"Observations show an average 260 touches per one hour dive for a party of four."

[tursiops]

This is why I learned the frog kick

You can kick soft coral just fine with a frog kick.

 

[AdivingBel]

Frog kicks aren't magic for rec divers. I would trust somebody with a modified flutter that keeps their knees and legs up over some of the butt ugly frog kicks I've witnessed.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

It’s the yo yo’ing 3/4 vertical bicycle kickers with no situational awareness that do the damage, not someone who has taken the time to learn how to lay flat and frog kick. Chances are that anybody who has learned frog kicking more than likely has also learned to hover, secure their gear from dangling, and lay flat with feet up.

 

[foob]

The problem with this "data" is it isn't verifiable. It is someone's observations. One can take new observations though.

It is verifiable. Someone goes do it again. Maybe at the same spots. And compares the data. If a third guy thinks it's bs, he goes do a 3rd one. Then we slowly gain more confidence in the data or less confident if the studies are done poorly.

Your argument is one only a non scientist would make. Science doesn't requiring us to invent a time machine to repeat the exact same observations to be scientific. The strength of the research depends on the quality and quantity. Just remember we are just building models of the world. And models that are too accurate are worthless.

 

[Kharon]

I stand by my Bonaire observations, that even with STINAPA rules, the amount of diver destruction is absymal. I quit patronizing dive boats on Bonaire and many other places because the DM's do not reprimand divers that smash through soft coral and bryozoans, use hard coral as a resting place or camera tripod, harass marine life, etc. etc. etc. Do they not realize that their quest for a tip is jepordizing their livelihood?

There is no effing excuse for divers to abuse the marine life that we all love. Climate change is doing that all too well and we do not need to add to the destruction. If you can't dive responsibly, get buoyancy and trim under control, keep far enough off the bottom/reef to not do damage from fins or anyrhing else, then maybe you should invest in a buoyancy class or give up diving and just snorkel.

 

[martincohn]

And you better be looking at waayyy more than 84 divers or whatever that number was that I seen. It's been over a year and I forget all that he was looking at - some others down here may know the study I'm thinking of.

Yup sample size is important.

 

[rmssetc]

You mention helpful tips and pointers by DM’s and then call it private instruction. But then you claim you are not willing to pay for that. Does that mean they should work for free? Because that’s what it would be.

Reading comprehension...ah, it would be such a lovely thing to have.

As I wrote "In another context that's [the helpful tips & pointers] is called private instruction".

This means that in a separate setting, apart from a typical guided Cozumel fun dive, a student attending a class would receive helpful tips and pointers.

In the context of a typical Cozumel dive, pointers on buoyancy, fin technique, etc. are not part of the work product being delivered by the DM to the certified divers in the DM's role as a required guide to protect the marine park.

Those kind of pointers should not be necessary, and are an extra bonus if provided.

If I want to take a class, I will certainly pay for the class.

If I'm getting service from the DM, particularly over-and-above the minimum requirement in their role protecting the marine park, I will certainly show my appreciation.

Shouldn’t a diver already have those skills in place before they visit a location with endangered reefs?

Yes, of course. Whatever makes you ask that?

When you took open water was it free?

That's a completely immaterial, rhetorical question, verging on trolling.

 

[ggunn]

It is verifiable. Someone goes do it again. Maybe at the same spots. And compares the data. If a third guy thinks it's bs, he goes do a 3rd one. Then we slowly gain more confidence in the data or less confident if the studies are done poorly.

Your argument is one only a non scientist would make. Science doesn't requiring us to invent a time machine to repeat the exact same observations to be scientific. The strength of the research depends on the quality and quantity. Just remember we are just building models of the world. And models that are too accurate are worthless.

Are you a scientist? Just curious. I'm trying to make sense of "models that are too accurate are worthless".