It bothers me that I lie on the waiver form and sign it. What if there's multiple divers in trouble at the surface and the op needs help beyond what the DM can do - do you help them? You have the training but if you help are you in trouble with the op who assumes that since you are only AOW don't have the training and therefore shouldn't help? If you decide not to help wouldn't your conscious bother you? In either case if there is a formal investigation can you be held liable for anything knowing full well that you lied? Any thoughts or actual experiences?
Splitting this out from another thread as it's off topic for that discussion. The initial context was around understating your qualifications on a dive boat charter.
To address the questions in the above...
There's no lie in claiming to be an AOW diver. You are an AOW diver. You may have more cards, but you're very definitely still qualified as an AOW.It bothers me that I lie on the waiver form and sign it.
The Captain and Crew of a dive boat are in charge of emergency situations. In the US, the Captain has a legal obligation to the situation. They will direct people as needed.What if there's multiple divers in trouble at the surface and the op needs help beyond what the DM can do - do you help them?
Having handled diving emergencies while crew on a boat I can tell you beyond the shadow of a doubt that I didn't bother to physically go through the manifest to see who had training to help. If you're nearby, expect to start getting barked at to help get things or do things to aid the crew if they need it. Your level of training and qualification are your concern, not mine, in the case of an emergency.You have the training but if you help are you in trouble with the op who assumes that since you are only AOW don't have the training and therefore shouldn't help?
Again, you didn't lie. Largely, passengers (and for the most part, Crew) are protected by the good samaritan laws. In my experience, diving accidents happen outside of the crews' (and usually, passengers') direct supervision. All you can do is help to deal with the aftermath. So long as you weren't knowingly harmful or negligent all anyone can say is that you did your best.If you decide not to help wouldn't your conscious bother you? In either case if there is a formal investigation can you be held liable for anything knowing full well that you lied? Any thoughts or actual experiences?
I'm sure there are other people out there with experience that can chime in to help.