Posted by Jim Hoffmann on August 08, 2000 at 20:19:55:
In Reply to: mike, i believe you missed some of the sentiment from below... posted by kelphead on August 08, 2000 at 19:02:04:
We as divers take a risk every time we wade or jump into our hazardous environment (ocean, lake, etc.). It is an accceptable risk only if we have the right training and equipment to do the dive.
I think some of us who feel passionate about the need for the right training and the right equipment have seen what happens when they are missing.
I have been involved in three diver rescues(where there was a fatality). These divers did not have the training or the right equipment to make the dives they attempted, and died for it.
As far as government laws vs self-regulation: Government laws are hard to change, Self-regulation changes with the community standard.
Government laws involve a bureaucacy(Taxes) Self-regulation does not. Self-regulation is fexiable the government is not.
The LA ordinaces of the 70's were not needed because the training agency's had already cleaned up there act , the dive float was not needed then and it's needed now (because the flag does not have the force of law). The 2 year recert. was not going to work because it was all founded off your log book(and you could put anything you wanted to in it). Kelphead if you need anymore diver history lessons, just write me anytime.
Jim Hoffmann
Scuba Toys