Dahab and Thistlegorm Qs

[tacky]

I was just saying we were getting very off topic. No offense taken

I was just floating the idea as an alternative to having each and every dive shop make their own regulations, as a lesser of two evils...

 

[Marek K]

I was just saying we were getting very off topic.

Yeah, I figured that out afterwards. Not off-topic at all, if the topic is dive operation requirements.

I was just floating the idea as an alternative to having each and every dive shop make their own regulations, as a lesser of two evils...

I'm not at all sure that would be the lesser.

Our family booked a dive trip to Grand Cayman for the end last July, with Sunset House. Because of our recent move back to the U.S. after 10 years in Europe (settling in, money and leave time being short), we'd had a three-year break in diving before that.

Used to be that an operation would just do a check-out dive with all divers -- I'd support that, but I guess those days are gone. Sunset House required us to have a formal refresher course since we hadn't dived in more than two years; we didn't have a chance to do a local dive before the trip.

I suppose I could have lied and entered a dive in our logbooks, but I'm too damn' honest.

Sunset House wanted $100 per person (times the four of us!) for the refresher -- a pool session, then an open water dive. I negotiated that down to $200 total.

The instructor watched us set up our gear (always a good indicator), and immediately decided to forego the pool session.

All we did in open water was the skills (clear mask, mask removal, and regulator recovery -- not even sharing air). Then we just dived the reef. There was no stinkin' instruction at all; I suppose the instructor was just watching us -- buoyancy control, etc. I guess we did everything well.

I resent having had to pay so much for what was in effect a guided shore dive. But then again, I don't know how all those other idiots dive, that visit the Caribbean these days.

 

[tacky]

What I would like to know is if the number of accidents are better at places where diving is tourism, not a sport or if they are in fact better versus countries and regions where sport diving (buddies or dive clubs) are the rule...

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

What I would like to know is if the number of accidents are better at places where diving is tourism, not a sport or if they are in fact better versus countries and regions where sport diving (buddies or dive clubs) are the rule...

As far as I know, there's no solid statistics regarding that, especially when it comes to tourism destinations. Take into consideration that what counts here is not just the number of incidents. It's the ratio of incidents to the total number of dives done per year.

 

[Marek K]

What I would like to know is if the number of accidents are better at places where diving is tourism, not a sport or if they are in fact better versus countries and regions where sport diving (buddies or dive clubs) are the rule...

What's your definition of "tourism diving" vs. "sport diving"?

 

[tacky]

I was just referring back to what Asser wrote earlier in this thread:

Please note that diving in the Red Sea is tourism rather than sport.

I think what he tries to say is that that those who dive in Egypt are predominantly active through dive shops and travel agencies, not clubs or similar organizations.

While in Norway, for instance, it's completely the opposite. There are in fact very few outlets who organize guided diving in the way it's done in Egypt.

 

[Marek K]

I was just referring back to what Asser wrote earlier in this thread:

I think what he tries to say is that that those who dive in Egypt are predominantly active through dive shops and travel agencies, not clubs or similar organizations.

While in Norway, for instance, it's completely the opposite. There are in fact very few outlets who organize guided diving in the way it's done in Egypt.

Yeah, I didn't quite understand what he meant by that either.

I think diving in Egypt is by definition largely tourism, since the vast majority of divers come from other countries. It's just that a lot of people seem to use the term pejoratively ("I'm a sport diver, and the rest of you clowns are just tourists!").

And since you have masses of people coming individually, as families, or in small groups to dive, you necessarily have a vast spectrum of abilities -- and national cultures. So guided diving, to some extent, seems advisable in most situations. It's the same in the Caribbean, and I imagine most of the destination dive areas in the world.

Here in the U.S., while we don't seem to have the "divemaster culture" like at destinations, we also don't have the "club culture" that I know exists in many places in Europe -- Germany is the best example of that in my experience. Consistent with our stereotype, we're pretty independent as a rule. Offshore diving here is done largely on small charter boats, where the divers are pretty much responsible for themselves.

(Are you Norwegian, by the way? Your English is excellent -- not unusual for Scandinavians!)

 

[tacky]

Yeah, I'm Norwegian.

I haven't been a part of the diving scene for a very long time, but it seems like the clubs here also face problems recruiting, independent buddy diving becoming more the norm. Many divers also own small boats and dive independently.

I do a bit of both.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

I think diving in Egypt is by definition largely tourism, since the vast majority of divers come from other countries. It's just that a lot of people seem to use the term pejoratively ("I'm a sport diver, and the rest of you clowns are just tourists!").

Even for the Egyptians it's still tourism. Egyptians don't own tanks, and don't place compressors in their garage

Diving in the Egyptian Red Sea must be through dive centers or liveaboards. It's a regulated country.

 

[buleetu]

so if my self and my partner arrived in sharm lets say,with all our equipment ready to dive,would someone have the power to stop us diving?? and lets say we wanted to rent tanks and have air fills would we still have to have there guide tag along??