If this holds true, we should also stop teaching teen age children to drive. How many have to die each year before some one realizes that more than likely some will exceed their level of training.
You're echoing some of the thoughts I was having when reading PfcAJ's posts asking about who trained this fellow, and why should non-cavers dive sidemount, etc.
I would like to share some of my thoughts. I'm just a new OW diver, but then since we're talking about OW divers...
I have made a couple of dives to a deep (for me) wreck. So I guess I could have exceeded my training, by staying down too long, penetrating the wreck, or etc. But... I didn't. And it wasn't even a possibility in my mind. Because I'm the sort who follows the rules, especially in potentially dangerous activities. And even in my brief OW class, it was made clear: NO overheads. At all. Zero.
But there are those people who aren't that type. And no matter what, I don't think some of them will be changed. And, I hate the thought of me being limited to make up for those people. It's like when you had to miss recess in school because the people who figured they were above the rules and stayed out longer ruined it for everyone.
I was also thinking of a driving analogy: There are certain people, even though it was NOT in their training, who feel that *they* can drive down a curvy, wet road at night at high speed; or that *they* can drive a little drunk and be okay. Oftentimes they are wrong and have a wreck and/or die.
Now, does someone go back and demand to know who their driver's ed teacher was? Do they say that no-one should be able to drive a sports car in every day driving even if they might not "need" one? Maybe some people do, but I would say most don't. Because it's obvious that the former people are simply daredevils, and nothing you can say in training may stop their behavior. Because they think they are ABOVE the training, so how
can it apply to them? They have a certain type of personality that makes them feel more invincible. I think some people are just like that, no matter what.
And if I want to buy a sports car, even if I don't plan to drive dangerously, I will be very put out if I'm not allowed to because there are new rules to try to stop the people who don't pay attention to rules anyway. Like most people, I'm not the daredevil type, and I will pay attention to the rules and take personal responsibility.
Likewise, if there were some reason I wanted to try or use sidemount tanks for OW diving, I would be disappointed if I were not allowed to just because one of the daredevil types decided to take them into a cave that he/she had no business being in (in ANY tank configuration, from what we know). That is about THAT specific person, not the equipment.
Presuming what we "know" is true, this person broke a chain, put on a personal lock, and went past a gate. Even I know that's wrong, and I've just begun to dive. I can't see that not getting sidemount training would have stopped his cave diving and/or other risky behavior.
Could OW training be improved? Sure. Did this person's training cause the incident (as we know it)? I don't believe so. I think that some types of people will always feel that the general rules don't apply to them, so to them it doesn't matter whether the rules are different or better. It only matters to the rest of us who might want to do something that is not contraindicated (for example, diving SM in OW).
To clarify: At this point I don't have any personal interest/non-interest in diving SM. But when I hear that OW divers shouldn't do so - and with this incident used as an example of why - it makes me want to add my thoughts to the discussion.
