Affidavit of Experience

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FishDiver

Contributor
Messages
749
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Location
Davis, CA
# of dives
1000 - 2499
This issue came up on a dive charter recently. A diver with over 1000 dives including planned decompression dives wanted to dive a deep wreck. The diver only had an Open Water certification card and offered to write and sign an affidavit of his experience to satisfy the liability requirements of the charter business. The captain was not familiar with this and did not want to accept the risk.

I have many buddies that have been diving for decades from shore and private boats including extensive technical dive experience and proudly never received certifications beyond their initial certification. Has anyone heard seen or heard of a charter operation accepting affidavits of logged dive experience in lieu of certification cards?
 
I haven't heard of such a thing but I've never dived in the States, maybe it's more common over there than elsewhere
 
Liability is a bitch...
 
A lot of us went many years without the certs to backup our experience. I know quite a few folks whose first trimix card said instructor on it. That being said, I know of nobody that would accept an affidavit or a dive log for charter trip eligibility. It is too risky from a liability standpoint, and too traumatic from a body recovery standpoint if the bastard is lying and a **** diver.

Tell them to do what the rest of us have done and get certified, or keep diving off private vessels.
 
A lot of us went many years without the certs to backup our experience. I know quite a few folks whose first trimix card said instructor on it. That being said, I know of nobody that would accept an affidavit or a dive log for charter trip eligibility. It is too risky from a liability standpoint, and too traumatic from a body recovery standpoint if the bastard is lying and a **** diver.

Tell them to do what the rest of us have done and get certified, or keep diving off private vessels.
Most people with that kind of experience know someone that would gladly sign them off as well tbh...
 
Most people with that kind of experience know someone that would gladly sign them off as well tbh...

Yup. True story.
 
Dive operators get raked over the coals by the CG for divers getting bent, and they demand copies of cert cards for their "investigations". People sign liability waivers when they get on dive boats, but for some reason, widows sue......

Thank your local legal system, and Dewey Fuchem & Howe, Esquire.
 
I would not accept a affidavit. I would let him dive recreational depths, 130 or shallower. I would not require a wreck card.
 
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Most people with that kind of experience know someone that would gladly sign them off as well tbh...

I agree, this works for your home waters. Not so well for traveling.
 
Dive operators get raked over the coals by the CG for divers getting bent, and they demand copies of cert cards for their "investigations". People sign liability waivers when they get on dive boats, but for some reason, widows sue......

Thank your local legal system, and Dewey Fuchem & Howe, Esquire.

I agree Chet. The USCG issue alone is enough to scare most operators. The **** they have said to JT is down right ignorant.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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