OK people just got in from Diving, you may say thats nothing new!
I was diving with about 300 other Pro's in an area that was not, up til yesterday 04.02.06, allowed to dive ........
It was a big Party. It started yesterday with the PADI member forum and all the usual ehem.....*things* were talked about as they are on those member forums. ERDP, standards etc, etc, etc.......... Then the assistant to the minister of merchant marine explained to all of us about the new law.
What the new law will mean for Divers: You will be able to dive anywhere EXCEPT those places where it is forbidden to dive. These are: Harbours, shipping lanes, Military instalations, Archelogical areas that have been closed by the Ministry of culture before the 04.02.06.
To dive on your own (without using the services of a Divecenter) you need to go to the Port Police that is responsible for the area you want to dive and tell them you are going to dive at X or Y place. Show them your Dive licence and tell them when you leave the dive area.......This could be a bit sticky to begin with as for sure there will be a lot of searches of cars and boats due to the huge amount of artifacts in the sea. Anybody caught with any artifacts (even a broken piece of pottery) will be most likely heavily fined and imprisoned.......
I sugesst using the services of a LDS and having a care free time on your Diving holidays
There was also a very good friend of mine from the underwater archelogical dept of the Min of Culture there. She explained it from that Ministries point of view about the new law.............There are obviously areas that have not been explored and likely hold an interest for the archeologists. This means that there could be areas (not yet known) that will be closed in the future.
it went on very late and I left early as it became a bit like an Irish Parliment ( Everybody talking and nobody listening. Being Irish I can say that!). It really looks as if there is now a standard that can be taken as law and everybody that fulfils the standards can apply and get a licence for a diveshop / school...........
The ministerial decisions have not yet been signed BUT we were told that would happen within the next couple of days.........We were informed where to get copies of the standards and how to apply for licences as service providers.........So I expect a great deal of business to come to Greece this summer. I will be trying to find investors to open a shop in an area that I personaly know and have dived on the South Side of Crete, albeit illegaly at that time, Lots of things there to see and find..........Virgin Wrecks, unknown areas to be discovered etc, etc, etc........I am at the moment estatic and happy that at long last my dream of 25 yrs looks a lot nearer than it did 1 week ago.........
BTW and FYI the CEN standards are also going to be adopted by ISO which will mean standardisation worldwide as far as diving is concerned.............
Argos
I was diving with about 300 other Pro's in an area that was not, up til yesterday 04.02.06, allowed to dive ........
It was a big Party. It started yesterday with the PADI member forum and all the usual ehem.....*things* were talked about as they are on those member forums. ERDP, standards etc, etc, etc.......... Then the assistant to the minister of merchant marine explained to all of us about the new law.
What the new law will mean for Divers: You will be able to dive anywhere EXCEPT those places where it is forbidden to dive. These are: Harbours, shipping lanes, Military instalations, Archelogical areas that have been closed by the Ministry of culture before the 04.02.06.
To dive on your own (without using the services of a Divecenter) you need to go to the Port Police that is responsible for the area you want to dive and tell them you are going to dive at X or Y place. Show them your Dive licence and tell them when you leave the dive area.......This could be a bit sticky to begin with as for sure there will be a lot of searches of cars and boats due to the huge amount of artifacts in the sea. Anybody caught with any artifacts (even a broken piece of pottery) will be most likely heavily fined and imprisoned.......
I sugesst using the services of a LDS and having a care free time on your Diving holidays
There was also a very good friend of mine from the underwater archelogical dept of the Min of Culture there. She explained it from that Ministries point of view about the new law.............There are obviously areas that have not been explored and likely hold an interest for the archeologists. This means that there could be areas (not yet known) that will be closed in the future.
it went on very late and I left early as it became a bit like an Irish Parliment ( Everybody talking and nobody listening. Being Irish I can say that!). It really looks as if there is now a standard that can be taken as law and everybody that fulfils the standards can apply and get a licence for a diveshop / school...........
The ministerial decisions have not yet been signed BUT we were told that would happen within the next couple of days.........We were informed where to get copies of the standards and how to apply for licences as service providers.........So I expect a great deal of business to come to Greece this summer. I will be trying to find investors to open a shop in an area that I personaly know and have dived on the South Side of Crete, albeit illegaly at that time, Lots of things there to see and find..........Virgin Wrecks, unknown areas to be discovered etc, etc, etc........I am at the moment estatic and happy that at long last my dream of 25 yrs looks a lot nearer than it did 1 week ago.........
BTW and FYI the CEN standards are also going to be adopted by ISO which will mean standardisation worldwide as far as diving is concerned.............
Argos
