Unsupervised Diving?

[Cobra8472]

Ugh, our vacation plans were just completely shattered.

2 years ago we decided to take a vacation to Gozo, Malta and take our OW certification. We loved the island, the divesites and it was quite awesome in general - but we were quite dissatisfied with the instructors. Not how they taught us, or how much they knew, or that they did anything wrong, just simply that it was quite stressfull diving - rushing through a divesite and such. We don't like that kind of diving, we're more of the just sitting in the same spot for 3 minutes and slowly swimming on, in shallow water (4-5m if possible). Kind of, snorkeldiving, if you will. We are both very inexperienced, but we know our limits more than enough, we don't want to go below 8 meters, or 6 even if possible, it's just not us.

Anyways, we were planning to go to the same spot, same hotel and everything. We loved our snorkelsite and wanted to do some diving on our own there. It's very shallow, very calm, and so forth. We wanted to hire a car, drive to another site where we knew we would be comfortable diving, and visit that place a few times, then on to the next, and maybe do another dive at the snorkel place inbetween. Just the lazy, relaxing, slow paced, non stressfull diving.

I decided to visit the website of the diveshop we utilized last time. The staff was professional and we felt that it was a proper shop. I took a look at the regulations section and noticed that anyone without a CMOS 2 star or PADI AOW may not dive unsupervised, at all. Wow- that ruined everything. I sent an email explaining our position and teh diving we'd like to do, and they explained their insurance or somesuch would not cover us if we got hurt. Great, so we have to get up at 7 am, dress, get breakfast, head over at 8:15 and get our stuff ready, head out and endure the most bumpy ride we will ever experience, stressfully gear up, get ready, quickly get told the diving conditions and plan and do a rush-through dive of the area. No thanks.

Why is it this way? Can anyone explain it to me? Shouldn't people be responsible for themselves?

Also, any suggestions where we could go instead of Malta? A professional diveshop in a place where easy diving such as described is plenty?


Thanks,

Cobra

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

There are direct flights from Amsterdam to Bonaire ... the diving is wonderful and relaxing ... and nobody will tell you how you should dive. You can rent a pick-up truck at the airport and visit any of the island's more than 80 dive sites at your leisure.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Ice9]

Hearing a lot about dive ops really wannting to see that AOW card. Its a quick class though. Do you have time to take it before vacation?

 

[Cobra8472]

Hearing a lot about dive ops really wannting to see that AOW card. Its a quick class though. Do you have time to take it before vacation?

We don't have 50 logged dives. From what I've understood it's a requirement.

 

[Cobra8472]

There are direct flights from Amsterdam to Bonaire ... the diving is wonderful and relaxing ... and nobody will tell you how you should dive. You can rent a pick-up truck at the airport and visit any of the island's more than 80 dive sites at your leisure.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Wow. I think that settles it. Excellent Shore diving, beutifull water. Thanks Bob!

 

[String]

I dont think thats a Malta rule - in fact of all the places ive been Malta offered by far the most relaxed unrestricted diving laws. One of the few places i found in the med where you can just turn up and go diving anywhere you please without being attached to a dive centre.

However, the AOW/CMAS ** maybe a dive centre law and is fairly sensible. An OW diver generally has no dive planning ability and usually lacks experience. Without some knowledge of the sites and some experience its possible they could get into trouble.
Id be nervous renting gear to 2 x OW divers and saying "have fun" for that reason alone.

AOW you can do any time after OW (padi at least). It doesnt require 50 dives. Get that then just rent tanks and a 4x4.

Malta has some absolutely fantastic diving, possibly the best in europe which coupled with the most relaxed laws it would be a shame to miss it. Its also a hell of a lot cheaper than flying the atlantic for a trip. Malta flights at the moment are about £40 return if you time it correctly.

I've got some questions though. You say you were certified 2 years ago yet are still open water level ? Have you dived at all in the last 2 years? Are you "dive-fit" ? I definitely wouldn't loan out kit to someone that learnt 2 years ago, hadn't dived regularly since and wanted to go off on their own on unfamiliar dive sites a lot of which drop off deep quickly and can have currents (such as the Maltese sites).
Where in Malta were you looking at?

 

[Harshal]

I know you did not like the answer you got from the dive shop and I know it is a general accepted rule across all the agency, they cannot give you air tank unless you are certified diver. That is for the safety of the diver and safety of the shop. If by any chance a shop gives you a air tank without certification, and you get hurt they could be fined by the agency and insurance would not cover them for the damages in case you sue the shop for giving you the air tank. As per US laws you can argue that you were not aware or you did not knew the laws, dive shop should had known the law.

You will not believe this, but I got certified at different LDS and I wanted just use the pool of another LDS to try my gear and it was in controlled environment 8ft – 9 ft deep and even inside the store they would not give me tank if I did not have proof of my certification.

 

[SteveAD]

There is no 50 dive minimum. Many divers do their aow imediately after their ow dives.

 

[String]

I know it is a general accepted rule across all the agency, they cannot give you air tank unless you are certified diver.

Not everywhere.

That is for the safety of the diver and safety of the shop. If by any chance a shop gives you a air tank without certification, and you get hurt they could be fined by the agency and insurance would not cover them for the damages in case you sue the shop for giving you the air tank.

Outside north america this is far less of an issue. Most places put the responsibility on the user not the supplier

As per US laws you can argue that you were not aware or you did not knew the laws, dive shop should had known the law.

Ignorance is no excuse from the law. Proven in various cases.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I know you did not like the answer you got from the dive shop and I know it is a general accepted rule across all the agency, they cannot give you air tank unless you are certified diver. That is for the safety of the diver and safety of the shop. If by any chance a shop gives you a air tank without certification, and you get hurt they could be fined by the agency and insurance would not cover them for the damages in case you sue the shop for giving you the air tank. As per US laws you can argue that you were not aware or you did not knew the laws, dive shop should had known the law.

You will not believe this, but I got certified at different LDS and I wanted just use the pool of another LDS to try my gear and it was in controlled environment 8ft – 9 ft deep and even inside the store they would not give me tank if I did not have proof of my certification.

Sounds to me like the OP is certified ... just not to the prerequisite level.

From the original post ...

anyone without a CMOS 2 star or PADI AOW may not dive unsupervised

So how do they deal with people who have been trained through NAUI, SSI, YMCA, BSAC, or other agencies ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)