru 20 all under the supervision of an instructor. The allowable number could be maybe 20 students per insted of 10.

I have seen divers certified that should not be in the water. It happens everywhere but this seems the TIDF is pretty full of them selves, or has Sharon given them more authority?

Will these rules now also be in effect all down Sinai?

 

[orbiter]

though i think he'd need about 30 pounds to submerge...
but seriously - this regulation smells of economic interest rather than the welfare of the diving community. your suggestion has merit as have other suggestions i've heard but so far they are only suggestions.
i fully agree that there are divers who shouldnt be in the water although they are certified - the problem is indeed very real but this regulation is not only bolting the door after the horse has run out (we lost a diving couple on their honymoon - thats proubably the source of the current panic and need for regulations) but is more like a dead weight on a new diver - i feel that if a diver is not suited for diving unoccompanied after his/her certification - they shouldnt be certified - your proposal as i said has something to it - expand the course to allow 20 dives - but dont put new measares on someone who has graduated.
sinai is out of the range of the tidf but according to my understanding (iv'e never dived there funny enough) - all dives in sinai must be accompanied by a native dl.
diving as i see it is an individual sport - either you have the sense to dive properly or you dont - either you panic or you dont - experience reduces the risk of accidents happening but is diving with a mother hen on a new divers back solving the problem or prolonging it. the answer is again that it depends on the individual diver. what can help is having an experienced diver (ie - a dl or someone with a certain amount of dives) beside to help, guide and calm the novice while still giving the new diver the feeling of his/her own responibility.
well thats my opinion

 

[hitomi316]

is a hard one to answer only because i have met divers that have been diving for 20 years also have met divers that have only been diving for two years but has 20 years expirience( hope you understood that) .

as for the diver that got certified when they are a hazard to themselves and others.....well that is a sign of someone who got paid to do a job, and they do not care in producing good ,safe divers.course this could also do with the fact that maybe the instructor has only been diving for a year himself!! (seen that too)

 

[orbiter]

in a world govorned by the economics of selling a product, be it sea worthy or not, a goodly portion of the certified divers shouldnt be allowed in the water without supervision (sometimes at all). the issue is whether or not the ida's regulation is part of a solution to the problem or just another extention of it. as i've stated i feel the latter to be true.
in other sad news we lost another diver today - proubably due to heart problems;-0