Hi there people I hope this is in the correct area if not please let me know as I could not find the good guys, bad guys area.
I currently 'work' for Scuba Lanka in the Lihiniya Surf Hotel in Bentota, Sri Lanka. My boss, Mr Eric Fernando #51319, Ive been a C.A. (certified assistant) on a search & recovery course, where afterwards they would have real problems trying to find anything, let alone lift the item to the surface. Here he used a 1 litre plastic bottle to demonstrate how to lift a 3 kg weight about 1.5 2m. The students never even had the chance to practice as he handed me the weight after his demonstration, where I thought that he wanted me to then place it somewhere for them to find and lift to the surface, no we then went off for a swim.
His navigation course was to use a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 counts and then turn approximately 90 by using his arm, again and again until he had completed a square. This square would have been no bigger than 5m2, after they had completed a not so square pattern, he continued onto the circle pattern which afterwards (on dry land) they asked me what they were supposed to do. On the straight line/reciprocal compass navigation swim we swam off in 2 groups for a desired distance & then had the 2 of them buddy up and find their way back, when they returned to the surface they were over 30m away from the boat.
His equipment needs to updated, his manuals OW (1999) AOW & Rescue (1984) & DM (1985). So how the AOW students completed their knowledge reviews for their wreck dive when there is no wreck section in that part of his AOW manual, I don't know.
He had no E.A.P. (Emergency Assistance Plan) until I came! He has had other people fill a tank that had been completely emptied on a dive prior to having a VISUAL INSPECTION being made on it.
When I mentioned that I would like to have in the boat each time I go out the following he got angry and answered in a raised voice, you dont need them, we dont have room and Im the only one who uses oxygen here & I have no phone!
Items were;
1 lifebelt per person.
1 life ring.
Oxygen (where the mask is no good for continuous flow as it allows normal air to get mixed with it).
GPS + spare batteries.
Phone.
The guide (Instructor or DM) word is final as to dive or not!
The dive center in Serendib hotel (5min walk down the beach) has equipment that is less than one and a half years old and also oxygen.
He said that I would be working on comission but when it came to having flyers printed off that I had created and then downloaded to his computer, Im still waiting for them; it is now more than 3 months later.
Students doing the OW course are left to watch it with only a DM there to answer their questions.
In the whole time that Ive been here we have not done any rescue or 1st aid scenarios. They do not have any dive flags on the boat or a shade canopy (as the boat with one is broken).
Having known since january that my ex-girlfriend is coming to visit in april he's now said that he wont be renting where i stay for april, this means that i have to pay the rent.
From stories that other divers have told me of what goes on here in S.L. I would advise ALL VISITING DIVERS to ASK to see the CERTIFICATION CARD of their guide, to see if they are divemasters as so many have no card! Oh and Ive seen divers being pushed into the sea from other boats.
Just another note worth pointing out, the fishermen here do not seem to care about some of the aquatic life i.e. turtles, as there have been 3 washed up dead in the 2 weeks here, killed by them as you can see from the broken or punctured shells and all the blood IN the underside of them. This information I have passed on to Greenpeace as well.
Jonathan Densham PADI #632841
I currently 'work' for Scuba Lanka in the Lihiniya Surf Hotel in Bentota, Sri Lanka. My boss, Mr Eric Fernando #51319, Ive been a C.A. (certified assistant) on a search & recovery course, where afterwards they would have real problems trying to find anything, let alone lift the item to the surface. Here he used a 1 litre plastic bottle to demonstrate how to lift a 3 kg weight about 1.5 2m. The students never even had the chance to practice as he handed me the weight after his demonstration, where I thought that he wanted me to then place it somewhere for them to find and lift to the surface, no we then went off for a swim.
His navigation course was to use a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 counts and then turn approximately 90 by using his arm, again and again until he had completed a square. This square would have been no bigger than 5m2, after they had completed a not so square pattern, he continued onto the circle pattern which afterwards (on dry land) they asked me what they were supposed to do. On the straight line/reciprocal compass navigation swim we swam off in 2 groups for a desired distance & then had the 2 of them buddy up and find their way back, when they returned to the surface they were over 30m away from the boat.
His equipment needs to updated, his manuals OW (1999) AOW & Rescue (1984) & DM (1985). So how the AOW students completed their knowledge reviews for their wreck dive when there is no wreck section in that part of his AOW manual, I don't know.
He had no E.A.P. (Emergency Assistance Plan) until I came! He has had other people fill a tank that had been completely emptied on a dive prior to having a VISUAL INSPECTION being made on it.
When I mentioned that I would like to have in the boat each time I go out the following he got angry and answered in a raised voice, you dont need them, we dont have room and Im the only one who uses oxygen here & I have no phone!
Items were;
1 lifebelt per person.
1 life ring.
Oxygen (where the mask is no good for continuous flow as it allows normal air to get mixed with it).
GPS + spare batteries.
Phone.
The guide (Instructor or DM) word is final as to dive or not!
The dive center in Serendib hotel (5min walk down the beach) has equipment that is less than one and a half years old and also oxygen.
He said that I would be working on comission but when it came to having flyers printed off that I had created and then downloaded to his computer, Im still waiting for them; it is now more than 3 months later.
Students doing the OW course are left to watch it with only a DM there to answer their questions.
In the whole time that Ive been here we have not done any rescue or 1st aid scenarios. They do not have any dive flags on the boat or a shade canopy (as the boat with one is broken).
Having known since january that my ex-girlfriend is coming to visit in april he's now said that he wont be renting where i stay for april, this means that i have to pay the rent.
From stories that other divers have told me of what goes on here in S.L. I would advise ALL VISITING DIVERS to ASK to see the CERTIFICATION CARD of their guide, to see if they are divemasters as so many have no card! Oh and Ive seen divers being pushed into the sea from other boats.
Just another note worth pointing out, the fishermen here do not seem to care about some of the aquatic life i.e. turtles, as there have been 3 washed up dead in the 2 weeks here, killed by them as you can see from the broken or punctured shells and all the blood IN the underside of them. This information I have passed on to Greenpeace as well.
Jonathan Densham PADI #632841
