Diver Safety/Preparedness – An Informal Study

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SeaHorse81

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SB features numerous discussions about how the safety and quality of diving today compare to times past. There is much concern about how changing training standards may impact long-term diver safety and the integrity of the industry as a whole. There are impassioned opinions about this which often result in SB debates that start out being quite educational and too often devolve into name-calling and one-upmanship (or one-downmanship, as the case may be).

There are various statistics available which unfortunately cannot be compiled in a way that allows us to clearly see, one way or another, how overall dive safety now compares to, say, 10-15 years ago. I’d expect that there are more incidents today than in the past because there are probably more divers in the water today than in the past. What matters is the percentage of incidents compared to overall dives, not the raw numbers of reports. Because diving is not tightly regulated (yay!), this is information we just don’t have. We have our strong opinions about how it must logically be (on either side of the issue), but do we have proof, or are we just really sure because we think our reasoning simply makes too much sense to be wrong?

We don’t have hard numbers to figure this out, but we do have the experience of numerous long-term divers and dive professionals, many of whom are conveniently gathered here on SB. People who have been active and involved for ten years or longer have enough observational experience to provide the closest thing we’ll likely ever get to reliable information about how things have or haven’t changed.

I’m asking for observations only from dive professionals and divers with a minimum of ten years experience and 500 or more dives; I’m looking for people with plenty of been-there-done-that-seen-lots kind of experience. The question is, how does the average diver of today, regardless of agency affiliation and certification level, compare to the average diver of the mid-90s when recreational diving was really beginning to take off? Yes, this is subjective and over-generalized, but I think it’s the best we can do.

Here are some initial ideas for what you might compare, but I hope those of you who respond will add and comment upon any others you think useful:

Ability to properly assemble one’s own SCUBA gear (for a dive, not on a workbench) and assess that it is fully functional and safe.

Ability to make sound dive plans.

Buoyancy control.

Proper trim/weighting for the purpose of the dive.

Controlled descents and ascents.

Awareness and practice of effective buddy procedures.

Awareness and respect for sea life, reefs.

Self-awareness – knowing and respecting one’s own limits.

Ability to deal calmly with issues that may arise during a dive (equipment surprises, entanglement, etc).

Ability to assist other divers as needed (not necessarily a full rescue scenario, but helping with the little glitches that could result in a rescue situation if not addressed early)

Self-sufficiency vs. necessary dependence on dive professionals in the water on a dive.

Approach to diving as a serious sport vs. just another vacation activity.

Real understanding of the risks of diving.

Frequency of dive-related incidents resulting in injury/death (taking into account that there are more total divers today)

Frequency of new divers leaving the sport due to an early bad experience (taking into account that there are more total divers today).


Thank you in advance, for your thoughts and time.
 
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First, I am feeling good about actually qualifying to respond to your survey. My observations as an 11 year dive professional are these:

In all of the areas you list, I observed a constancy from 1998 through 2008. While there were some casual divers who never seemed to get past infancy in the sport due to the infrequency of their diving, most divers exhibited good skills, understanding of safety issues, and environmental responsibility ( with obvious and sad exceptions ). However, with the economic downturn in late 2008 and carrying through the present, I perceive that dive training and the desire to attract and retain divers has led to a de-emphasis on anything negative about diving, and a focus on the "dive today, anybody can do it" approach to marketing. Seasoned instructors teach properly, but we have a lot of new instructors too. I think the "atmosphere" of dive training has become less serious than it was in the 90's, and the short take video, online approach to learning has, along with its obvious benefits, removed the anecdotal lessons that instructors and DM's can impart. Also, people generally are becoming less accepting of authority and rules, and manners. Sadly, I have encountered these "you can't tell me what to do types" on dive boats with much greater frequency the past 3 years than previously. These people are more likely to exceed NDL limits, ignore dive briefings, and not take corrective instruction than others, and they can be a danger to themselves and those diving with them. I think instruction for our sport is best done face to face, in the classroom and in the pool, and in the open water, and I think instructors need to admonish and correct, and when appropriate, be critical of their students, both new and continuing, to teach them to be better divers. It wouldn't hurt to add some teaching on manners- under the water, on the boat, etc. The vast majority of divers are just fine, but there is a growing element of the inattentive, unresponsive to correction, "I can do what I want types," and I fear it is not unique to diving, but true in all areas of recreation, and perhaps society. I'd love to discuss this with you more. Message me privately if you would like that as well, and I can call/email you.
DivemasterDennis
 
