Posted by MHK on November 06, 2000 at 10:53:00:
In Reply to: Re: Open Letter to MHK posted by JR Gordon on November 03, 2000 at 16:21:55:
John and Max,
Let me add a few things about the above.. Max you are 100% wrong about the boats back east.. They only require that you have a Trimix certification card, they could care less what actual gas you dive. In fact, Danny's very publicly stated position is that he is merely a taxi driver. He only requires a trimix cert because his insurance carrier made him do it. The very fact of the matter is that they let people dive air, solo, homemade rebreather's and any thing else you want all the time..
As to why you didn't see so many deaths this year was due to weather. When my trip went out this year on July 25 every trip but one prior to my trip was blown out due to weather. Our trip as well got blown out and the trip after our went. It is my understanding ( but I'm not 100% positive ) that only 2 trips made it out this year and 1 of the 2 was cut short due to mechanical problems... So there was no magic correction that took place from last year to this year that reduced the fatalities, it was weather pure and simple...
My firts trip on the Andrea Doria we were all talking the night before we were scheduled to leave teh dock and they had just unloaded a dead body that had gotten lost inside the wreck. I asked the obvious question how it was he could have gotten lost if he ran his line properly. The answer I received was startling to say the least. I was told that they don't use lines, but rather progressive penetration. When I pushed a little further and said well after so many deaths why don't they start running lines I was told that if I ran a line they would cut it.. That's why people are dying on the Doria because they are pig headed, stupid and dangerous..
The reason why I chartered the boat myself this year was just so I didn't wind up diving with anyone I felt was dangerous.. My trip, my diver's and that's the only way I'll do the Doria ever again...
Later