IMHO, Makaha Caverns with mild surge is no less dangerous than the typical minor penetrations common at the Sea Tiger and YO-257. Drew's fired video light operator on the San Pedro seems a little more dangerous, as he seemed ready to bolt! I regularly penetrate both the hull and house of the St. Anthony (South Maui) with only OW trained guests. Before the wall fell in on the Mahi, more than half my guests followed me through the companionway.
As a guide on Oahu, I almost always led my groups through the v cavern at Makaha, the open double hold on the 'Tiger and a port to starboard below deck swimthrough at the YO. The pre-dive briefing encourages divers to say no if uncomfortable and meet us at the exit. Everything I've mentioned is typically no more than a minute inside and even divers with no overhead training have little trouble. I'm guessing Catherines Q concers tighter entries, corners &/or stairwells and possibly even tighter exits, but were still talking just a few minutes so non-hoovers have plenty of air on a single 80. For all these dives, strong current $/or surge should limit or negate all such activities.
My typical guided dives at Shark's Cove or Three Tables spend way more time in overhead environs than any agency would publically condone for OW divers, but those same agencies non-overhead certified employees would want to do those dives again and again after being there with most knowledgable North Shore guides! I'm sure Sherman considers statements like these ignorant and dangerous, but how many accidents have happened on these common and typically guided Oahu dives?
Face it, part of the excitement of diving is that it's an alien environment and if poo hits fan you can get hurt/die. A small swim through only stops a small percentage of divers. I became an instructor in Key Largo (before SG) and my CD did non-reel penetration of the Duane as part of my Wreck Specialty Instructor cert (not mandatory, lame classmates did not). I later similarly penetrated the Bibb with another of the IDC instructors (identical passageways, sideways). I'm not saying this is all right or even standards, but I think it's way more than 10% lightly penetrating the Tiger and YO.
Everyone has to make up their mind what works for *them*...as long as they are educated on the dangers their actions have and all possible ways to mitigate them. If they choose to use these tools/methods to mitigate risk great...if not well that is their decision. What works for me, may not work for others. It's the education piece that I am more worried about than anything else.
