Divers acting badly....

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DeepSeaDan

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I'm a Fish!
Found this today:

“Rude and arrogant” scuba divers who take over Innisfil’s public docks have been put on notice.

Big Bay Point Coun. Dan Davidson wants the town to find a way to control out-of-town scuba divers who often dominate docks, especially the government dock at the end of the 30th Sideroad.

“These people have been obnoxious to the local residents,” Davidson said at Wednesday’s council meeting. “There were some seniors in their 80s trying to dock their boat and the scuba divers wouldn’t let them through. They were told to go dock their boat somewhere else.”

At times there are up to 20 scuba divers, who appear to be from the GTA, at the government dock, Davidson said.

“One fellow who was from another country told me he doesn’t have to follow our rules,” Davidson said. “We shouldn’t have to put up with this type of arrogance.”

Davidson is also concerned about the safety of using the town’s docks to scuba dive.

On one occasion a scuba diver was not using his diving buoy to warn oncoming boaters that he was in the water. Instead, the buoy was left on the dock.

An approaching boat nearly hit the diver, Davidson said.

“About six years ago I witnessed a diver being struck by a boat and she cut her throat,” he said. “After seeing something like that it stays with you.”

Davidson said the docks are meant for the enjoyment of all Innisfil residents, not a select group.

Staff will investigate how the town can regulate scuba divers on the town’s docks and report back to council.

Coun. Rod Boynton cautioned that any measures, such as parking restrictions, should not impact on Innisfil residents.
“I just hope we don’t end up going after the wrong people,” he said.



Not the kind of behaviour we want, if this article represents anything close to the reality of the situation. I can't stand it when idiots like these foul the waters for others that follow.


Regards,
DSD
 
Now, of course, what's the other side of the story? Typical reporting, only shows one side of the story.

Not wanting to stick up for the divers who truly are rude and obnoxious, but if 1 is like that, and there are 100 there, you can't label the other 99 like that. Newspapers do it all the time though.
 
I saw this item yesterday and it made me cringe. A group of people thinking they're entitled to do whatever they want just because they've paid a bit of money. This applies not only to divers but to any group of people using the water (recreational fishers, yachts, houseboats, etc).

We'll never know exactly what is going on in Innisfil - as we're not there to witness it - but having experienced crowded piers and boat launches in various parts of the world, this sort of behaviour is not excusable. The minority who misbehave makes life difficult for those who want to behave like civilised human beings and get along.

Some organisation and scheduling, communication and some basic manners can smooth out a potentially chaotic and tense situation.

Diveleaders/DMS/Instructors/captains must take charge if they are operating vessels and ensure they play a part in organising safe, enjoyable and productive days out. The rest of us on the boats have to realise that there are other people on the water and play our part in sharing and taking responsibility.
 
Something tells me the problem exists evenly on both sides. I do not believe for a NANOsecond that one side acts worse than the other. As already stated, the news only prints things in a manner that will get people all riled up so they print one side of the story only. The reality it, we can all get along, but I for one am not going to piss off a boatter when I am entering the water. His boat may just be the one that scalps me because he upset and unable to focus on what is in the water.

I have always wanted to dive Big Bay Point, but have decided to write it off as an option simply because of the bad press with it in the past year (that I have seen). Oh well.
 
Something tells me the problem exists evenly on both sides. I do not believe for a NANOsecond that one side acts worse than the other. As already stated, the news only prints things in a manner that will get people all riled up so they print one side of the story only. The reality it, we can all get along, but I for one am not going to piss off a boatter when I am entering the water. His boat may just be the one that scalps me because he upset and unable to focus on what is in the water.

I have always wanted to dive Big Bay Point, but have decided to write it off as an option simply because of the bad press with it in the past year (that I have seen). Oh well.

In the end, it doesn't matter how many sides there are. When boating interests clash with diving interests, boaters will win every time ... because they tend to bring more money into the local economy than divers do.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
 
Which is why I dive elsewhere. I drive 2 hours no matter what....so I go in the other direction. That's life in this area.

In the end, it doesn't matter how many sides there are. When boating interests clash with diving interests, boaters will win every time ... because they tend to bring more money into the local economy than divers do.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Posted via Mobile Device
 
It is none of my business, but for silt sake, who would want to be anywhere near the water with 80 year old boaters. That is Scary, anyway, only way to resolve it is to show and and work out a compromise, if only boaters are complaining then divers and other interested parties (what about the people fishing) -- can work something out. Public means public does it not (who knows in this day and age of acronyms and PC poo.
 
Sadly, as has been said, public means whatever gets the local government more $$$.....in this scenario (divers vs boaters) boaters win.

It is none of my business, but for silt sake, who would want to be anywhere near the water with 80 year old boaters. That is Scary, anyway, only way to resolve it is to show and and work out a compromise, if only boaters are complaining then divers and other interested parties (what about the people fishing) -- can work something out. Public means public does it not (who knows in this day and age of acronyms and PC poo.

Posted via Mobile Device
 
No idea of the rights and wrongs, but three things make me think there is another side to this story.

(1) They specifically refer to "out-of-town scuba divers"

(2) It is a politician talking.

(3) Finishes by "caution[ing] that any measures, such as parking restrictions, should not impact on Innisfil residents"

Maybe I am way off base, but it sounds like an elected official bashing out-of-towners around election time. I am sure all local divers are impeccably behaved. Or can vote.
 
Stan Waterman is 87 and still diving regularly. He is also a boater. I would not be scared to be around him whatsoever, on or under the water.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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