Voluntary Environmentally Sustainable Diving Standards

[Black_3000psi]

you know krisb I really dont care any more if anyone has a desire to do whats right. there are very few people on this Island that I would miss if a boat ran them over. One of them is not into diving the others know better than to do a shore dive and not keep the flag with them. If someone is out on a boat dive and they pop up more than 100 feet from the boat all I can say is good luck with that. If someone is closer than a 100 feet to the boat and get run over they should keep in mind that they had a chance to do something about it and elected not to. One diver was already killed this year by a boat. he had no flag. if that isnt enough to motivate the dive community then I dont care either.

 

[Black_3000psi]

actually I wouldnt have to. so many people read it that they are all laughing at you.

 

[Black_3000psi]

thank you pointing out the errors that remain I really am a lazy typist. Its not a high priority for me.

 

[cuddlefish]

thats funny I dont see a single "if" in number 7. meaning
" if you are going to secure your....."

7. Secure dive flags to the sandy bottom using weights or other anchoring device or tie off to non-living surfaces.

I know there's currently no "if". But do you get what I'm suggesting? Does it make sense? I really do think my interpretation is probably correct.

 

[Black_3000psi]

um....no?

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

.....

 

[cuddlefish]

um....no?

I spoke with one of the people involved in developing these standards. They said that of course they are not suggesting that you HAVE to secure your flag to the bottom. I suggested they make it more clear...though I think it is fairly clear already. So to reiterate....IF you decide on the off chance that it might be best on a given day to secure your flag to the bottom because you have to help a student with their mask for a moment or you want to take a picture without having a line in your hand or a line pulling on your BC or whatever, we suggest that you do it in a responsible way by attaching it to a non-living hard surface or anchor it in the sand where you are sure you won't harm anything. Jeez.

 

[Black_3000psi]

7. Secure dive flags to the sandy bottom using weights or other anchoring device or tie off to non-living surfaces.

you see it does not matter what it intend to reflect. what matters is that the way it is written it implys that you never need to tow the flag as long as you secure it in an environmentally safe way. i agree that there are dives where the likelyhood of being run over with a boat is highly unlikely. does that mean its ok to safely secure the flag (when i say safely i mean safe for the reef ) and go about your business of leading a dive? does that mean because you are diving sharks cove and want to show the group all the wonderful caves to swim thru you should go with out the flag? that is a choice only you can make for you and the group you lead. if you take a group out and come back one short because a diver got seperated from the group and forgot what they were supposed to do in that situation i will not lose any sleep over it. you are responsible for them not me so you do what ever you want to do.

my first concern is for the safety of my divers. if im leading a dive at say sharks cove and i have more than two divers there would be another divemaster with me to bring up the rear. someone i know and trust.someone I have dove with on many times before. that gives me the peace of mind to lead the dive. if anything happens behind me i will know it the moment it starts. now would i say you need that flag with you at sharks cove? no. under those conditions i would say that the needed measure of safety has been met.

regardless of how i (I) feel about it, what you are doing is a noble thing and I am on your side in your efforts to perserve the environment, and were it not for the wording of #7 and the glove issue I would support it whole heartedly. me wearing gloves does no more damage to the reef than you wearing your wet suit. im sure there are many people that will support it no matter what I say or how i feel and it is not my intentions to stop anyone from supporting it, I simply can not do so in its present form..

 

[KrisB]

I spoke with one of the people involved in developing these standards. They said that of course they are not suggesting that you HAVE to secure your flag to the bottom. I suggested they make it more clear...though I think it is fairly clear already. So to reiterate....IF you decide on the off chance that it might be best on a given day to secure your flag to the bottom because you have to help a student with their mask for a moment or you want to take a picture without having a line in your hand or a line pulling on your BC or whatever, we suggest that you do it in a responsible way by attaching it to a non-living hard surface or anchor it in the sand where you are sure you won't harm anything. Jeez.

I suspect it's better to leave this topic for discussion here:
Digication :: 9th Grade English at Bellaire High School :: Discussion Forum

 

[cuddlefish]

I suspect it's better to leave this topic for discussion here:
Digication :: 9th Grade English at Bellaire High School :: Discussion Forum

To clarify...my run-on sentence was purposeful sarcasm.