Divers dying every lobster opening. This has to stop!

[Sam Miller III]

A sky diver opens his chute on every single flight. A scuba diver can go an entire career and never dump his weights. A pilot, every two years, must take a proficiency check or biannual review to prove you still "have it". 1)Perhaps we need that in the dive community. 2) I agree 5 deaths in one lobster season is way too many. I read a lot, I haunt the forums, I practice my skills, sharing air, dropping weights, shooting my SMB etc; but, most people never do.

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1) What exactly are you proposing that the diving world should impose.

2) There have been a number of multiple diving related deaths in the past--One were three deaths in one day from a single boat.(Way to many!) There were two deaths at the in one day at the dive park.(Way to many!)

When participating in a high risk activity there is an assumption of risk.

Currently the modern stepped training creates "divers" with the title of a "diver' and transportation ability to the bottom and hopefully back to the surface...A couple of more dives with the expenditure of more dollars and they are "Advanced divers."

SAD!

SDM

 

[red_instead]

I don't think laws or regs are the answer. I just don't see an enforcement mechanism. First, you don't need a license to buy dive equipment. That means that, as someone seeking to enforce safety regs, your opportunity to do so happens at resorts, on private boats, and at rental locations. That still leaves a lot of holes, and private boats, and a lot of shoreline, for accidents to happen.

Second, when it comes to certs that expire: people already hate PADI for having to buy new PIC cards whenever they pick up a specialty. Any organization that initiates non-third party rescue related expirations for their certifications (read: anything that isn't CPR/EFR or EOP) is gonna see defections to other organizations that don't have expiring certs.

Honestly, in the context of lobster hunting (or abalone) the best way to address things might be to put on free workshops. Make them nominally and largely about hunting and hunting techniques, ecology, etc. Also include in them safety refreshers and some things about how to recognize dumb behavior/overexertion in yourself and other divers.

You won't get everyone, and people will still die. But you've created an incentive and a vehicle to get people to voluntarily refresh their skills in a safe environment, and a meaningful way to have a dialogue about safety.

 

[drbill]

I don't see new regulations on the part of government as the answer at all. Personally, I think SCUBA certifications should not be lifetime. A diver who hasn't dived in years should only be allowed to return after a renewal certification. Divers who maintain a certain number of dives per year would be automatically renewed. Of course I see big problems with this... people can always lie and say they have done the required number.

 

[tattooedjeeper]

I don't see new regulations on the part of government as the answer at all. Personally, I think SCUBA certifications should not be lifetime. A diver who hasn't dived in years should only be allowed to return after a renewal certification. Divers who maintain a certain number of dives per year would be automatically renewed. Of course I see big problems with this... people can always lie and say they have done the required number.

It could be done like a Drivers License, every few years you have to take a quick quiz and prove your skills in a pool before getting an updated or current card.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

It could be done like a Drivers License, every few years you have to take a quick quiz and prove your skills in a pool before getting an updated or current card.

But as we have stated there is no Scuba Police - so other than asking nicely how do you enforce this? Dive boats or LDS fills could ask/enforce... maybe you get 60 to 80% of the folks this way?

Currently I own all my equipment and I fill my own tanks with air - mostly shore dive and I own a boat. There is no way you could stop me or would know unless I become a fatality...

I think folks that want to dive will find a way. The key to me is to make them understand that diving can be inherently dangerous and you want to be safe - which based on recent threads of OW Certs and comments on this board from new divers is not what we are teaching in the agencies. Or so I believe...

Last point would this be US based only? Or do you try to get this in the resorts too?

 

[Sam Miller III]

.....

Honestly, in the context of lobster hunting (or abalone) the best way to address things might be to put on free workshops. Make them nominally and largely about hunting and hunting techniques, ecology, etc. Also include in them safety refreshers and some things about how to recognize dumb behavior/overexertion in yourself and other divers.

You won't get everyone, and people will still die. But you've created an incentive and a vehicle to get people to voluntarily refresh their skills in a safe environment, and a meaningful way to have a dialogue about safety.

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It is noted you have between 50 &100 dives...

Did you attend the recent 3 Rs?

If you didn't it is recommended that you plan on attending

It was specifically designed and presented for novice divers such as you who are probably not familiar with the dangers of the 3Rs.

sdm

The 3r has been annually presented free long before the certification alphabet soup

 

[Herb-alaska]

I admit I have not read the middle section of this thread but I have picked up on the general desire to add more rules more enforcement and more training requirements to keep people from killing themselves.

I personally feel things are just right. I feel that we have enough enforcement of the training requirements. My position is that if you go out and do something really stupid there is a good chance that you won't do it twice becasue it will kill you. It is your right to be stupid, it is your right to kill yourself and it is my right not to feel bad about you exercising your rights. Yes, I feel bad for the people that are left on the beach that have to deal with the results the stupid divers decisions but to try to legislate more safety is to much in my face for my personal liking. Scuba will kill you if you make bad choices however it is not going to kill your buddy unless they make bad choices as well, (bad choice : trying to safe you beyond their ability or equipment level. )

Now all bets are off if you endanger a minor child becasue they do not have the right to endanger themselves and you don't have the right to do it for them,

Just my opinion
Herb

 

[Dr. Lecter]

It could be done like a Drivers License, every few years you have to take a quick quiz and prove your skills in a pool before getting an updated or current card.

And what mouth-breathing, tin-badge little tax funded drones should handle that new requirement?

 

[muzikbiz22]

I can hear it now; "If you like your DAN, you can keep your DAN. If you like your buddy, you can keep your buddy". I think we all know just "how wonderful" that "experiment" has gone. No government involvement in diving please, Thank you !!

 

[undrwater]

I have heard that some of our boats will 'vet' a diver before allowing them to dive on the oil rigs or backside of Catalina. Has this ever happened for lobster diving charters? Would it even make sense?