I'm afraid it will be difficult to draw any worthwhile conclusions from the sort of data I have to contribute. Perhaps somebody who dived off the same boats and beaches for the decades in question could provide useful perspective. My diving has gone from NY-area wrecks to Mid-Atlantic state quarries to Caribbean non-dive-destinations to the premier dive spots in Southeast Asia. As you would expect, the most evident correlation to report is that people who are serious about diving are better at diving. People who dedicate their three weeks of vacation to lug their gear half-way around the world to sleep in a rat-infested hut because the diving is superb--they are good divers, generally. People who rent gear in Jamaica because Sandals had a 20%-off promotion and there's a direct flight from Cleveland--not so good.
 
Frankly I do not see a whole lot of difference between new divers in the 1990s and today. Far more variation on the basis of diving environment than with respect to year.
 
I don't have much to contribute since I don't qualify in your requirements ... however:

It seems to me that the responses you can get are inevitably biased in one direction. As people gain experience, they become more aware of the shortfalls of education and abilities. Most people with 10 years of experience now would have been relatively new to diving in the mid 90s and their evaluations of the quality of then vs the quality of now would be colored by that difference in experience at the time. A similar thing happens when you ask university professors about the quality of current students; no matter when you ask, the standards seem to be in perpetual free fall ... which is not really possible of course :wink:
 
Then I guess that Sam and I are the only ones who should comment?:D
 
These people are more likely to exceed NDL limits, ignore dive briefings, and not take corrective instruction than others, and they can be a danger to themselves and those diving with them.... there is a growing element of the inattentive, unresponsive to correction, "I can do what I want types," and I fear it is not unique to diving, but true in all areas of recreation, and perhaps society.

Everybody got their trophy while growing up at school. ADD isn't a disease, it's a reprogramming of the mind by current societal practices. Instant gratification, anyone? This has absolutely changed our standard cert practices dramatically.

... people who are serious about diving are better at diving. People who dedicate their three weeks of vacation to lug their gear half-way around the world to sleep in a rat-infested hut because the diving is superb--they are good divers, generally. People who rent gear in Jamaica because Sandals had a 20%-off promotion and there's a direct flight from Cleveland--not so good.

Once again, Vlad says it in the most economical fashion. Roll that into...

Far more variation on the basis of diving environment than with respect to year.

I see that divers are getting vastly easier travel access to much more challenging environments. A whole lot of divers going to the Galapagos at dive #50. In the 1970's we thought Grand Cayman was a big deal. Nowadays, it's pool > lake > South Pacific.

Further....

Perception ≥ Quantitative Relevance x (WOW Factor) :Things going to sh*t in an idyllic environment. The media directs our attention in order to sell advertisements (soap). What is hot and salacious sells the product. "Lost at Sea" stories are fun. The first videotaped shark-feed that goes bad will be the golden ring.

What was the all-encompassing US news story for three weeks (eclipsing the dated story of Chandra Levy?)... up until the morning of 9/11? Shark attacks in Florida. I guess they must have quit.

... the responses you can get are inevitably biased in one direction. As people gain experience, they become more aware of the shortfalls of education and abilities. Most people with 10 years of experience now would have been relatively new to diving .... the standards seem to be in perpetual free fall ... which is not really possible...

Dead on.

In the 1960's and into the very early 80's, SCUBA Diving was a lifestyle path. Now it is perceived in the realm of an occasional bungee jump or carnival ride. The wide-spread perception of SCUBA being similar to a "tandem sky-dive" is just baffling to me. The newer crop of divers are largely attracted by the shiny equipment with serial numbers that they can acquire. Watch any LDS. If you can synch it with a laptop, they're buying it.

In the past, after a dive, we would sit at the bar and "de-brief" with friends. Literally talk about how the dive went and what could make it better. The need for taking the digital camera on the first open water dive has skewed that forever. Now, divers sit at the table staring into their computer, looking at downloaded pictures of a Squirrel Fish.

One indicator is the change in the perceived role of "your Divemaster on this year's trip to paradise". Now, they are assumed to be instructor/lifesaver, a far reach from their previous traditional role.

One of the real hooks in long term retention (and building of survival skills) is learning how to find and appreciate the "pretty fish". So many current divers never get past the (initial) McGyver Moment, so they get bored with the process after they have looked at their $800 computer for the 1,000th time. Then the "dive trip" evolved into a "drinking trip".

