Split from: Cozumel Incident - Fake C Cards?

[dmoore19]

Ten most dangerous sports, other than cave diving scuba doesn't make the top 10. It might make you feel macho if you think it is so dangerous but it ain't necessarly so.


Extreme Sports Cafe Blog Blog Archive The ten most DANGEROUS sports in the world!

Macho doesn't play into it at all. Don't cave dive, don't want to. I'm at work and can't open the link you attached, but it still wouldn't matter. I am aware of the hazards that are present when participating in Scuba and I am reminded of the hazards everytime I read or hear of somone's death. Like politics and religion no one will change my mind regardless.

 

[Walter]

If your that talented that you can always hit the water ready to decend, thats great. I think that for the MAJORITY, adding air to your bc before jumping is a good idea. Most dive ops and friends alike to see that your ok before you decend. This is assuming your not diving in a heavy current where a fast desent is required.

I think it's a better idea to make sure you're OK before entering the water. If you aren't ready to descend, you should be on the boat.

Ten most dangerous sports, other than cave diving scuba doesn't make the top 10.

I love it - #9 Cave diving, #8 Cheerleading...........#4 Golf...........#1 Lawn Bowls

 

[fnfalman]

I didn't think Caliefoorneia allowed you guys such toys.

Grandfather clause.

 

[Nemrod]

The risks associated with other recreational activities (for the most part) do not require proper instruction. Name a recreational activity that has as large a personal risk factor as Scuba. Fact is, if deaths continue to happen, the Govmnt is going to get involved. The industry should at least attempt to stop untrained people from killing themselves. My opinion. Keep goverment from intruding even further into my life. If a LDS keeps one untrained diver from killing himself by refusing to give them an airfill, isn't it worth it?(this comment is made with a little sarcasm added) I can just hear a goverment official saying we are going to enact legislation to mandate training of scuba divers. This will require they present their license prior to receiving airfills.

free climbing
motorcycling
aerobatics
photographing griz closeup with or without a gun (a really big one)
skydiving
base jumping
extreme ski and snow sports
solo wilderness backpacking
extreme white water sports
big wave surfing
funny cars
drinking and driving
messing with Sasquatch
removing "do not remove" tags from a mattress
anything with "watch this" preceding the event

I consider SCUBA to be a sport however, there have been many discussions on this board emphatically claiming that SCUBA was a hobby or a lifestyle or whatever. It is claimed by those who think this way that it is "relaxing" and peaceful" etc. "Relaxing" is not a word I would associate with any high risk sport therefore I conclude that SCUBA is largely a low risk endeavor. The majority of fatalities involving SCUBA are cardiac or fitness related or simple drownings. People drown all of the time yet there is no Swimmer C Card that must be shown before you can get your Speedo though given the rampant obesity perhaps there should be. Fat Amurikans in Speedos, now that is a high risk sport.

Oh, thinking of that, I would state that "sex" might be higher risk than SCUBA, just saying, could be.

N

 

[dmoore19]

free climbing
motorcycling
aerobatics
photographing griz closeup with or without a gun (a really big one)
skydiving
base jumping
extreme ski and snow sports
solo wilderness backpacking
extreme white water sports
big wave surfing
funny cars
drinking and driving
messing with Sasquatch
removing "do not remove" tags from a mattress
anything with "watch this" preceding the event

I consider SCUBA to be a sport however, there have been many discussions on this board emphatically claiming that SCUBA was a hobby or a lifestyle or whatever. It is claimed by those who think this way that it is "relaxing" and peaceful" etc. "Relaxing" is not a word I would associate with any high risk sport therefore I conclude that SCUBA is largely a low risk endeavor. The majority of fatalities involving SCUBA are cardiac or fitness related or simple drownings. People drown all of the time yet there is no Swimmer C Card that must be shown before you can get your Speedo though given the rampant obesity perhaps there should be. Fat Amurikans in Speedos, now that is a high risk sport.

Oh, thinking of that, I would state that "sex" might be higher risk than SCUBA, just saying, could be.

N

The speedo thing has scarred me for life. Just thinking about that is dangerous. I participate in the removal of do not remove tags, consider photographing Griz an extreme sport and I think your right, sex.

Few sports are as dangerous as sex and sex is more dangerous than than scuba. Sex can leave you financially destroyed, diseased and remorseful (especially if coyote ugly comes into play). Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[Waterskier1]

Another pet peeve of mine is that concerning training. The thought that someone can obtain knowledge and skill outside an industry established program is taken to be absurd. The thought that someone who is not "certified" by one of these agencies might still be able to depart knowledge and skill is equally absurd.

While I agree that one of the easiest or most convenient or standardized ways to get trained is to seek out one of the industry accepted agencies, the inference that they are uniquely and severely the only ones who have the ability to depart knowledge and skill is absurd in my mind.

Take, for an easy example, a prior certified instructor who chooses not to pay his dues, or renew his insurance. Immediately he looses all knowledgeable and skill on Jan 1 that he had on Dec 31 (or whatever the anniversary date of due/insurance is). Another example would be a highly trained and skilled dive instructor for the military. Currently, he does not possess the knowledge or skill (according to industry standards) to teach in the civilian world.

I do understand the benefits of having industry agencies (in fact I'm a dues and insurance paying professional associated with one of them). I just don't believe that they are the ONLY way to obtain knowledge and skill. It's too bad their are no "challenge tests" or "bypass tests" or whatever you want to call them. These would be something where you could go and pass the written and skill test and obtain a "certification card", probably not agency specific. But, that would be taking dollars out of the agency's pockets, so I'm sure they would lobby against it.

As far as Gov't protecting us from ourselves...don't get me started on that one!

 

[CHUCK WEBER]

There are a lot of reputable (ask for C-cards) and more likely, slip shod operations that don't worry about c-cards. Most operations, I hate to say, do not ask for c-cards.

Regardless, a certification card is worthless if the diver hasn't dove for a certain period of time. Most divers get certified and then do not coninue to dive. Consequently they are a menace to themselves and other divers.

Regarding fake cards? People are so cheap that they will do some on-line course thinking they're qualified to dive and then put themselves in jeapardy. I have not heard or seen fake c-cards. Garbage SCUBA gear (that fails) made in in China and sold at COSTCO yes, not fake c-cards.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

I consider SCUBA to be a sport however, there have been many discussions on this board emphatically claiming that SCUBA was a hobby or a lifestyle or whatever. It is claimed by those who think this way that it is "relaxing" and peaceful" etc. "Relaxing" is not a word I would associate with any high risk sport therefore I conclude that SCUBA is largely a low risk endeavor. The majority of fatalities involving SCUBA are cardiac or fitness related or simple drownings.

N

Scuba diving is interesting partly because it is a higher risk sport than some, while at the same time being relaxing. The risk is high, but it is easy to mitigate, and once properly mitigated, scuba diving is extremely relaxing.

I am most relaxed when I am in a cave, diving. However, 3000', 30-60 minutes from the surface, 110' deep is certainly a "riskier" place to be than relaxing by the ocean. Therefore, I would argue that scuba diving is both high risk and high reward. Done right, you can reduce the risk and reap the reward. Done wrong, the risk is such that you can easily perish.

Fake C-cards don't scare me as much as poor quality training. Scuba diving can be done correctly without training, but I think that perhaps a majority of people need some amount of proper training in order to bring the risk as low as possible.