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Dive Agencies Giving Student Records to the FBI
By Kevin Wadlow Senior Staff Writer kwadlow@keynoter.com
The nations two largest diver-certification agencies have agreed to give the FBI names of scuba students from the past three years.
Executives of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) said this week they have received very few complaints about sharing the information.
The FBI requested the information as part of an investigation into reports that terrorists may use dive gear to attack ships, nuclear power plants or other waterfront facilities.
"Most folks are not threatened by this request," NAUI Vice President Jed Livingstone said from the groups Tampa office.
In late May, FBI agents visited dive shops in the Florida Keys and across the nation to ask scuba instructors about "suspicious" students.
A May 23 alert from an FBI-affiliated group warned, "[V]arious terrorist elements have sought to develop an offensive scuba diver capability." The report noted that there is "no evidence" of a specific threat or operation.
After being visited by the FBI, many dive instructors called the certification agencies to ask about obtaining back records.
"Rather than put the onus on the dive stores, we agreed to provide information to the FBI on dive certifications from the last three years," said Jeff Nadler, PADI vice president for industry and government relations.
FBI agents visited many dive shops on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, one of the dive industrys busiest times of the year, said Nadler.
"A store owner in one area, not Florida, told the FBI he didnt have time to go through his records because of the holiday. The FBI was back with a subpoena within hours," Nadler said. "This is information that is going to be gotten, so we decided to take the dilemma away from the dive stores."
PADI insisted its information "be used only for the purpose of investigating terrorism," Nadler said. "It will not be released and the FBI agreed to return it to us when they are finished."
Livingstone said NAUI agreed to supply names and addresses of certification students.
"Thats pretty innocuous stuff," he said. "Were not talking about medical information or anything that we would consider confidential."
NAUIs three years worth of lists include "well over a half-million records," Livingstone said.
PADI records show the agency issues about 950,000 certifications worldwide annually, Nadler said.
Scuba-diving is a self-regulated sport. Dive certifications are issued by private organizations, not a government agency.
The Keys, with more than 40 businesses that advertise scuba instruction, is the nations most popular dive destination.
By Kevin Wadlow Senior Staff Writer kwadlow@keynoter.com
The nations two largest diver-certification agencies have agreed to give the FBI names of scuba students from the past three years.
Executives of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) said this week they have received very few complaints about sharing the information.
The FBI requested the information as part of an investigation into reports that terrorists may use dive gear to attack ships, nuclear power plants or other waterfront facilities.
"Most folks are not threatened by this request," NAUI Vice President Jed Livingstone said from the groups Tampa office.
In late May, FBI agents visited dive shops in the Florida Keys and across the nation to ask scuba instructors about "suspicious" students.
A May 23 alert from an FBI-affiliated group warned, "[V]arious terrorist elements have sought to develop an offensive scuba diver capability." The report noted that there is "no evidence" of a specific threat or operation.
After being visited by the FBI, many dive instructors called the certification agencies to ask about obtaining back records.
"Rather than put the onus on the dive stores, we agreed to provide information to the FBI on dive certifications from the last three years," said Jeff Nadler, PADI vice president for industry and government relations.
FBI agents visited many dive shops on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, one of the dive industrys busiest times of the year, said Nadler.
"A store owner in one area, not Florida, told the FBI he didnt have time to go through his records because of the holiday. The FBI was back with a subpoena within hours," Nadler said. "This is information that is going to be gotten, so we decided to take the dilemma away from the dive stores."
PADI insisted its information "be used only for the purpose of investigating terrorism," Nadler said. "It will not be released and the FBI agreed to return it to us when they are finished."
Livingstone said NAUI agreed to supply names and addresses of certification students.
"Thats pretty innocuous stuff," he said. "Were not talking about medical information or anything that we would consider confidential."
NAUIs three years worth of lists include "well over a half-million records," Livingstone said.
PADI records show the agency issues about 950,000 certifications worldwide annually, Nadler said.
Scuba-diving is a self-regulated sport. Dive certifications are issued by private organizations, not a government agency.
The Keys, with more than 40 businesses that advertise scuba instruction, is the nations most popular dive destination.
