Posted by Brad on July 03, 2001 at 22:13:20:
In Reply to: You want scuba police? Who should they be? posted by e-shark on July 03, 2001 at 20:10:31:
Any party, unaffected or otherwise that
sees a boat preparing to leave port in a condition
that will put the passengers in danger is obligated
to declare what is called a "manifest Unsafe
Voyage" (MUV). The declaration should always be
followed by a call to the authorities. The
declaration does not give one the power to stop
the voyage, but it does formalize the complaint
to the authorities. If the skipper chooses to
continue the voyage in spite of the MUV, it
will weigh heavily against him in any future
proceedings.
I have to assume that the same principle would
apply to an obviously unsafe scuba diving event.
Once declared, the authorities are obligated to
make a determination as to the whether the
individual should be allowed to continue. If in
doubt, it is best to let the authorities decide.