In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Drifting Dan case declared a mistrial posted by RobG on March 31, 2010 at 00:13:24:

No, you can just call be my name. I really did not think that stating the obvious or correctly reciting the law would stir up a hornet's nest. I can only assume that this captain is your pal. Otherwise, there would be no reason for you to be an apologist for him or so defensive.

In any event, to answer your question, divemasters obviously play an important role in providing for divers' safety. For that matter, so do fire extinguishers, life rings and host of other equipment. However, none of this changes the fact that maritime law places the ultimate responsibilty for the safety of everyone on board on the master of the vessel and he or she cannot delegate that responsibility to any other person. One of those responsibilities is bring everyone back to the dock that you left with. You may not think that is fair, but that is the way it is and calling me names will not change the law. If you do not want that responsibility or liability, do not be the captain.

If you want any more legal advice, I am afraid you are going to have to pay for it, and I doubt you can afford my hourly rate