Then I guess that Sam and I are the only ones who should comment?:D

I got a PM invitation to respond. You guys already said it all, I'm just adding a +1 here.
 
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Most people with 10 years of experience now would have been relatively new to diving in the mid 90s and their evaluations of the quality of then vs the quality of now would be colored by that difference in experience at the time. A similar thing happens when you ask university professors about the quality of current students; no matter when you ask, the standards seem to be in perpetual free fall ... which is not really possible of course :wink:

This is an extremely good point, and I'm glad you made it. This is one of the reasons I'm looking for impressions about fairly specific aspects of diving, to try to get past the generalized "things were better in the past" bias that comes so naturally.

Vladimir's point about impressions being setting-specific is also important to keep in mind. For example, my dive career started on the beloved resort cattle boats, and I fled to liveaboards because of the cattle boat experience. So for me, the average diver I'm in the water with is much improved from ten years ago, but that's because I moved myself to where better divers are to (usually) to be found. One most compare then vs. now in the same setting in order to be at all valid.

We could write this effort off as hopeless due to natural biases and difficulties in collecting absolutely reliable data, or continue with the knowledge that the information will be imperfect, but will be more than we have now. My hope is that we get some material to at least consider, and try to filter from it what we can.
 
I’m asking for observations only from dive professionals and divers with a minimum of ten years experience and 500 or more dives;
I first started diving in 1969 and was finally certified just before the turn of the century. Within a year of that certification I had acheived Divemaster and about a year or so later I was an instructor.

Ability to properly assemble one’s own SCUBA gear (for a dive, not on a workbench) and assess that it is fully functional and safe.
About the same. The nineties and early 2000s seemed to be an era when experimentation was FROWNED upon. I remember getting flamed several times for my use of a spreader plate when diving a doubles wing with a single tank.

Ability to make sound dive plans.
Its the same from the 90s. It's improved greatly from the diving I saw in the 70s. We were more explorers back then... and I never had a DM give me a briefing about how deep or what I would see at a site. Today's diving is all mapped out by comparison. Planning such a dive is far easier and a diver's limits are being addressed every time they turn around.

Buoyancy control.
This keeps getting better. Many divers complaining about the silt stirring masses were a part of that group at one time. They didn't notice them because they were a part of the thundering herd. The internet has put a bright white focus on trim and buoyancy even to the point where we passionately discuss minor aspects of the art. Besides, the gear has become so much easier to use.

Proper trim/weighting for the purpose of the dive.
Again, this has gotten better for all the reasons above and gear plays a huge part in it.

Controlled descents and ascents.
The more we know, the better they get.

Awareness and practice of effective buddy procedures.
The emphasis on situational and buddy awareness has increased dramatically over the years. People are starting to realize just how lax the average diver is about such things. Even then today's lax beats the status quo of yester year.

Awareness and respect for sea life, reefs.
I have never seen the awareness so high, even to the point where divers debate which sun block is best so as not to damage the reef. This was not a topic of the 70s. 80s or 90s.

Self-awareness – knowing and respecting one’s own limits.
As for me, they have expanded considerably.

Ability to deal calmly with issues that may arise during a dive (equipment surprises, entanglement, etc).
No change. Some people handle stress better than others. You can train till your fingers bleed and you wear out a set of fins and in the final analysis a few will excel under duress.

Ability to assist other divers as needed (not necessarily a full rescue scenario, but helping with the little glitches that could result in a rescue situation if not addressed early)
Diving has always been a social sport and that side of it has increased.

Self-sufficiency vs. necessary dependence on dive professionals in the water on a dive.
As a group, we've become far more dependent on Dive Professionals. This is a function of excellent customer service on the part of Dive Professionals rather than a deficiency on the part of modern divers.

Approach to diving as a serious sport vs. just another vacation activity.
Depends on the student. I think we have more serious divers today so we have more debate on the sport as well.

Real understanding of the risks of diving.
Our overall understanding of the risks have improved.

Frequency of dive-related incidents resulting in injury/death (taking into account that there are more total divers today)
My perception is that total number of deaths as well as frequency is way down. We can thank the manufacturers for that.

Frequency of new divers leaving the sport due to an early bad experience (taking into account that there are more total divers today).
About the same, I would presume. Scuba horror stories have been around since the beginning. They have become obvious due to the wonder of the internet.

