No dive light allowed?

[kamfan]

I have read a couple of threads today that mention sites that do not allow dive lights. Is this common, and what is the reasoning behind this?

As a diver who is just at the end of my OW training, I find it kind of funny that people would dive at sites that restrict what can be a very important piece of equipment.

 

[Soggy]

Places like Ginnie springs do not allow dive lights (except in the Ginnie ballroom, which is *cough cough* "open water safe") if you are not cave trained to prevent people from venturing into the caves.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

As a new diver it also helps to discourage you from going into places you should not be. Caves, certain caverns, and wreck penetrations come to mind. No light you are less likely to go in, get into trouble, and put others who may have to recover your body in a dangerous or unneccessary situation.

 

[ClayJar]

What they said, or to put it another way, by not allowing you to use a light, they turn what you *should* see as a dangerous situation (an overhead environment without adequate knowledge) into something any sane person *will* see as a dangerous situation (in an enclosed, unfamiliar space in the dark with no light and no direct access to the surface).

 

[IXΘYΣ]

The "no lights" policy is a testament to sorry training. A properly trained diver can be trusted with a light, but experience has taught the places that prohibit lights that divers are not properly trained, and therefore punish the ones that are to keep the ones that aren't from killing themselves.

 

[scarefaceDM]

It is understandable for cave diving areas - Overhead environments.

Open water dives, I have not heard of that. I have heard of no gloves, and no BIG knives.

 

[H2Andy]

as to overhead sites, the thinking is that without a light, a diver won't venture too far into the cave, develop a problem, and die

without a light, the thinking goes, the diver will be hesitant to go too far from the daylight zone, and thus will be safer

if you have cavern training, you are allowed to take a light into the cave. at that point, you are trusted not to go further than the cavern zone, but no one is down there policing you

i am proud to say that once i took the cavern class, i never went past the cavern zone until i had done my intro. to cave class

i am not sure why a dive that can be done with OW training should be limited by a "no-light" policy, though ...

 

[kamfan]

Thanks for the replys, your responses "shed some light" on the subject.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Go to this website and purchase the video "A Deceptively Easy Way to Die", it's what I use to help explain the "no lights" rule to my new divers.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[ClayJar]

Go to this website and purchase the video "A Deceptively Easy Way to Die", it's what I use to help explain the "no lights" rule to my new divers.

Just wondering, but where it says "VIDEO", does it mean VHS? I'd like to add it to my collection, but if it's not a DVD, I'd have to get my hands on a VCR. (Hmm... if it's not Macrovision-encumbered, it might be worth the effort to find a VCR so I can record a proper personal-use-only DVD for myself.) Anyway, just wondering (since you seem likely to know the answer off-hand).