Just found out about an official "No Solo Diver" law at my local divesite

[adshepard]

Government has no business regulating whether one dives solo or not. Likely a regualtion that slipped in through the bureaucratic process rather than some change in the law. Regulations at the state level often come in to being with little or no legislative review. This means your elected officials had no idea and nothing to do with it. That is just wrong. All laws and regulations should require a legislative review or vote. Bureaucrats should not decide them on their own.

Part of my job is to review state regulations regarding education policy. People would be surprised as to what becomes effectively law without their elected officials voting on it.

I monitor the proposed regulations of the Connecticut State Department of Environmental Protection just to make sure they're not trying to sneak in some anti-scuba diving garbage.

DSDO

Alan

 

[Peter McGuinness]

Maybe someone here in SoCal can tell me if I am recalling things incorrectly, but I could sware I read a couple of years ago that a guy was cited in Laguna Beach for solo diving of their stretch of coast. I hadn't really thought about it until this thread jogged my memory, and it maybe flawed in that recollection - but for some reason it occurs to me that the article stated that Laguna has an ordinance against it.

So are there any locals who can confirm that - or point out that age is affecting my memory.

Yep, you're absolutely right. I got ticked off* by a lifeguard young enough to be my daughter for exiting the water about 20mins after my buddy. This was after she had insisted I carry a snorkel (which I promptly lost!) before even letting us in the water. Not her fault, I know but still, I was the one who had to walk all the way back up those bloody stairs to the car to get it.

Laguna beach has a "Five Items rule" which states that in order to scuba dive you must have:

- a buddy
- a BC
- a snorkel
- a wetsuit (or drysuit)
- something else I can't remember, but you are NOT required to have either air or a regulator.

sheer bureaucratic genius to omit the very things which define SCUBA diving from their list of requirements.

Peter

*Uh, that's ticked off in the english sense of being given a lecture

 

[Nomaster]

I want to weigh in here, but I get so **!!** angry I can only see red and smell blood. I am to weak to keep my cool with this subject.
I have ranted powerlessly against too many stupidities that we do to ourselves for want of self discipline or responsibility for our own actions.
US citizens have rolled back our rights toward the Magna Carta, when regular folks were dying to get the nobility some rights.
Seems that the nobility are now finally losing their freedoms again too.
Okay, days later.
I'm talking about letting the government think for us, keep us safe from ourselves, and other forms of giving away our individual freedoms. THose that effect no-one else.
My brain is pretty weak, but when I get angry, it's completely useless to me.
Tom

 

[bluemagoo]

As far as I know, and fortunately, Hawaii doesn't have an official policy on solo-diving. Self-sufficency and independence among watermen (surfers, divers, boaters, fishermen) has a long tradition. There have been numerous deaths and missing, but the tradition continues. For the old-timers and locals, it's a way of life -- if you were stupid, then you deserved it; if you were careful; then it was your time. It certainly isn't condoned but it's tolerated -- for now and in smaller circles.

 

[octotat]

The irony of the start of this thread (required to dive with partner in Carter Lake Colorado) is that the vis is so low in Colorado resevoirs that you are solo diving even if your "buddy" is swimming right next to you. I've heard these safety nazis at that Lake will watch your bubbles to see if you go out of the defined scuba area and then you get a $100 ticket. Trust me, I did this dive last week (my first time there) and it sure isn't worth that crap.