swimthroughs and inherent danger thereof

[Czechdiverdaze]

Our first trip after becoming Advanced Divers (my wife and myself) was Cozumel. We had a total of 25 logged dives. One of the trips that we were taken to was a Cave (Punta Sur Caves) that we entered at about 70 feet after about 10 minutes being wet. We entered the cave and it took a good 10 minutes to swim through it. There was quite a bit of room but no visible light. We exited the cave at 120-130 feet. We felt comfortable doing this but thought it was odd that they would take such a risk, especially since a few of the divers were only Open Water Certified. Time has past and Now I am a Master Diver (Naui) and Advanced (Padi). I've come to learn that when you dive out of the country they are a lot more relaxed on safety and/or common sence. The best thing that my Instructor taught me was to #1 "Dive within your Ability", #2 "When you get you C-card , you are then certified and allowed to learn how to dive from that point on". There is not a dive I do or an experience that I have or hear that I do not learn from, Once you stop learning-you stop growing as a person.

Czechdiver

 

[DrSteve]

I have to put my 2c in...
1. I hate those damned "queue jumpers" who think you shouldn't wait for the person in front of you to actually enter (like your buddy) before trying to mount their tank
2. I've done a *few* swim through and have yet to see anything interesting, so I figure why bother?
3. I personally will not do a swim through unless I can see the exit. My first swim through was a mess of silt caused by aforementioned queue jumpers who only know how to flutter kick the sand up.

 

[Mako Mark]

Its is kinda funny, the day I posted my comment to this thread I pretty much got fired from my job of the last eight years.

Since then I have realized that a large part of the venom came from the fact I criticized the dive operation and some instructors in particular for guiding open water divers on wreck penetration dives, with no training, guideline, long hoses, rule of thirds, lights, etc etc.

One instructor in particular (instructor a.) has been taking another instructor (instructor b.) on cave dives and 200 ft air dives in their spare time, when instructor a. is a certified cave diver but not a cave or even cavern instructor and instructor b. has no overhead or technical training at all, but participates in these technical dives because he has a set of doubles and has read some books.

I also criticized some of the DM's(to his boss) for not using dive tables or computers on 80 ft dives (or at all). One of the dive masters had complained to me of a sore wrist and asked me how much an hour in the chamber costs and if I thought he was bent. I know he exercises a lot and asked if it hurt after exercises, he said no, I asked if it hurt after diving and he said yes... I told him to go to the chamber, then called his boss.

Now, their boss is a guy that is a full cave instructor and a Technical Instructor trainer for a number of agencies and a PADI instructor, so he knows what is going on is wrong, but he doesn't care, he doesn't want to know and when I talked to him about it he decided to force me to quit by lowering my pay to a level that is beyond the pale.

So where does this leave me?? Either say it is OK or walk away.

I guess I have to walk away now. It is not OK what is going on and I cant be a part of it anymore. I have tried to help, but some people just don't want to do things right.

Its a shame that the dive industry has come to this, all it means is more governmental regulation in the future. If we cant police ourselves, then I guess we need big brother doing it for us.

rant over.

 

[Tollie]

Hey Mark…

While I’m sure that over the years there were pleasures in working for this outfit it must have worked on you below the surface. Its tough for someone like yourself who knows how to teach diving and to conduct diver operations for guests that are both fun and safe. I think moving on is just the right thing and in a bit after you make the jump you will look back on it as the best thing that could have happened to you.

 

[Mako Mark]

thanks Tollie,

I know you are right, I have done it many times before and I am sure I will do it again.

.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Mark,

Unfortunately staying gainfully employed is often a matter of playing the game. There are lots of snakes, cheats and crooks in the worls and some will be above us on the corporate ladder.

 

[Spratman]

Mark,

It's better to maintain your integrity than trying to convince yourself that you aren't doing it so it's okay. I did it several times when I was in the Army and got scorched for it. Hey, I can live with it and still do.

I'm heading back to Cancun the first week of Nov. Hope you will still be around down there someplace. I'll buy you a Dos Equis...

Problem is that many of the dive ops are thick as thieves. Good luck and I know you'll come out on top.

Best regards,

Jack

 

[Scuba]

Mark, you have chosen the honorable path. In a world where many have no conscious or worse, it also happens to be the more difficult path.

Shame on the unscrupulous perpetrators, with special mention for all those who tolerate divers placed at undue risk - for self profiteering.

Best of luck to you.