Once a DM always liable

[Christi]

A couple of questions mentioned: Can you go back once you let your DM certification lapse? With SSI, you have a choice of being "Active", "non-renewed" or "retired". Active is of course active. The other two are not. You can return from both, with varying requirements, such as updated insurance, back dues, current materials, refresher training, physical exam,etc. I would assume that most other agencies are similarly aligned.
Another thing mentioned was carrying insurance if you're not actively functioning as a DM. If you have at some point been active, but are not any longer, you can purchase "Trailing insurance" at a much lower rate, which is designed to protect you on statute-of-limitations issues. I believe that it is reccomended that you carry it for 7 years.

Exactly...PADI is the same way.

Non-ACtive DM's/Instructors can go into inactive or retired status. In order to renew status, the requisites are different depending on how long you were iinactive, why you became inactive, and varios other factors.

 

[DiveGolfSki]

http://www.snopes.com/pregnant/jelly.htm

Thank you for setting the record straight and maintaining my faith in former model's and/or cheerleader's intellect.

 

[CIBDiving]

http://www.snopes.com/pregnant/jelly.htm

The very fact that that made "snopes" and needs debunking is a Very sad comment on peoples intelligence in itself! I've been telling that as a Joke for at least the last 10 years!

Don, have you ever considerered having your funny bone looked at by a Qualifed doctor?

 

[gangrel441]

Can't you learn all of this on your own through reading and surrrounding yourself with people who know? You don't have to cross the professional line to better yourself as a diver or to gain more knowledge.

In my experience, those people are in rather short supply in Chicago, or at least not easy to find...

Besides, I do ultimately see instructing in my future....just a matter of what other instruction I take on between now and then. Don't really have any interest in tec diving, but want to pursue some tec training (especially staged deco) for much the same reasons as listed above.

 

[markfm]

An interesting question -- I intend on taking DM not out of a desire to become an Instructor, though that might happen, but for increased knowledge/awareness.

 

[dhogan4342]

The instructor that did my AOW has a Master Instructor Cert. She is fully insured. However she told me that when she dives on Vacation, she users her Master Diver Certification.

We did not get into a discussion about liability as a professional. However it would appear that she just does not let it be known that she is a diving professional when she is Not instructing.

Another thought on this is that if one is diving with a Charter, and something goes wrong, then even had there been other DM's or Instructors on board, any litigation will be directed at the DiveOp and their insurance.

In the Keys we did several dives where there were instructors on board our boat. Other then some friendly words, we had no interaction with them in or out of the water. Even a sharky Lawyer would have a difficult time assigning blame to an instructor who was with other students and no where near a diver who had an accident.

This sounds like fraud to me. If there was an incident that was investigated and they start punching numbers in the system and find she was really a pro diver she could sink herself, although I could be totaly off base.

 

[CIBDiving]

An interesting question -- I intend on taking DM not out of a desire to become an Instructor, though that might happen, but for increased knowledge/awareness.

Then you're fooling yourself! There is nothing in the DM course that really Adds to being a diver, at least nothing worth paying that much for and that can't be had in other ways

 

[Diesel298]

the bad side is that if YOUR buddy gets hurt, you better believe that
lawyer is going to harp on the fact that you were a DM and owed
their client a higher duty of care. everything you did is going to
get scrutinized to see if you breached your duty.

and thats exactally why if im not acting as a professionbal during the dive. im diving alone

 

[H2Andy]

flying under the radar and not getting picked up during discovery is
a great thing. i would take all steps needed to accomplish this without
departing from the truth.

the last thing you want the PI lawyer to hear is "oh yeah... there was another
DM back there doing nothing"

 

[CIBDiving]

flying under the radar and not getting picked up during discovery is
a great thing. i would take all steps needed to accomplish this without
departing from the truth.

You bet! AOW is the Only card in the wallet. I don't even carry the rescue card for the same reasons.