In defense of Casual Divers

[donacheson]

Interesting point-of-view. - one with which I quite agree. An interesting variety of responses, too. <G>

Until I retired and had the time to travel, I spent a lot of time thinking about and diving deep wrecks and logging a lot of decompression time, albeit always on air. Since then, it's been warm, clear blue water in the tropics, rarely with decom. I'm usually on boats with the sort of diver you talk about. Their dive skills and physical conditioning range from pathetic to more than enough to handle any emergency that's likely to arise. I think you recognize that and adjust your operation to accomodate their abilities so they can safely enjoy their holiday.

I try avoid "dive nazi" operations and if inadvertently find myself in their grasp, I'll let anyone who'll listen know about it and will never return. I'm not the least bit bothered by a dive operater wanting to check me out for a dive or two, but I expect to be let loose for subsequent dives with reasonable restraints - with a buddy, no decom, 130 foot limit, on the boat with a few hundred psi in my tank. Even then, there are times - a good divemaster who can find interesting and unusual creatures, for example - when it's worthwhile tagging along.

 

[Tollie]

TS&M

No argument... in a perfect world dive education would be stronger and people would dive more often. In the real world seeing divers every day you do what you need to do to make sure that your guests are comfortable and that they are safe and have fun.

I think that SB does raise awairness of what diving can be and that it is a good thing.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Divers who "just want to see pretty fish" still run the risk of blowing their lungs due to a rapid ascent from 20 feet.

You are NOT allowed to say that. You may endanger the growth of the sport!

When some one gets killed or hurt diving, the important thing is to point out that the car ride to the dock was more dangerous.

 

[BiggDawg]

You might make your point more effectively if you'd be a little more clear on exactly what you are protesting against.

I agree with Walter. No need to mince words here...who are the cultists and what are they preaching?

When HowieDean said:

They want to relax and see the pretty fish and the beautiful reef. The don&#8217;t want to join a CULT or in-list in the WUAFEN SS. They expect me to be a DIVE MASTER not a REICH MARSHAL.

Oh, come on. It's pretty clear the reference that Howie was making, that doesn't take a genius, :doctor: or any one who has been on this board for long.

Howie was trying to make a point, not troll for flames. He wanted to be able to say his piece without being flamed :1poke: by certain factions (silly him, as if that were possible). So he "minced words" so that the focus could stay on his point, and not the peripherals.

He did not say that better divers diving better would be a bad thing, he only pointed out that the approach taken by those to whom he referred as Waffen SS is just not appropriate to the casual diver in his (or most) resorts.
Resort diving is not for every one, but it has its place.

:shakehead He doesn't need to be baited into a war of words that is tangential to his point (which is well taken, by the way).

Honduras, huh? What? Do rum and Kool-Aid not mix?

 

[BiggDawg]

Divers who "just want to see pretty fish" still run the risk of blowing their lungs due to a rapid ascent from 20 feet.

Has there suddenly been a rash of casual divers getting embolisms? Did I miss that news flash?

Seems to me, a quick survey of the incident reports would demonstrate that it is not the casual resort diver who is getting hurt or killed, but it is those who push the envelope (y'all know who you are... )

 

[King Kong Matt]

So he "minced words" so that the focus could stay on his point, and not the peripherals.

Not from where I am sitting.

He minced words because he wants to sling mud and level attacks at people without actually having to say it outright.

I love the myth that runs amok on this board that it is the DIR divers that are always telling others how to dive...

 

[lamont]

Has there suddenly been a rash of casual divers getting embolisms? Did I miss that news flash?

Seems to me, a quick survey of the incident reports would demonstrate that it is not the casual resort diver who is getting hurt or killed, but it is those who push the envelope (y'all know who you are... )

All the deaths reported in puget sound this year were of moderately experienced divers on purely recreational profiles and as far as I can tell from what I know of the accidents it looks like they were all preventable with better skills, procedures and training. None of them had anything to do with pushing the envelope.

 

[TheRedHead]

I don't want to be herded by 2 DMs, but I do like looking at fishes, even with a deco bottle. One thing I do when looking for new dive operators on upcoming trips is read the reports from other divers and pay particular attention to DM or lack thereof or freedom to dive your plan or computer. That's why I prefer Cozumel for the shops with the experienced diver programs.

Having said that, I think "herding" is probably better than dropping new AOW divers on deep wrecks with no DMs when they may well have an accident because they are inexperienced and/or unprepared.

 

[BiggDawg]

Not from where I am sitting.

He minced words because he wants to sling mud and level attacks at people without actually having to say it outright.

I love the myth that runs amok on this board that it is the DIR divers that are always telling others how to dive...

Um, I don't see anywhere that any one said anything about DIR except you.

That's the point. Howie was making a point about approach to and enjoyment of a sport. And yet, immediately, does it have to decay into an attack on any one agency? Maybe, only, if you draw it to yourself. But I don't see that he did.

And before any one tries to make it personal, I didn't either.

 

[King Kong Matt]

Um, I don't see anywhere that any one said anything about DIR except you.

Nice...pick one side of the argument or the other. A minute ago, the reference was all too obvious that it wouldn't take a genius to figure out. Now the reference has become so cryptic that it is obviously me that is simply reading something into it.

Get back to me when you have decided on a point of view...