DMs checking qualifications and liability

[ozzydamo]

I'm sure laws vary from state to state, country to country, yet it seems to me that if you are going into the ocean, there needs to be some sense of self-responsibility.

If you walk in front of a speeding car, you need to be responsible, if you go in a lake, ocean or stream, you need to know what you are getting into, and thus be responsible. If you take up snorkeling or diving or base jumping or crossing the street in LA, WE need to be
responsible for ourselves & our own actions!

I realize that Instructors, DMs, etc. take on a lot of responsibility (I am a retired instructor, yet I still dive on my other C-cards), and I
took & still take that responsibility VERY seriously.

We've become such a paperwork-oriented society, and although I take that responsibility seriously as well, I think it's sad that more people aren't simply more responsible for their own actions.

If I climb a cliff, take up hang gliding, etc. & I make a mistake then as a result get hurt, is that not my own responsibility?

I don't have every C-Card for everything I've been taught to do, not even underwater - not even close! (Cave, cold water, altitude, cave, wreck, deep, drift, rapid water, rescue, rapid water rescue, pulling dead cattle out of grates of the LA water system's dams, mixed gas diving, U/W work -welding, lift bags, salvage, hard-hat, half mask, air lifts (water & ground), extraction, shark, whale ID, marine mammal extraction & rehab., plankton tows, cold water (dry suit/ice diving) etc., etc., etc. and I could go on, but I won't.)

I have a purse full of cards for darn near everything & it can't hold even half of them when they are put 3 to a slot! (and there are many!)

I just wonder when our toddlers will have to take a class in crossing the street & have a C-Card to show a crossing guard before they are allowed to cross the street to go to school???

When do we stop the paperwork/certification/legal mess & learn to take some self-responsibility???

+1
Father's words- "My greatest fear was that he was to be blamed for his own death," he said.

Yes, when do people stop copping out and get real, the law can't reincarnate someone.
This son died because he was an idiot and took a risk that was to great.
He probably had an open water ticket, but couldn't even connect his BCD properly- the DM didn't get buddy check right, either one would assume.

 

[ThePipingSheriff]

Crossong the street can be accomplished by two ways (oversimplified). One way is the personal responsibility of looking both ways. The other is to wait for a hand gesture or sound of a whistle from a crossing guard aka DM. However I believe that one should always look both ways when crossing and be prepared to return to the side they started from or run to the other side if the situation presents itself.

How good are these legal liability releases that dive companies make one sign? I would think a first year lawyer could poke a hole in one fairly easily, but I'm sure its much easier if you can show negligence by the company.

I was wondering if anyone ever saw someone instructed to leave a dive boat or was restricted from diving for one reason or another?

What's the industry standard on "last dive or most recent Scuba Skills Update?" Six months to a year? Anything past that?