Continuing Ed. or just paying to dive..

[fisherdvm]

Second case, diver loss at sea off Cancun,day dive, raining, poor visibility, dozens of boats went to look for him, wife hired a helicopter that passed by him twice.

Ten hours later, he must have drifted north to Isla Mujeres... Hypothermia, but survived.

If he had a noise maker, perhaps his boat crew would have found him sooner. Boat diving is more dangerous many think.

 

[String]

I think you miss some of the point. The boats, and the crews, are the problem. Especially when you got DM and instructors as cocky as you are in control, certain accidents are going to happen.

Common sense kicks in. Rough seas, bouncing ladder really shouldnt take the son of einstein to work out for to avoid it. If unsure, just ask the crew. If going with a buddy, ask them. Spoonfeeding doesnt get anyone anywhere. It removes their ability to think for themselves leading them blindly into things that they arent prepared for.

People dont need to pay for a speciality course to cross the road do they? Boat is no different. Rather than waste money on a pointless course to have someone state the obvious simply reading around, using common sense and asking questions can give all thats needed.

Case in point - DM and 3 divers recently died off Egypt - high waves, current, boat dive - 4 possibly preventable death. Who is at fault?? Can't blame it on anyone when it happen.

If its the recent divers they were at sea in a known high current area with no SMBs, lights, signalling aids. One SMB only and that was the guide. Why were these people in that area woefully under equipped? Cant blame anyone for that but themselves.
Paying £100 for a "boat speciality" wouldnt help the boat find them. The people themselves have to take a share of the blame regardless on boat actions - they went on a dive ill-equipped to do the dive in question.

Even shore dive those are basic safety tools.

Or are you suggesting they need to pay for the SMB speciality, invent a torch speciality, invent a surface signalling speciality ?

 

[String]

If he had a noise maker, perhaps his boat crew would have found him sooner. Boat diving is more dangerous many think.

Hardly.

Again, why are people diving in conditions where they do not have adequate equipment to perform the dive? Who's fault is that?

Again paying money for a boat course isnt going to give them common sense or teach them something they cant find out for themselves.

Why are people continuously trusting their lives to 3rd parties without taking basic precautions themselves to safeguard their own well being?

 

[fisherdvm]

Hardly.

Again, why are people diving in conditions where they do not have adequate equipment to perform the dive? Who's fault is that?

Again paying money for a boat course isnt going to give them common sense or teach them something they cant find out for themselves.

Why are people continuously trusting their lives to 3rd parties without taking basic precautions themselves to safeguard their own well being?

You might be completely right, in that a boat course is a waste of money. Maybe I am too naive in expecting more from the content of a course. I think reading the accidents and incidents going back 2 years would provide more experience than 100 boat dives.

I find safety pityful in the diving industry, and I expect more. Hopefully, someone on the course development of the diving industry will take heed, and improve the quality of the "specialty courses".

 

[fisherdvm]

Did you read the recent issue of Scuba Diving, of the hard headed instructor who refused to remove his fins on a boat dive.... He slipped, fell, and suffered cuts, and a huge bruise to his ego...

A DM laughed at me for carrying an orange marking tube on a night dive... If I were driting toward Cuba from Coz the next day, it would be well worth it.

 

[pir8]

PM me, or try amazon.com... his albums are pretty cheap, I can point you to some good ones

Against the grain was pretty good but I really loved his first live album.

 

[Saltair]

deleted - already said

 

[noobascooba]

Against the grain was pretty good but I really loved his first live album.

Do you mean Irish Tour? That is one of the finest live albums ever, so much energy.
The BBC sessions are excellent too- also live.

So good to find people who have heard or him! There is an excellent tribute band called Sinnerboy, I saw them a few months ago. They haven't made it over to the US unfortunately.

Oops, another hijack :=(

 

[josh]

well my teacher told me that most of the courses are a waste of money like dry suit but they taught use it as part of the ow class she also said boat diveing and other ones are a waste of money as most boats tell you how to dive off them and lead you around so you dont have to do anywork just follow them around...

Hmmmmm. You will have to excuse me, but I personally fnd something very concerning with an instructor who is basically telling you that there is no need for you to take responsibility for your own dives. In the worst case senarios, what if you become separated from your dive leader? What if your dive leader has an accident?


However, much of the debate on this thread has centered around the perceived worth of a speciality "boat dive". I do all my diving from boats, and so my students and divers get pretty extensive "boat diving" training "for free" so to speak. And so for them, it does not make any sense to do a boat speciality. However, all divers have different backgrounds. Lets say some one did all their diving in a quarry, and had booked a live aboard as their first overseas dive trip. Would a boat dive speciality/orientation be worth it then? Possibly as something that will *add* to their enjoyment of the trip.

My experience is that, however "obvious" something is, it can still require highlighting to a novice in that environment. How many times, especially in rougher seas, do you have to remind some one *not* to get in front of the ladder while some one is ascending? Whether or not you get a divemaster to gives a toss enough to tell you all these things seems a bit "pot luck" to me. Personally, I would rather get the training, know it myself and not rely upon others for my safety. YMMV.
-j-

 

[pir8]

Do you mean Irish Tour? That is one of the finest live albums ever, so much energy.
The BBC sessions are excellent too- also live.

So good to find people who have heard or him! There is an excellent tribute band called Sinnerboy, I saw them a few months ago. They haven't made it over to the US unfortunately.

Oops, another hijack :=(

Sorry but I forget the title, what I do remember is that it was a single album with opening song "Messin with the Kid" Great Slide Guitar. Didn't know he had passed on, such a shame.