2airishuman
Contributor
[I'm placing this in "Advanced Scuba Discussions" specifically to discuss the obligations of instructors and experienced divers towards non-divers inquiring about these devices, and to discuss the best practices for fielding such questions]
The SCUBA industry has long been self-regulating. Reputable dealers offer training and don't provide rental gear or air fills to unqualified people, unless they are going to be diving under an instructor's supervision. Reputable suppliers of surface-supplied recreational gear, like Brownie's, strongly encourage purchasers to seek out formal training from a SCUBA instructor.
There have been growing numbers of direct-to-consumer purveyors of diving systems that don't encourage purchasers to seek out traditional training. In some cases, the absence of a training requirement is touted as an advantage. Some of these systems have been aggressively promoted. Some are SCUBA, and some are surface supplied. Here are recent examples from Kickstarter:
SCORKL - Breathe underwater with TOTAL freedom
AirBuddy | explore the underwater with tankless dive gear by AirBuddy — Kickstarter
https://www.kickstarter.com/project...irst-mini-scuba-tank-for-everyone/description
There are thousands of these systems being sold. Divers, instructors, and dive shops are going to encounter people using them and asking about them.
I offer these questions to ponder:
1. What is the most appropriate way to respond to people with no diving experience who ask about these products?
2. How do the major agencies' codes of conduct for instructors affect what instructors may and may not say?
3. How do the non-disparagement and "no encouragement of unsafe activities" requirements in the various codes of conduct work together? Are they in outright conflict for these products?
4. Is the arrival of these devices going to lead to state or federal regulation of diving?
The SCUBA industry has long been self-regulating. Reputable dealers offer training and don't provide rental gear or air fills to unqualified people, unless they are going to be diving under an instructor's supervision. Reputable suppliers of surface-supplied recreational gear, like Brownie's, strongly encourage purchasers to seek out formal training from a SCUBA instructor.
There have been growing numbers of direct-to-consumer purveyors of diving systems that don't encourage purchasers to seek out traditional training. In some cases, the absence of a training requirement is touted as an advantage. Some of these systems have been aggressively promoted. Some are SCUBA, and some are surface supplied. Here are recent examples from Kickstarter:
SCORKL - Breathe underwater with TOTAL freedom
AirBuddy | explore the underwater with tankless dive gear by AirBuddy — Kickstarter
https://www.kickstarter.com/project...irst-mini-scuba-tank-for-everyone/description
There are thousands of these systems being sold. Divers, instructors, and dive shops are going to encounter people using them and asking about them.
I offer these questions to ponder:
1. What is the most appropriate way to respond to people with no diving experience who ask about these products?
2. How do the major agencies' codes of conduct for instructors affect what instructors may and may not say?
3. How do the non-disparagement and "no encouragement of unsafe activities" requirements in the various codes of conduct work together? Are they in outright conflict for these products?
4. Is the arrival of these devices going to lead to state or federal regulation of diving?