TCDiver1:
The "if" is a very important word in my statement. What I can tell you is that an instructor for an agency I was unable to have any say. As a mere diver all is certainly lost. With government, at least in theory, I am a part of the process.
My position is of course, that the agency should do a good job of training and then divers should be responsible for using their good training in conjunction with good judgement in their own diving.
After some experience with the agencis, average divers off the street and the industry in general I stick to my guns that the problem is that many divers never learn to dive in the first place so it's not possible to make certain that they "still" know how. Divers aren't required to be in good physical condition to start with so there's no sense in going back to check up on their medical status.
In the case of GUE's system, I understand the intent and the message it means to convey but I do not believe that their expireing certifications add any safety value at all. Sending in log pages to document dives says nothing about how the dives were done and each and every one may have been a clustered, barely made it back alive afair...or the log could just be faked. The only meaningful recertification would be an actaul in-water test but they don't do that do they?
Let me also say that I think a lot of what GUE has done in training. Since MHK is in the thread I'll mention that I've seen him teach and I think he's a very talented instructor. If I were in the larket for such I would certainly consider taking a class from an MHK or JJ. Maybe some kind of cave class or workshop just to improve. They could keep their card. I already have one and theirs is useless because they maintain ownership and it evaporates in 3 years if I don't jump through their hoops. My point being that while I might buy training, they can stick their cards in their own wallet. LOL
In reality, here's the way the dive industry really works. Customer calls or comes into the dive shop and says "I'm vacationing in the islands this year and I want to try diving. I hear that you need to be certified." I say "yes". They ask how much it costs and how long it takes pointing out that they already spent too much on the trip and they don't have much time. They will then shop for the cheapest class with the most convenient schedule. They NEVER ask about the training. Their ONLY intent is to purchase access and they will pay whether the training is any good or not because they get the access. They only need to consider price and convenience because all classes result in the same access. So...shops are under the gun to do it ever faster and cheaper. This is why there are so many lousy divers in the water and why every accident we read about or see is the same old stupid crap that virtually should never happen. Renewing these access permits would serve no purpose other than creating another fee for the diver to pay. Just no sense in talking recertification until some one fixes it so that initial certification has some meaning.
And just what are the chances that a person will forget how to kneel? The things they get rusty on are the things that aren't taught in the first place...reference the DAN numbers on buoyancy control problems on dives that result in injury. Look at how often buddy seperations are involved (almost 100% There's almost NEVER an eye witness). Why? it's hard to stay with a buddy when you can't control your position in the water. The fact that divers are never asked to conduct a dive with a buddy during training makes it even worse (they just spend a few minutes following the instructor in a pack during training). The fact is that a decent diver can go a good long time without diving and it'll be just like they'd never been away. We're not seeing problems because divers forgot...they never knew.
So again I ask...recertify what? That a diver can still kneel and clear their mask? Leave it flooded. Who cares?
But yes. Before I would have the agencies shove this kind of nonsense down my throat I would want government involved. Where else could you turn?
