Pending changes for certifications required for JDC dives

[sheeper]

this all comes back to insurance and liability. it's getting tougher out there. If something happens to a diver at 70 feet and they were only OW...well, it gets ugly fast. We never should have allowed lawyers to dive!

As for nitrox, requiring nitrox for all divers also lets the op keep a shorter SI. And that allows for some faster turnaround on trips. An additional 10-15 minutes is a lot of time when it comes to boat unloading/loading, setup, etc.
I recently had an incident during an Intro to Tech class. Some people think that class is a waste. Student was great in the pool with skills but almost took me out at 85 feet (a story for another day and thread). At the least we learned that he would need a lot more work before moving on to deco procedures!

 

[scubadada]

Policy update from Pura Vida 2023 DIVE POLICY UPDATES at Pura Vida Divers

 

[Wookie]

Hard telling requirements from sales suggestions. I have to carry a DSMB, and there is a cert. Am I required to have a DSMB cert?

 

[AdivingBel]

Policy update from Pura Vida 2023 DIVE POLICY UPDATES at Pura Vida Divers

Oh well…looks like they are really selling stuff. Guess it’s true…if you tout BS long enough and loud enough it becomes true. Sad…I’ve dived with lots of wonderful OW divers in SFL. Perception is the new reality.

 

[Skeptic14]

From Pura Vida's policy update regarding AOW for divers deeper than 60 ft:

If you have similar qualifying certifications or experience, like a Deep Diver certification, we’ll review them on a case-by-case basis.

To me that seems to suggest they aren't applying the policy in an entirely binary fashion so perhaps either a specific dive history with them or "evidence" of similar dive experience, who knows.

49% of my dives had a max depth between 70-110 feet, but I have no dives in WPB. To me a little additional depth seems less material than whether the diver has real experience with an SMB and safety stop without mooring/anchor line.

Could very well be to sell more certs to vacation divers... for me, I think I'd be fine if they limited me to the 60' or less dives, feel like that'd still be a good introduction to the diving in the area and other than impacting perhaps seeing goliath during aggregation I still would have little inclination to get AOW just to check a box for diving in WPB.

 

[Johnoly]

Hard telling requirements from sales suggestions.

In a small twisted related pathway from your post.........
We regularly need to inform new speargun owners they they must obtain an FWC license prior to bringing that gun on a boat prior to it leaving the dock. I'm always asked why by new spearos.

 

[Tracy]

I'm curious if this trend (requiring AOW for dives deeper than 60') in South FL will spread beyond that area, if it is being driven by insurance companies, perhaps, but I'm not sure if that'd work for some areas of FL.

Yes, it will.
The insurance companies are dropping dive boats left and right. Too much liability.
I can insure my boat for fishing charters for about $600 per year. It is over $4000 as a dive charter. This is a boat running less than 50 charters per year.
You have a heart attack on a fishing boat, if you live or die, it was still a heart attack. It happens on a dive, it is a diving accident and the family sues.
The insurance company dictates what is on the waivers, how they need to be presented, everything. If you don't follow their rules, they drop you. At this point, you don't have other options for coverage, we are down to a very small couple of underwriters that will even do it.
One of the questions is basically are you certified to do the planned dive? If you have an OW card and it is a 100' dive, you aren't and you can't do it.

 

[MichaelMc]

The insurance companies are dropping dive boats left and right. Too much liability.

In light of this, nitrox everywhere (on boats) sounds really good to me. I'd like the industry to not disappear.

I recall some boat, in Texas maybe, going all nitrox and seeing a significant drop in their incidents.

 

[Wookie]

In light of this, nitrox everywhere (on boats) sounds really good to me. I'd like the industry not disappear.

I recall some boat, in Texas maybe, going all nitrox and seeing a significant drop in their incidents.

That would be me.

 

[MichaelMc]

That would be me.

I thought it might have been.