Does the economy cause accidents?

[fisherdvm]

When money is tight, perhaps dive opts will risk more to make ends meet, right? We might cut corner. Have you noticed where accidents might have happened because folks are trying to put food on the table?

Example would be a dive opt taking a boat out when the weather is too rough, putting lives or limbs at risk.

Signing up a student for OW or passing a student through OW when you know that they are not fit to dive?

Neglecting maintenance on rental regs, BC's etc. because you don't have the man power, fund, or resources?

Perhaps even the scuba certifying agencies are scraping the bottom of the barrels for money? Offering sub-OW courses, relaxing requirements, pushing for more folks to be dive professionals?

[1_T_Submariner]

Statistics on this would be hard to figure since the economy is somewhat regional. Opinions and disscussions will be possible however.

From what I have seen a lot of times recreation gets cut first. Some people do cut back in other areas first I guess.

[Oriskany Divemaster]

yes and no.

Here's what I think: The ecomony of the US has nothing to do with diving accidents. However, I do belive that the economy of the operator does factor into a higher level of accidents due to things other than DCS.

I would even venture to surmise that more DCS accidents are related to calm weather since more people are diving then, and the number of trauma accidents, (broken noses, bones, lacerations, etc...) would be due to the operator going out in rough seas (perhaps for economic reasons) We'll call a dive in a second if we belive the conditions are beyond our client's experience.


When we're working a boat, we have some control over the traumas by briefing our clients and keeping them safe with foresight and experience. When they're in the water, diving their own profile, without a DM, the fault lies with them if they eff it all up.

I don't know about the other stuff because I don't work in a dive shop.

And we all know that the agencies don't mind collecting money from any warm body.

[PuMpUi]

"Diving for Dollars" ... a lot of pro's and shops have done it ... sometimes it's called "training dives".

[PuMpUi]

On the other hand ... how many times have we been "shopped" by a family of 5 open water students for a "cheaper price", ending up with sub-par performances on their part, then have to listen to them complain for hours about being "unprofessional", yada yada yada ... and then to have them going to a 2nd or even a 3rd dive op grinding all the way on price .... with the poor last-guy-in-the-loop not realizing until it was too late what was really going on?

Poor economy or poor ethics on part of the consumers? I can never figure out "why" a person would want to trust their scuba training to the lowest bidder around ... good grief!

[Nailer99]

Diving has never been a cheap sport. Cheap people have died doing dives with sub-par equipment, people have died doing dives with dive operators cutting every conceivable cost, such as having radios on their boats, or other basic safety gear, but I doubt that you could prove any correlation between the current economic climate and the rate of diving fatalities.

[DevonDiver]

Personally, I wouldn't dive with a company that were too easy swayed to drop prices or make any compromises on diving courses. It is a bad sign and indicative of low quality.

[rumplesplitfins]

Most of the operators I dive with would call a dive (because of weather) before I would. I don't know of any who would go out just to make a buck. If there are any in Florida... let me know. I'd go in any conditions. :)

[fisherdvm]

Most of the operators I dive with would call a dive (because of weather) before I would. I don't know of any who would go out just to make a buck. If there are any in Florida... let me know. I'd go in any conditions. :)

You are alot like myself, crazy consumers. I remember driving up and down the freeway in Key Largo looking for a crazy dive boat willing to take risk like myself on a day with wind gusting 20 to 30 mph and 4 to 5 ft waves. Finally found one crazy enough to go out, but it was packed to the brim, and couldn't get me on.

There is always divers crazy enough to go out when the weather say you shouldn't. Then we'll sue the boat owner when something goes wrong... But this is america, isn't it? :rofl3:

[diver 85]

sure......it's called supply & demand----supply of money around the house & demand(ed) by the wife 'we need more'........

[String]

Consumer side id say no. Kit these days is good- even low end cheap stuff is perfectly safe to use.

Im not sure that commercial pressure for businesses though is the same. There is more pressure for the business/employer than the end user. Although that is the case regardless of the economy.