wolf eel:
I agree with you. I know they are not students but they are in essence as you must dive with a n4 rating or better to dive that deep. Or prove with logs that you can.
The law may not be literal law but I think it has too do with insurance and rescue costs.
Ontario is trying something like it soon Quebec already has a Provincial dive law. I think it limits where and how you can dive by your logs.
Cheers
Derek
Quick tutorial on the French dive system, which is indeed litteral law.
The french dive law covers all diving in structures (clubs, shops, ...), but not diving "between friends".
By law, in France, there are 4 levels of "divers" and 4 levels of "instructors":
Divers:
P1: ~Padi Scuba Diver. Can only dive with a P4 or instructor, limited in depth
(<20m, I think), and a "directeur de plongee" (dive director) on the surface.
No/very-limited table/deco understanding.
Dive parameters fixed by the dive director and ensured by the P4.
P2: Independant to 20m, guided by a P4 to 40m. Always with a "dive director"
on the surface.
Limited table/deco understanding.
Dive parameters fixed by the dive director and ensured by the P4 (if present)
or the P2's (if diving independantly).
P3: Independant to 60m. No guide needed, no dive director needed.
O2 deco and surface O2 deco is taught.
P4: Like P3, but can also act as "guide de palanque" -- dive guide.
Sometimes, you see P1, P2, P3, P4 written as N1, N2, N3, N4 too.
Instructors"
E1: diver P2 with a small "instructor course", that allows instructing basic skills
E2: diver P4 with same course as E1 -- CMAS * instructor. Can't certify students.
E3: Can teach & certify P1-P3 independantly. CMAS ** instructor
Can act as "dive director"
E4: Can teach & certify P1-P3 independanty. Can also teach P4, E1, E2, E3 --
but certification/exams for these levels are centrally organized through
an incomprehensible hierachy of comittes.
Can act as "dive director".
There are a couple of extra wrinkels in the system (a P5 exists somewhere, a level over E4 exists too etc), but the above is the essence of the system.
Anyways, a P2 with 500 logged dives to 60m outside of France cannot, within the French system, be taken to depths beyond what's outlined in the above.
Cheers,