Turns out we had 4 or 5 divers that had just been certified.
Apparently is is common to take new divers to BH.
I got a little narced at 138 feet and one of the new divers passed me like an anchor.
The DM placed the new divers on the mooring line for a 5 minutes safety stop.
I thought that there were divers that did not belong on the dive...
I can't really complain about the new divers...because it appears that is just how the shops are run.
That was really, really painful to read.
A few years ago, complaints about the safety practices at the Blue Hole reached a boiling point. In response, the Belize Bureau of Standards adopted the Belize National Code Of Practice For Recreational Scuba Diving Services. The scope of the code is pretty broad and covers environmental impact,
minimum requirements for conducting recreational scuba operations, guidelines for scuba gear rentals and sale of dive packages and the
safe operation of recreational scuba tours, including the safety, health, emergency equipment and procedures and competence of the dive staff.
I think I mentioned this already, but the code is available online at
http://belizetourismboard.org/wp-co...2016_Recreational-Scuba-Diving-Services-1.pdf
Beginning on page nine is a Requirements list. This list is compulsory so violations can lead to the dive op having its license revoked. One of the requirements addresses new divers at dive sites in general and then at the Blue Hole in particular. In fact, the Blue Hole is the only site specifically mentioned in the code.
It reads as follows:
[the dive operator] may not conduct recreational scuba diving tours at dive sites that may be deemed unreasonably safe for the level of certification of the diver;
NOTE 1: Recreational scuba diving tours to the "Blue Hole" require special skill sets because of its unique environment; therefore, divers are required to be screened as per Annex E by scuba diving tour operator for eligibility to perform the dive.
Annex E is a form (that may or may not be mandatory, I can't tell) for the diver to sign off on that lists his/her name, address, level of certification which includes OW, AOW or specified Other, number of logged dives, date of last dive and deepest dive completed. Underneath that, the dive operator is supposed to check off that based on the diver's info the dive leader either proceeded with the dive, required a refresher course or required additional training. The dive leader for the tour then signs off. At the top of the form is a statement that says based on the diver's information it is left up to the discretion of the dive operator to proceed with the dive.
Obviously, ADM is abusing its discretion if it's taking out new divers. Probably the best way to fix this is to require the divers to have at a minimum an AOW or Deep Dive certification or a minimum number of dives. Even so, I would hope that a shop would still use its discretion but at least there would be a mandatory minimum black line standard. New divers should not be allowed to make that dive.
you weren't.
