Posted by Bill Johnson on July 03, 2001 at 10:11:13:
In Reply to: about "that" Wreck... posted by Wood on July 02, 2001 at 19:11:07:
Wood,
The Yukon is an artificial reef that happens to also be a wreck. Therefore, it can be dove both ways; and therein lies the problem.
First, a kelp dive cannot be compared to the Yukon. The difference is that you can break through to air with kelp and kelp dives often have sloping bottoms that allow the diver to ascend along the bottom.
Second, you yourself said we can not trust divers to do what they say they are going to do ("...they will tell you what you want to hear...").
"Why don’t we let people make their own decisions?" Third, unlike you, many "Open Water Divers" DO NOT fully understand the dangers of diving in a wreck in these waters and don’t know it’s unsafe for the untrained. Also, if there were no consequence to me for dumb asses getting hurt, I would have no problems with it. However, sites where fatalities occur tend to get closed. For example, there has been debate as to closing NE wrecks, including the Andrea Doria and other lesser wrecks. This directly affects me.
Fourth, While some complain that the certification system isn't perfect, having a card for a particular level does prove a few things: 1. the cardholder is probably more informed of the dangers of that level than an "Open Water Diver"; 2. the cardholder was probably minimally proficient at that level at one time, at least when the card was earned; 3. the cardholder cared enough to seek training for that level. You use an example of a lady who lied about her experience and died. If she had been required to produce a card proving she was trained for that level, lying would have been removed from the equation and she would still be alive.
The Yukon is a reef, that has the allure of a penetrable wreck. I don't know why you are worried about "policing" though, because no one is policing Yukon divers currently, and I doubt any operators will have the balls to require nitrox and OE certification in the future.
Bill