Planning to go to Belize? Unsafe practices you should know know about addressed

[Diver0001]

If I get the gist of the article then PADI pointed out in fairly neutral terms what every single DM learned during their training and agreed to uphold as part of their commitment as a PADI professional.

Every ... single ... one ... of ... them ...

I think it's fantastic that PADI is willing to position themselves between the unethical and the unknowing as advocates for safe diving. This is a good message and I'm proud of them for doing it.

Step 2.... however, is putting some bite in the bark. If those operators, DM's and instructors continue to completely ignore the ethical standards they agreed to uphold.... then what? PADI has seldom, if ever, suspended a DM for unethical conduct concerning guided dives and certified divers.... Will PADI have the cojones to turn this shot across the bow into a new culture of accountability? I, for one, PRAY for it!

R..

 

[victorzamora]

I do, too! I hope and pray PADI steps in so governments don't have to. I don't think any nation should dictate any part of this hobby (DOT stuff on tanks aside). If PADI steps up, I'm sure many other Recreational agencies will follow suit. If the agencies themselves can mitigate this type of behavior, I think there is very little drawback.

 

[Hank49]

The Blue Hole could be marketed as a shark dive. The three times I went there we saw quite a few reef sharks and they come right up to you…..because some shops were feeding them fish carcasses.

The sharks are way cooler to see than…..a bunch of stalactites? Big deal. I looked down from where I was and went back up to hang with the sharks. But for some reason, the shops think everyone should go and see the geology of the Hole, which I agree, is beyond where I would want to guide any divers.

 

[cocoajoe]

This is absolutely correct.

PADI can simply not renew any instructors, DMs or dive shops that it wishes to, which for all practical purposes, will immediately put the respective entity out of business.

I do not believe other certification agencies would sign up anybody who was cancelled for unsafe practices, so PADI has a huge mallet it can use at any time, with nothing more than a cancellation letter.

---------- Post added November 4th, 2013 at 10:28 AM ----------



The really funny/sad part is that the dive is unsafe on a single tank regardless of experience level. The people that have the training to realize this are exactly the people who would refuse to do it as a single tank recreational dive, so the only recreational customers they get are people who by definition, don't understand the risk.

Exactly right but yet a 'AOW' is supposed to be certified to 130'??? I think it's irresponsible for any agency to tell a diver hey, you're good down to 130 without further training.....at least the training I got. The fact is, AOW (I can only speak for PADI) training and cert should require more deco theory and preach redundancy for any dives beyond 90-110'

 

[koozemani]

Exactly right but yet a 'AOW' is supposed to be certified to 130'??? I think it's irresponsible for any agency to tell a diver hey, you're good down to 130 without further training.....at least the training I got. The fact is, AOW (I can only speak for PADI) training and cert should require more deco theory and preach redundancy for any dives beyond 90-110'

The computers I peeked at after the dive had them below 140', beyond rec limits.

 

[boulderjohn]

Exactly right but yet a 'AOW' is supposed to be certified to 130'??? I think it's irresponsible for any agency to tell a diver hey, you're good down to 130 without further training.....at least the training I got. The fact is, AOW (I can only speak for PADI) training and cert should require more deco theory and preach redundancy for any dives beyond 90-110'

PADI's recommendations are that AOW divers limit themselves to 100 feet. If going beyond that, they recommend unspecified further training, which includes the deep diver specialty as an option. 130 feet is supposed to be the limit for all recreational divers. There are, however, no scuba police for the most part (yes, there are exceptions), and it is usually up to individuals and dive operators to enforce these limits.

I have done the Blue Hole twice--never got below 130. For those going below that (and I don't doubt they do), they must be gong to a different place than I did, or they are not stopping their descent in time.

 

[Mike]

However, I REALLY don't want any government agency to get involved in diving. It's one of the few hobbies I have left that they haven't started to ruin. If this letter sparks ANY government to start stepping in and regulating diving, then this is clearly a step in the wrong direction.

Belize is not the USA. In 3rd world countries and developing countries unfortunately the grab for the dollar leads to some terrible human and ecological damages that just get appauling because they don't have the USA's ecologicial awakening, tree hugger mentality and litigious society. Can I get more fish if I dynamite the reef? Hey, I have a box of dynamite over in the shed behind my house... BOOM goes the reef. Can I get an extra $5.00 if I let the tourist ride the whale shark? Next day the whale shark has a rope around its tale and has been dragged in to shore so the 325 lb European can sit on it and get a picture taken for her Christmas card..

I don't care for more government intervention, but unfortunately in countries outside the USA, the carnage just gets worse and worse and won't stop until the government has to step in.

The 'good' dive operators cry that their hands are tied in Belize because there is nobody to stop the bad dive operators from running wild, there is no consequences to their actions so the good dive operations suffer financially. Sometimes, it will take the government to come in and create a more level playing field in order to weed out the bad dive ops and reward the good dive operators.

 

[t4e]

how is it taking a newly certified diver to 130ft any different then taking them into the cenotes, OW certification doesn't allow overhead environments

 

[flots am]

Exactly right but yet a 'AOW' is supposed to be certified to 130'???

I don't know what PADI's AOW requirements are, but SSI requires a "Deep" class for 130', not AOW, and the biggest thing I learned from the class was that it's a stupid idea without an excellent buddy and lots of redundant gas.

 

[Diver0001]

I don't know what PADI's AOW requirements are, but SSI requires a "Deep" class for 130', not AOW, and the biggest thing I learned from the class was that it's a stupid idea without an excellent buddy and lots of redundant gas.

SSI standards are more or less identical to PADI. They changed the bare minimum to avoid copyright infringement but that's about it. In fact I think the original SSI materials may have even had some of the same spelling mistakes.

And yeah, what you get out of the deep specialty is pretty much the same between them too.

R..