gordonscuba
Contributor
I suppose most tec divers will accept you onto a dive team with them primarily based on whether your technical diving skills are at a sufficiently high level that your presence makes the team safer and the dives go more smoothly, not based on an OWSI qualification.
In Hawaii there appears to be a state law, or maybe an insurance requirement, of some sort that restricts the dive operators who run diving boats as a business. It does not apply to private boats. Every diver that goes with the boat has to be with a DM or higher (a professional) who is responsible for leading the dive. This can lead to a somewhat bizarre situation where divers are required to be supervised by someone who is at a far lower level. Hypothetically imagine someone who is tec 100 ccr, solo and full cave certified - they are not allowed to solo dive from a boat, but it becomes all good if they are supervised by a recent graduate of a zero-to-hero divemaster program who has 60 lifetime dives. If the tec 100 person becomes DM, then they can "lead" themself and be left alone.
Does anyone know why Hawaii has this restriction, and whether it exists anywhere else?
In Hawaii there appears to be a state law, or maybe an insurance requirement, of some sort that restricts the dive operators who run diving boats as a business. It does not apply to private boats. Every diver that goes with the boat has to be with a DM or higher (a professional) who is responsible for leading the dive. This can lead to a somewhat bizarre situation where divers are required to be supervised by someone who is at a far lower level. Hypothetically imagine someone who is tec 100 ccr, solo and full cave certified - they are not allowed to solo dive from a boat, but it becomes all good if they are supervised by a recent graduate of a zero-to-hero divemaster program who has 60 lifetime dives. If the tec 100 person becomes DM, then they can "lead" themself and be left alone.
Does anyone know why Hawaii has this restriction, and whether it exists anywhere else?