'Why diving has hit the rocks' article from Times Online

[TSandM]

There are many circumstances in life where someone sees a problem. There are two possible responses: You walk away, or you wade in and try to solve it.

My husband is teaching scuba, and he is working VERY hard to try to turn out divers who can arrest a descent BEFORE they hit the bottom, and who can dive in a horizontal position, and who understand that gear needs to be tucked up and neat. He's trying to be part of the solution.

Writing about good diving technique in a place like this is also being part of the solution.

These people walked away from the problem, which is their privilege. But if they put some energy into trying to make things better, maybe they could have made their OWN diving better and stayed in the sport.

 

[driftwood]

The author of this piece admires Jacques Cousteau, as many of us do --then laments the destruction of reefs by modern day divers. Apparently he does not know Cousteau was known to dynamite reefs to get Calipso into a harbor.


Jeff

I know a man who was on the Calipso at Blue Hole. They did dynamite a channel so that there would be a nice aerial shot of the boat over the hole. Jacques did a lot of things to make a good show but were very destructive.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

But to put it in perspective, he did a lot less damage in that instance than a weekend's worth of cattle boats loaded with newby divers would do to a pristine reef if it were found. All that little diver damage here and there that everyone conveniently ignores adds up to a helluva lot of destruction and that was the point of the OP's article.

Do you have empirical proof of that statement?

Jeff

 

[John_B]

But to put it in perspective, he did a lot less damage in that instance than a weekend's worth of cattle boats loaded with newby divers would do to a pristine reef if it were found. All that little diver damage here and there that everyone conveniently ignores adds up to a helluva lot of destruction and that was the point of the OP's article.

Perspective?

A man of his obvious talents, does nothing but stand by and watch this happen? When he could be a catalyst for change? And now he rides off into the proverbial sunset shooting pictures of Wimbledon tennis matches?

No, DA, by his inaction this guy is clearly part of the problem.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Do you have empirical proof of that statement?

Jeff

It's pretty obvious. Blasting a few coral heads to allow a former minelayer (still a fairly small ship as ships go) to snake it's way to the Blue Hole) versus what happens in short order when any new reef gets discovered.

I have an MS degree and I value the scientific method as much as anybody, and I work with research contracts on a daily basis determing what gets researched and how it will get done by a various contractors. I also do program evaluation during the year. But ironically, the reality is that one of the biggest barriers that we often face in bringing about positive program change is the perceived need to back everything up with data, even in cases where a practice is clearly counter productive and when the damage is intuitively obvious. The other major barrier is the reality that on any given day you can find "experts" with empirical data to "prove" either side of most issues or arguments. Obviously they are not both right.

In the average week I sit through at least one presentation where the researchers miss the obvious dynamically complex systems aspects of a problem and want to do a follow up on other variables that are always more ammenable to measurement. Unless checked, the end result is a continued study of symptoms rather than actually getting to the caustive processes and factors that create the symptoms and more money spent on studing symptoms of a problem rather than the cause seldom results in any substantial improvement in the problem.

In short, despite the best of intentions, data is just a thermometer and means nothing unless you really understand the larger issue(s) and that often requires thought processes that are not purely imperical and are much larger in scope. This is particularly true in larger social issues that cross cut various borders, cultures and belief systems.

And as you illustrate, the stated desire for imperical data is often the first defense people use to conveniently ignore an issue or deflect attention from a problem. But we can't forget that data is just one limited way of coming to know and understand a problem.

Perspective?

A man of his obvious talents, does nothing but stand by and watch this happen? When he could be a catalyst for change? And now he rides off into the proverbial sunset shooting pictures of Wimbledon tennis matches?

No, DA, by his inaction this guy is clearly part of the problem.

Writing an article and prompting worldwide discussion = inaction. I never would have guessed that. Good to know. Thanks for that keen insight.

Let's cut the guy some slack. He elected not to continue spending $15K+ per year doing something he no longer enjoys because of poorly skilled vacation divers and then writes about it, yet we blame him for not doing anything about it? And then we go one better and we accuse him of being part of the problem?

Personally, I tend to adopt and mentor new divers and help get them past the rototiller phase (doing what their OW instructors should have done in the first place, but at no charge.) The question we need to ask is what do each of us do to give back to the sport and help preserve the quality of diving.

Cavan Pawson wrote an article pointing out a painful truth using the skills and reputation that he has. I don't see his contribution as being any less valuable than mine. And mine, little as it is working with one diver at a time, is sadly a lot more than most. Yet some of us have the balls and the arrogance to call him part of the problem? Unreal.

