Posted by MHK on October 02, 2000 at 16:03:46:
You all know my position on the Yukon. I have repeatedly stated that I do NOT believe that the wreck went down as scheduled, no one has taken any necessary precautions with respect to OE training, requiring certs, recomending Nitrox etc. etc..
My postion was solidified this weekend when I did 2 dives on the Yukon. I checked in on a boat that I had never been on before. We were 2 teams of 2 ( 4 divers in total ). We checked in, signed a waiver and NEVER showed any one even and open water C-card, but yet were allowed to do a 100' wreck dive that has maps located throughout that lead you into exits that are blocked by the sand...
As you all know, my view is that the first fatality is not a matter of if, but a matter of when, on this wreck...
I have therefore organized the Blue Escape for Sunday 10/15 for a *get acquaninted* dive.. This dive does NOT in any way, shape or form constitute a certifying dive, class or instructional experience. I am NOT an instructor, but I do have substantial experience in diving wrecks. Since I put out the initial post respecting this dive, several prominent instructors have expressed there dismay at the fact that I would presume to take diver's on the wreck. My response to them, as well as anyone else, is how is an untrained diver worse for the wear by going down with a diver that cares for safety, that has done the Andrea Doria, USS Wilkes Barre, USS San Diego, Triple Crown, Gizalda just to name a few??????
I believe strongly that our dive market is under prepared for this dive, they have marketed the dive as an *anyone can do it dive*, they have provided maps that lead to dead ends, they have hidden coins for prizes inside the wreck, they have tempted the hell out of many diver's that may easily succumb to the allure of penetration...
So if anyone wants to join us ( John Walker and myself ) will each take a group of 8 and we will spend 3 hours prior to the dive discussing OE protocols, equipment configurations, equipment needs and redundancy, lights, rule of thirds, disproportionate tank relationships, baselines, streamlinning, line procedures, lights out procedures, lost/cut line procedures etc etc...
I can NOT stress enough however that since I am NOT an instructor that this will NOT constitute any kind of formal and/or certifying dives. You can not imagine the grief that I have taken from certain instructors over this issue... So I want to be crystal clear in this regard.
If you want to join us please let me know...
Regards