Double fatality - Catalonia, Spain

[Bob DBF]

So someone furnished gear and fills to non-certified divers?

Like the USA in 1955

Or 1980 for me in NorCal, I didn't need the gear.

 

[destring]

Here in Colombia (San Andres, Santa Marta, Cartagena, etc) it's quite common for centers to sell 'Discover Scuba' that just straps the gear onto the customer and throws them at the ocean after a very brief explanation (don't hold your breath, don't ascent faster than the bubbles, follow the divemaster) and that practice is quite common across South America and the Caribbean. A friend of mine went down to 12 meters on a discover scuba in San Andres. Makes you wonder what happens if they panic at those depths.

 

[wgw04024]

Here in Colombia (San Andres, Santa Marta, Cartagena, etc) it's quite common for centers to sell 'Discover Scuba' that just straps the gear onto the customer and throws them at the ocean after a very brief explanation (don't hold your breath, don't ascent faster than the bubbles, follow the divemaster) and that practice is quite common across South America and the Caribbean. A friend of mine went down to 12 meters on a discover scuba in San Andres. Makes you wonder what happens if they panic at those depths.

I wouldn't be completely surprised in that situation if it reads....'diver went missing/got separated...'

 

[Sawdust82]

I got certified in negril, jamaica about ten years ago, took open water and advanced open water in the same five days (amazing what $600 american will get ya...). Spent long enough in the 8’ deep resort pool to take my mask off and put it back on and clear it, and “lose” my reg and find it. Definitely nothing about buoyancy, or anything else really. About 5-7 minutes maybe, “you good mon?” Shrug, ok sign. Then onto the dive boat and lets dive to 60 feet or so. Did one dive that week to 130-140’ and swam through a small plane wreck, was probably my fifth dive ever. The instructor got me to tie an overhand knot in a rope on the boat before the dive, and again after a few minutes at the bottom to “see if i was narked”...

Looking back, im glad i was very comfortable in the water and a very strong swimmer. Surprising they didnt lose a student regularly operating like that...

 

[dmaziuk]

Isn't that just discover scuba? My first time on scuba was doing a discover dive off the big island. I don't recall any pool time prior to the open water dive but it's been more than a minute so I could be forgetting something.

ICBW but "confined water" and "pool" are not the same thing. I know a couple of beaches on Bonaire where the only "confining" thing is a few buoys on the surface.