OP
philliplehman
Registered
I think the problem is not lack of training etc.. I think the problem is that training agencies will not hand out real sanctions, recreational diving agancies like PADI, SSI, CMAS should immediately revoke any certifications/affiliation when dive shops like Neptuno get caught in hazardous diving practices such as taking OW divers in a cave. The reality is that they might get a slap on the wrist, if even that, so faced with little to no threat of real sanctions dive shops worldwide weigh the odds and choose to make a quick buck at the expense of unsuspecting clients.
All this nonsense about OW training should tell them to not go into the overhead etc.. is just that..nonsense, we are talking about OW divers who have never even seen a cave before, at the open water level I seriously doubt any diver would know the difference between the safe cavern zone and the full cave area in places like Cueva Taina, Dos Ojos, or Chac Mool (to name only three) it is very easy to sit around and lay part of the blame on OW divers when as I have said before the line is already very blurry between cave and cavern to start with.
The problem is a dive industry which only cares about making money and not getting sued, these insane "guided" dives are going on every single day in Mexico, the DR and anywhere were there are caves, the agencies all know but choose to turn a blind eye and hope for the best.
Here is an example, some irresponsible dive shops in Mexico are taking open water clients to the Madonna passage in Calaveras, a full cave dive, in the Pit after diving the cavern down to about 45mtrs then they go up to the shallow cave and take clients to see the camel bones a 150mtrs full cave penetration.
In the DR you have the recent Cueva Taina incident and this is the only one caught o tape, but many other dive shops do the same dive, you also in the DR have El Chicho in Bayahibe were some shops take clienst on a 300mtrs full cave penetration.
The problem with all these is none of these dives look even remotely dangerous to an untrained diver, big beautiful decorated etc.. and the shops play on that and offer these dives as safe and fun for the whole family.
Now I also want to be clear about something the vast majority of instructors, guides and shops are safe and adhere to strict safety guidelines, the problem is the few who do not and those few reflect negatively on the entire dive industry.
All this nonsense about OW training should tell them to not go into the overhead etc.. is just that..nonsense, we are talking about OW divers who have never even seen a cave before, at the open water level I seriously doubt any diver would know the difference between the safe cavern zone and the full cave area in places like Cueva Taina, Dos Ojos, or Chac Mool (to name only three) it is very easy to sit around and lay part of the blame on OW divers when as I have said before the line is already very blurry between cave and cavern to start with.
The problem is a dive industry which only cares about making money and not getting sued, these insane "guided" dives are going on every single day in Mexico, the DR and anywhere were there are caves, the agencies all know but choose to turn a blind eye and hope for the best.
Here is an example, some irresponsible dive shops in Mexico are taking open water clients to the Madonna passage in Calaveras, a full cave dive, in the Pit after diving the cavern down to about 45mtrs then they go up to the shallow cave and take clients to see the camel bones a 150mtrs full cave penetration.
In the DR you have the recent Cueva Taina incident and this is the only one caught o tape, but many other dive shops do the same dive, you also in the DR have El Chicho in Bayahibe were some shops take clienst on a 300mtrs full cave penetration.
The problem with all these is none of these dives look even remotely dangerous to an untrained diver, big beautiful decorated etc.. and the shops play on that and offer these dives as safe and fun for the whole family.
Now I also want to be clear about something the vast majority of instructors, guides and shops are safe and adhere to strict safety guidelines, the problem is the few who do not and those few reflect negatively on the entire dive industry.