 

[TSandM]

DA, I didn't think I was being arrogant. But one article, which short of this thread, I would never have seen, is not a big contribution. Maybe teaching or mentoring divers isn't, either. Writing some articles for diving magazines about proper technique would certainly be something I'd view as constructive.

 

[Peter Guy]

I am NOT a scientist, "environmentalist" or someone versed (well or not) in such things -- but that won't stop me from asking questions or having an opinion. For example, where is the REAL evidence that "rototilling vacation divers" have caused any significant damage to the reefs. From what I've read, their contribution to the problem has been pretty insignificant.

For example, in Maui, where I did my first tropical dives in 1968, the reefs were, honestly, vibrant and swarming with fish. You were diving in an aquarium. Fast forward 40 years and not so much. Yes, there are thousands of rototilling vacation divers going to Molokini every year and I doubt they benefit the place. BUT, as the Maui County government states, the primary reason the reefs are in such bad shape is the development on the island which has changed the environment -- NOT the divers. (Note, all the reefs have been hurt, not just the ones that are visited by divers which is a strong indication that it isn't the divers causing the problem.)

I've been to Cozumel twice (well, technically more than that but let's just call it twice for diving purposes) -- the first time in 1982 (?) and then again in 2007. Want to guess which time was more pristine? But, as far as I could tell, the big nasty for 2007 was the hurricane that had hit the year (?) before. In this case Ol' Mother Nature was the big culprit -- no doubt aided and abetted by the development on the island itself over the years.

In other words, the original author is, I believe, dead wrong in his statement regarding the cause of the decline -- but "decline" there certainly has been. Although he mentions in passing the phenomenon known as "The tragedy of the commons" he, of course, does not discuss any of the possible solutions. Just taking a swipe at PADI won't begin to touch the problem, let alone identify any possible solutions.

In all likelihood, the solutions to the reef problems the author identifies are found in the mirrors of us all. Pogo identified the problem -- Lord knows what the solutions might be.

 

[Stu S.]

A concern for marine life as it relates to the quality of our ecosystem is responsible and mature. Complaints that there isn't as much underwater "eye candy" as there used to be comes off as something less.

Cavan is troubled about the present state of dive-master-hood. Wouldn't an experienced diver consider that a small potato?

This guy would likely go berzerk visiting the less-than-pefect restroom at a local Shell station.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

DA, I didn't think I was being arrogant. But one article, which short of this thread, I would never have seen, is not a big contribution. Maybe teaching or mentoring divers isn't, either. Writing some articles for diving magazines about proper technique would certainly be something I'd view as constructive.

I didn't think you were being arrogant either - other than maybe thinking that because you my have never seen the article it was not important.

I don't disagree with your views that writing articles in a dive magazine might be constructive - except we already have loads of articles and they don't seem to be effectively resolving the issue.

Plus how many of us have the opportunity to say something in a dive magazine. Editors are not exactly beating a path to my door to write for them. And who'd have time to read it all if we all had the opportunity to write articles.

As for one diver mentoring other divers one at a time, you are right, it does not make much difference when viewed in the context one one diver's efforts. However its different when you scale it up to a large number of divers each wokring with and mentoring one diver at a time.

Unfortunately that never happens as each of us individuals is often, if not always, concerned with our own diving, our own objectives, our own goals and performance as a diver to "waste" time diving with a new diver. I'd retire if I had a dollar for every time I have heard experienced divers say over the last 25 years "I've paid my dues and don't want to dive with a new diver". Then if they are an instructor or DM, they usually pair a new diver with another newby so they can both flounder around together and not bother experienced divers or shorten the dive with their higher gas consumption.

Mentoring another diver may not be much on a micro level, but it is somethign that is 100% within our capability and control. We are all individually responsible for not doing something about the problem and we fail in parge part as we each fail to make the little contributions that can make a difference over time once enough of us do it in large enough numbers to reach critcal mass.

You're a doctor. You know full well most Americans would rather take a pill than change a lifestyle to solve a problem. We want the quick and easy fix and if it comes in a bottle that's even better. Failing that, we like to complain that someone else/I] has not fixed the problem for us, and then nothing ever gets done.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

It's pretty obvious. Blasting a few coral heads to allow a former minelayer (still a fairly small ship as ships go) to snake it's way to the Blue Hole) versus what happens in short order when any new reef gets discovered.

I have seen many things in my life that appeared obvious but ultimately wound up being untrue.

But allowing for a moment that your point is accurate. You must also then accept that while some divers do damage, there are also divers who help. More importantly, divers are the ones raising awareness of what is going on under the waves.

Jeff