snorkeling more dangerous ?????

Hello all,

I would like to know about how your dive school regards snorkelers?

What if any safety requirements are in place?

Do you think they have a place on busy DIVE boats?

Can the agencys do more to stop accidents?

The reason why I ask this is in the last year Ive overseen over 30 dive related evacuations. some more serious then others with only one being down to everyones fear lung overexpansion.

I have also now dealt with 5 fatalities all of them from surface activites mainly snorkelling.

What I see is busy dive boats busy with divers and snorkelers being left to there own after a quick breifing.

There are no medical or fitness requirments and loose supervision at best.

These are not exposed open ocean sites they have all happened at on calm shore sites.

Finally i do not want to have to declare another fatality to family members so any suggestions please feel free..

regards Gary
dive medic:upset:

I don't think the agencies are at fault. Who is at fault is your local Thai dive boat operators, that probably take the snorkelers out for added revenue, and then forget about them. As you say, little supervision. Tell me, how did those 5 fatalities die? Drownings, stingings, or being left in the water after the dive boat left? Yes, snorkeling/skin diving tours for tourists requires proper equipment, instruction, supervision and safety and emergency management procedures. Thank you for speaking out.

Unfourtunatly all except one are confirmed as regular drownings.
In one case the boat operator can be said to be at fault.
in the others there are at least two to five foriegn dm/instr on board .

No one was left on site thankfully.

My point is to rent tanks you need to have c card or be under supervision.

To rent fins mask ect and book a place on a boat, most do not even ask if they can swim or consider fitness requirements of any kind, I understand that oz has a code of practice for this situation has it prevented accidents ?

It seems dive operators in asia and Other developing countrys take the money but will not follow any set standard.

Thanks
Gary