Posted by finfan on November 20, 2001 at 08:41:51:
In Reply to: Cert. Cards posted by Captain Tim on November 19, 2001 at 09:56:50:
While I enjoy the bantering that frequently goes back and forth (I'm into cheap thrills)in these type of message board discussions, I normally avoid responding and becoming part of the mess. This one was just to hard to pass up on.
Having been diving for over 30 years I expect the captain of the boat to put the people paying for the dive trip over the best dive spot possible and only after they have applied their experience and discretion as to the safety of the spot. I have yet to find a captain running a boat in our waters who do not put safety first. My sincere compliments to all of you.
What I don't expect a captain, a DM or a dive buddy to do is make an unqualified guess as to what my experience amounts to, how good or bad I was trained, when my last dive was and is it close enough in timeframe to this one to qualify me to dive this dive.
I'm no lawyer, but if you have a waiver and you do your part in checking to see if a person has a valid c-card then I think it is that person's responsibility to know their limit and dive within that limit.
Obviously, if it is a spoecialty trip that is scheduled then by all means you have a responsibility to check into other qualifications. Open boat, recreatinal diving is different.
I just about fell over laughing from Bill Johnson's suggestion that you be responsible for checking the c-card for correct depth and gas. You would be looking a long time on mine since it was issued in 1973, hell- my advanced card has a 75 date on it. I don't rememberf depth and gas being provided (must be in the fine print on the card).
I also thought his idea about the proper equipment and Nitrox interesting. Based on Bill's specifications I might as well hang up my wet suit and thank the lord I haven't killed myself with the 20 plus dives I have made on Farnsworth without Nitrox.
Do your industry a favor, do what you do best and don't try and become a leader in the dive police business. Let the certification agencies certify/train the divers and use your experience to keeping putting us on those great game and picture spots.
By the way, if you ever get a list of "the proper equipment" to dive deep, I'm dying to know what I'm missing. I dive pretty basic, tank (with compressed air), reg, depth guage and bottom timer and I enjoy 100 feet (mucho bugs if you know where to look)!