I read that article and I can't help notice that the divers' concerned took no responsibility for their own safety. They should have conducted their own dive planning and management. They relied upon the dive centre to provide basic safety equipment, that they should have owned...and relied upon a dive guide to keep their dives safe, through planning and management of their dive. That isn't a Divemaster's responsibility.
There is a difference between a 'dive guide' and a 'Divemaster'. Divers should understand that difference. One is a certification level - indicative of training and capability to
supervise and
assist divers. The other is a role, a job...and
underwater tour guide. Nothing more, nothing less.
I can understand a complaint that the dive guide had a lack of local knowledge, which was detrimental to the overall enjoyment of the dive, but I don't see that it is fair to apportion blame for lack of safety.
Also,
if the dive guide had a hangover, then that is unprofessional. A fair complaint. As for air-consumption - then the divers could have remained in buddy pairs and completed the dive without a guide. That's a small issue. Only if the dive guide demanded that the divers end the dive early is that a legitimate complaint. It isn't mentioned whether that was the policy or not. It doesn't seem that the divers thought to ask what the policy was
in advance - which is their error.
The Divemaster did leave them and ascend at some point, so that indicates that there wasn't a policy to ascend as a group. The divers are certified to dive independently, without supervision, so there shouldn't be any safety issues to complain about.
The fact that the divers concerned weren't comfortable in heavy current (
without 'supervision') is their own failing. Every agency advocates diving '
within the limits of your training and experience'. They obviously ignored that agency recommendation...and were doing a 'trust me' dive in the assumption that their safety was insured by the presence of a dive guide. Again...their error. If they weren't comfortable with the conditions, they shouldn't have been diving on that site...full stop.
As for the rental kit... why didn't the divers test, fit and inspect that equipment
before they got on the boat. That's just common sense. They chose not to ensure their equipment was ideal in advance... and then whine when they're at the dive site and discover these things?
That is a terrifying recount of what can happen if you dive in the third world..........How does this not keep people from [-]diving in 3rd world countries[/-] taking more personal responsibility for their own safety, planning their own dives and applying their training? Scary scary stuff
Edited to reflect the real issue...
