Training Open Water Dive Training Accident

[Feather111]

My brother was taking a PADI Open Water Dive Training and while trying to get his certification in his first Open water dive, he tragically lost his life. We of course are devastated and trying to make sense of what happened and what went wrong but as a first step, I'd like to know if there is a rules and regulations manual or guide available anywhere for us to download. We would like to know what rules certified dive shops need to follow when providing training in open water dives, when the new divers aren't certified yet. Especially when it comes to supervision. It was my understanding that whenever doing drills, a dive instructor would have to be in the water, next to the new divers, to prohibit any major accidents while they are still learning. Is this indicated anywhere, and where could I get access to a copy of these regulations?
Much appreciated.

 

[kierentec]

Standards Downloads - WRSTC

Dive Standards & Medical Statement from the WRSTC

wrstc.com

 

[chillyinCanada]

Where did your brother's accident take place and under what agency was he being certified?​

 

[Feather111]

Where did your brother's accident take place and under what agency was he being certified?​

Accident took place in New Brunswick Canada, and the dive shop he was taking the training with is certified under PADI.

 

[Feather111]

Standards Downloads - WRSTC

Dive Standards & Medical Statement from the WRSTC

wrstc.com

Thank you so much! Do we know what "direct supervision means" in open water dives? Would be great to have a definition, since if an instructor is allowed to have 8 students, there's no way he could have direct supervision of all 8 students while they are 30 feet below, doing drills in pairs.

 

[kierentec]

From page five of the open water standards: "direct supervision: Visual observation and evaluation of student skill performance and student diving activities by an instructor or certified assistant. Direct supervision requires personal observation and evaluation of the performance of the skills required for certification. During underwater skill performance and evaluation, direct supervision requires the student to be accompanied underwater."

 

[boulderjohn]

It was my understanding that whenever doing drills, a dive instructor would have to be in the water, next to the new divers, to prohibit any major accidents while they are still learning.

Yes, the instructor or a certified assistant must be in the water and directly supervising the student. There is no question about that. There have been plenty of precedents on that issue.

Do you have information that your brother was in the water unsupervised when he had his accident?

 

[boulderjohn]

As you pursue this case, you should be aware that there is a complication in terms of authorities dealing with this sort of thing. The agency (PADI in this case) has no real legal authority to act--the most they can do is expel the instructor and/or dive operation from the agency. It would be up to local legal authorities (like the police) to do more than that. Your problem in that case is that what the instructor did wrong may be an agency standard violation but not a violation of the law.

I say that because I know some details of a couple cases in Mexico where the instructor was clearly at fault and was expelled by the agency, but no action was taken by legal authorities. In the United States and (I assume) Canada, you are more likely to get some action from them.

 

[Feather111]

From page five of the open water standards: "direct supervision: Visual observation and evaluation of student skill performance and student diving activities by an instructor or certified assistant. Direct supervision requires personal observation and evaluation of the performance of the skills required for certification. During underwater skill performance and evaluation, direct supervision requires the student to be accompanied underwater."

Thank you so much. This is exactly what I was looking for. Much appreciated!

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

@Feather111

My sincerest condolensces.