Diver Dennis
Contributor
Why are you afraid to fill out your profile?
Palau - health of reef
- Thread starter maddmike
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Im heading to palau early nov on the liveaboard ocean hunter 1 and am wondering how there dives rate safty wise vs the aggressor, also what is the policy on solo diving in palau?
Cheers
Jon
Cheers
Jon
Diver Dennis
Contributor
I was on a private liveaboard last November Jon and I did solo most of the time but I'm not sure about the Ocean Hunter. I would not worry about safety, all the liveaboards there are quite safe and if you have a little experience with currents you should be fine.
Diver Dennis
Contributor
Welcome to SB by the way Jon. You might want to fill out your profile too.
Jon,
If you normally go solo, you have more than enough experience for Palau. That said, if I was soloing and using a reef hook, which you will have to do at many of the sites, I would want one with a handle instead of being clipped in and you would probably have to provide your own.
People obviously have different interpretations about what is safe. In reading about one fatality in Palau, the Aggressor actually had to provide O2 for the other organization. Also, a non-divemaster was assisting a group in another incident where the non-divemaster had to descend to over 200 ft to help a diver, ran out of air and died. Non-divemasters acting as divemasters for inexperienced divers and diving without O2 available seems, well, unnecessary. As with any popular place there are some issues but since you are so self-reliant, I am sure you will be fine. Have fun.
If you normally go solo, you have more than enough experience for Palau. That said, if I was soloing and using a reef hook, which you will have to do at many of the sites, I would want one with a handle instead of being clipped in and you would probably have to provide your own.
People obviously have different interpretations about what is safe. In reading about one fatality in Palau, the Aggressor actually had to provide O2 for the other organization. Also, a non-divemaster was assisting a group in another incident where the non-divemaster had to descend to over 200 ft to help a diver, ran out of air and died. Non-divemasters acting as divemasters for inexperienced divers and diving without O2 available seems, well, unnecessary. As with any popular place there are some issues but since you are so self-reliant, I am sure you will be fine. Have fun.
I filled my profile thing out 3 times and it didnt save so hopefully it did this time,
Dennis did they require you to carry a pony?
Dennis did they require you to carry a pony?
argh how come my profile info dosnt show under my name like youres dennis?
Diver Dennis
Contributor
There might be a problem with your profile until they have some new equipment set up for the board Jon. It might be a couple of weeks. It was working but must be down now.
I was on the Eclipse last time Jon and it was just the captain, his wife and my girlfriend. Charlie, the captain's wife was the divemaster for my girlfriend and I would be solo most of the time taking pictures. I had done a couple of checkout dives with Charlie before I was allowed to solo.
They did not require a pony but we did a couple of days with Sam's Tours and they do not allow solo as such but I did not have a buddy when diving with them but was in sight of the group most of the time. On a couple of dives they had one DM that hovered over us in a group of three photographers, diving solo but all within sight of each other, while the main group went on ahead. They were very professional.
I was on the Eclipse last time Jon and it was just the captain, his wife and my girlfriend. Charlie, the captain's wife was the divemaster for my girlfriend and I would be solo most of the time taking pictures. I had done a couple of checkout dives with Charlie before I was allowed to solo.
They did not require a pony but we did a couple of days with Sam's Tours and they do not allow solo as such but I did not have a buddy when diving with them but was in sight of the group most of the time. On a couple of dives they had one DM that hovered over us in a group of three photographers, diving solo but all within sight of each other, while the main group went on ahead. They were very professional.
Diver Dennis
Contributor
Ilikeair:
What operation had a diver who was not a DM, acting as one? No one, whether it be an instructor, DM or client/helper HAS to go after any diver past 200'. Especially if they do not have enough gas to do it. Did the diver they were helping die as well? Where did you get this information? Links?
I would be VERY interested which dive op would allow this. I have never heard of any untrained diver being asked to "help out" with DM duties there.
underexposed
Registered
My wife and I dove with Sam's and both of us have cameras. After the first day we were given complete freedom on our dives. They treated us based on our skill level and what we wanted out of the dives.
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