Posted by Ken Kurtis on August 29, 2004 at 23:32:44:
In Reply to: Oil Rig access could be in jeopardy posted by Ken Kurtis on August 29, 2004 at 21:49:37:
Before we all get TOO worked up about the "outside" portion of this . . .
Note that I said I'm hoping to discuss this further with them. Note also that I used words like "encourage" and "recommend". Obviously, going inside (unlike taking game) doesn't really leave any "evidence" of where you've been once you've surfaced.
Personally, I don't think staying outside increases or decreases the risks of the dive. When I dive the rigs, I rarely go inside, mainly because the light levels drop off so much it makes photoing difficult, especially if you want some sort of a BG.
But also look at it from their standpoint. They don't know much about diving. They know they've got intake tubes down there. Their nightmare scenario is sucking a diver up into their tubes. And don't lose sight of the fact that they'd really prefer we go elsewhere to dive. Under those conditions, it seems logical that they'd prefer that we stay on the outside of the rig. (Yes, I know we all think they're overstating the danger of their tubes, but we really do need to look at it from their viewpoint as well.)
Remember the diver that drowned there a few years ago? The Aera ROV located the guy on the bottom about a year later and brought him up. They REALLY don't want to have to deal with something like that again. So try to understand this, not from our viewpoint, but from theirs.
Ken Kurtis
NAUI Instr. #5936
Co-owner, Reef Seekers Dive Co.
Beverly Hills, CA