Dive training has and will continue to evolve. There will be those who will view this as anathema as well as those who applaud the changes. The big problem comes when a few want to single out one or two agencies as being "greedy" or "sub standard" because they have evolved. Like dinosaurs, those who resist change will eventually be replaced by a more efficient organism.
 
Here are some initial ideas for what you might compare, but I hope those of you who respond will add and comment upon any others you think useful:

Ability to properly assemble one’s own SCUBA gear (for a dive, not on a workbench) and assess that it is fully functional and safe.

My observation is that assembling gear is taught quite well but being a new skill it needs to be practised. Two things contribute to problems in this area:
1) lack of practice through lack of diving activity
2) lack of practice because a well intentioned buddy or DM assembles the gear and the diver becomes dependent on them

Neither of these can be blamed on training but I think dive ops are doing this more because of the competition for tourist dollars.
Buoyancy control.
Proper trim/weighting for the purpose of the dive.

I think these two go hand in hand. I am not sure that this has changed nor is the problem limited to newly trained divers. I have seen a lot of so called experienced divers who are set in their ways or just to lazy to bother! I do think there is a tendency in newer divers to overweight themselves. Unfortunately I have also seen a few instructors who overweight their students with the attitude that they will be overbreathing, more bouyant and it is easy to add air!

Controlled descents and ascents.
Awareness and practice of effective buddy procedures.

I haven't really noticed a difference in these aspects. I would say that newer divers fresh off course seem more likely to follow buddy checks and maintain buddy contact than many divers who may have become complacent.

Awareness and respect for sea life, reefs.

Unfortunately IMHO this is an area where I see less awareness and concern. When I started diving there was a lot of stress on respecting the marine environment and not interfering with creatures. I am not sure if this is no longer stressed but it seems to me there is less concern from the newer divers.

Self-awareness – knowing and respecting one’s own limits.

Ability to deal calmly with issues that may arise during a dive (equipment surprises, entanglement, etc).
Ability to assist other divers as needed (not necessarily a full rescue scenario, but helping with the little glitches that could result in a rescue situation if not addressed early)

I haven't really noted any difference here

Self-sufficiency vs. necessary dependence on dive professionals in the water on a dive.
Approach to diving as a serious sport vs. just another vacation activity.

I think competition for the recreational dollar has dive professionals taking on more "babysitter" type roles. This seems to be more of an issue in "vacation destinations". It seems to me that dive professionals are more likely to be surprised when we indicate that we would rather take care of our own gear, do our own dives etc.

Real understanding of the risks of diving.
Frequency of dive-related incidents resulting in injury/death (taking into account that there are more total divers today)

I am not convinced there is more dive related incidents. Not only are there more divers in the water but the advances in IT mean more wide spread knowledge of the incidents than was possible in the past. Some incidents may also be reported multiple times.

Frequency of new divers leaving the sport due to an early bad experience (taking into account that there are more total divers today).

There have always been the "flash in the pan" types. Try a sport and move on. The LDS told us a few years back that in their experience most divers will not be active 5 years after they are certified. I don't think that has changed. Factors that impact this are not just early bad experience.

I think there are two major sources of new divers. Young people with free time, enthusiasm and expendable income because they do not have a lot of responsibilities yet. These are likely to get into relationships, mortgages and have kids so they no longer have the time or money to continue.

Older people who have paid off debts, had kids leave home and have more time and expendable income. These divers are likely to be impacted by medical problems which force them to give up diving.



I do not teach Scuba diving but I do teach another subject which is also a physical skill and my following observations to some degree are based on this. I am not a fan of the trend towards online training for subjects that require physical skills. We are seeing more of this happening in my area of training and also in Scuba.

Nothing can take take the place of interaction with a competent and qualified instructor assisting/assessing physical skills. This is a practical activity and it requires physical practice to develop competence! I have noticed over the last 10 years or so that more students come into classes feeling entitled to the certificate whether or not they actually work at gaining the skills required. Many seem to consider it the instructor's "job" to ensure they get the certificate. There seems to be an increasing push to "teach to the exam".

"Competency based assessment" can result in someone being marked as competent because they can demonstrate a skill at the time of assessment. The assessor may have to mark them off even if they do not believe the person has really "mastered" the skill for fear of complaints of discrimination. This is a difficult dilemma for any ethical instructor!

Just my .02
 

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