Would Government Regulation of Diving Be So Bad?

[H2Andy]

My turn - I'll ask you again - do you actually think government intervention would actually improve dive training? (We're back to talking about real world, not the fantasy world where folks believe in personal responsibility).

lol, i already answered that: only if the situation is pretty darn bad. i see govt. intervention as an option only if
the ONLY alternative is an ever-rising body count.

at the moment, i feel the situation is not that bad.
however, the trend appears to be for ever-worsening
training... so... will we get to the point were things
will be so bad that govt. will have to step in?

i sure hope not.

 

[DennisS]

Lets just say there is a Dept of Recreational Diving established.
It has rigorous standards and only about 75% of the divers can pass the physical and out of those 15% fail the written or in water exam.

Joe Diver tells his training agency it too tough and doesn't buy any dive gear. He isn't happy

Dive agency isn't happy, numbers are dropping off. Dive agency has its lobbyist pressure members of congress and contributes to campaign fund.

Dive manufacturers aren't happy, sales have crashed. Dive manufacturers lobbyists dump money into campaign funds for congress to get standards lowered.

Director of Dept of Diving gets informed his budget is being drastically cut unless he starts making people happy.

Dept of Diving contracts out dive certifications to agencies due to hiring freeze. It's called a partnership of government and industry.

Everyone is happy.

 

[Snowbear]

...the trend appears to be for ever-worsening training... so... will we get to the point were things
will be so bad that govt. will have to step in?

How do you think the government would improve the situation?

 

[H2Andy]

well, if the situation is bad enough for the gubmen to step in, things will have gotten
bad indeed, so even the limited efficiency of the gubmen will represent an
improvement.

i honestly dont' see it ever getting that bad.

 

[captain]

well, if the situation is bad enough for the gubmen to step in, things will have gotten
bad indeed, so even the limited efficiency of the gubmen will represent an
improvement.

i honestly dont' see it ever getting that bad.

If you honestly don't see it ever getting that bad why did you start this thread? I believe H20 Andy gets his kicks stirring up the pot.

Captain

 

[H2Andy]

we're talking about two different things:

1. the time at which the govt. MIGHT get involved with diving, since the agencies have failed their training mandate; and

2. the time at which I THINK the govt. SHOULD get involved with diving (which was
Snowbear's question), which (for me) presuposses wholesale slaughter of divers.

as to number 2, i think that it will never get so bad that i would agree the govt.
should get involved.

as to number 1, however, that is what this thread is about. would it be so bad if
the govt. stepped in BEFORE the brown stuff hit the fan.

it's funny that you would think asking people what they think is "stirring up the pot."
says a lot about you.

but i won't go into that because that would be.... (drum roll)
an ad hominem fallacy!

 

[Quarrior]

There have been many threads on the subject of bad standards and under qualified divers. Personally, I think this thread is Andy's way of putting an end to that old warn out subject.

 

[captain]

Your water as weight thread also had something to do with my stirring the pot comment.
Seems to me that thread was a troll. If not perhaps you need to brush up on the section in the certification course on Archimedes Principle.

Captain

 

[UGA]

Diving is not a "fundamental right" so any law regulating it would only have to meet the "rational basis" test, i.e. is there a rational (as opposed to compelling) state interest being served by the legislation. Given the low incidence of diving accidents, compared to other activities, I doubt that even this test can be met.

True, but I think it'd be fun to try to convince Rehnquist that divers are a suspect classification triggering strict scrutiny!

 

[MikeFerrara]

Lets just say there is a Dept of Recreational Diving established.
It has rigorous standards and only about 75% of the divers can pass the physical and out of those 15% fail the written or in water exam.

Joe Diver tells his training agency it too tough and doesn't buy any dive gear. He isn't happy

Dive agency isn't happy, numbers are dropping off. Dive agency has its lobbyist pressure members of congress and contributes to campaign fund.

Dive manufacturers aren't happy, sales have crashed. Dive manufacturers lobbyists dump money into campaign funds for congress to get standards lowered.

Director of Dept of Diving gets informed his budget is being drastically cut unless he starts making people happy.

Dept of Diving contracts out dive certifications to agencies due to hiring freeze. It's called a partnership of government and industry.

Everyone is happy.

I think that's how thew RSTC was formed