For years, the internet has brought to focus more and more of the negative
side 
of our sport.  Most of the flaming cases bring such rational sage advice as

"ignore it, it isn't worth the time".  Such advice is easy to give and hard
to accept.  
I don't accept it right at this particular moment.

During the first week of December 1999, I traveled to the Yucatan in order
to 
conduct a Cave/Cavern Instructor seminar.  During our first night together,
I 
cautioned the eight eager candidates, that there was bound to be some 
controversy concerning this event, after all, we were in the land where
they 
cannot even be civilized about line arrows in caves.  The 8 candidates
worked 
hard and long hours during the 7 day event, and, to their surprise did not
do 
much cave diving at all.  

We were not disappointed about the controversy.  Interestingly enough, none
of 
the local authors bothered to talk to me or any of the candidates while I
was 
there, choosing instead, to hide behind their computer screen and feign
righteous 
indignation.  Proclaiming all they are interested in is the "quality of
cave
diving 
education".  Poppycock.

What the candidates experienced, was for many of them, the first time being

exposed to such foreign items as a course syllabus, outline, schedules and
most 
surprising of all, Standards and Procedures.  They took exams for both the
diver 
and instructor level in each course, many of them, for the first time.
After 2 days, 
several were counseled that they were either not going to be certified or
would 
only receive a Cavern Instructor certification, that I knew they were
taking
time off 
from work to participate in the seminar, and that they could now leave at
the level 
they were.  To a person, they asked, almost begged, to be allowed to
continue, 
knowing full well that there were no additional certifications to be
earned,
knowing 
full well that the actual diving would be primarily confined to the open
water, 
cavern and only short forays into the cave.  Knowing full well that their
foibles 
would be exposed to everyone present.  They all stayed, and to their
credit,
did 
exceptionally well.  In the end, one full cave instructor certification was
earned, 
five cavern/intro cave instructor certifications as well as one cavern. 
One 
gentleman that although worked hard and looked good in the water, simply
didn't 
have the necessary basic experience and was given addition work to complete

before any certifications could be received.  All of the successful cavern
and intro 
cave candidates were given additional experience requirements prior to the
next 
seminar.  Most of these requirements revolved around teaching using an
outline 
and standards and procedures.

I will not describe how much the vicious attacks on the internet upset me
and 
many others, for that horse has been beaten to death.  For many years,
there 
have been psychological studies of amateur (ham) radio and how the people 
interact.  In the facial anonymity, these radio operators become known not
by 
how expensive their radios are, or how fancy of an antenna they have, but
rather 
they are known first by their "fist", the ability to send quality Morse
Code. You 
never know if you are talking to a young pimple faced 13 year old or the
likes of 
King Hussein, Barry Goldwater or General Curtis LeMay.  (Yes, I know that
they 
are all old and gone, but I got my first license in 1966 at 13 and they
were
the 
ones frequently "on the air".  I am sure there are more modern examples.) 
An 
interesting parallel that might be cited, was the sudden popularity of
Citizen's 
Band radio in the 1970's following a couple of farcical comedy movies.  The
CB 
license required no written test, no morse code requirement and wonder of 
wonders, it became polluted with a mass of morons that all they had to do
is 
afford the cost of a radio and they could cause all the disruption they
desired.  
Responsible CB radio operators soon became grouped with the maniacs and for

the most part, the Federal Communications Commission has declared 27 MHz a 
"radio wasteland".  This is not unlike the movies of putting a fence around
New 
York or Los Angeles to keep the vermin amongst themselves.  In many cases, 
the internet has become the same thing.  Responsible and quality discussion
is 
frequently interrupted and chastised.  A "pot stirrer" can throw out a
remark and 
then feign innocence, claiming "it was only what he heard" or that "it is
only for 
discussion - how they hope only to be the emissary of truth and honor".  
Unfortunately these contemptible individuals have already wreaked their
havoc 
and there is no way that their thinly veiled apology ever reaches the same 
number of people that the original negative comment affected.  I was in
Mexico 
from Dec 1 to Dec 8 and not one of the local people ever asked the same 
questions to our face.  The cowards hide behind the computer screen, but
never 
approach in real life.

There are other issues.  The whole veracity of the "mentoring program" is
at 
question.  Many of these candidates had been mentored for many courses. 
Take 
for example, one who actually took cave students diving alone, without the 
mentor, because his mentor was _________ (you fill in the blank, the
answers 
ranged from too lazy, too busy, had a sore toe, etc).  Another mentor
proclaimed 
one of these candidates as "full cave certified" after only 6 to 8 dives,
saying that 
"he was good in the water".  The stories go on, but it is not my way to
heave the 
largest boulders in the arsenal.  Most of the candidates had been used
primarily 
for indentured servants, to "assist" the mentor with no visible end to
their
journey.  
While the mentoring program has at it's root, noble and rational ideals, in
many 
cases, it simply perpetuates the hate-mongering breed line, much like dog 
breeders.  There are simply some breeds that aren't very pleasant.  I
challenged 
each of them to think for themselves not for their so-called mentor. 
Again,
while 
each of the mentors may have quality skills, they are clearly deficient in
passing 
on those ideals.  

For people not familiar with the Yucatan cave tourist industry, these
candidates 
all came with a unique set of skills not found in American or other
candidates.  All 
of them had been involved in the "Cavern Tour" program, which for the most
part 
is pretty unique to the Yucatan.  These candidates have conducted hundreds,

collectively, thousands of cavern tours under the guidelines painfully
hashed out 
by the local tourist loving cave instructors (again, not without it's
attendant 
controversy).  The requirements are that they be full cave qualified, dive
in full 
cave equipment, provide environmental briefings, diving briefings and
safety 
briefings.  To a man, each of the candidates would knock the socks off most
any 
other region's candidates in this aspect of evaluation.

There are those concerned that there are "too many cave divers, too many
cave 
diving instructors".  Well, that is our fault.  When I first became
involved
as a cave 
diving instructor, it was generally frowned upon to "advertise" for cave
diving 
instruction services.  Time has moved on ladies and germs, and now we have 
gotten just where we set out, to include "professional mentoring".  For a
price, 
you too can bring your students down and "get the necessary sign-off".  But

these very self-same purveyors of so called education now see that there is

competition, and we must curtail it or at the very least, make it
unpalatable so 
that only the "truly dedicated" individual survives.  More poppy-cock.

This argument would make great fuel for the idea that we should close all 
schools, colleges and universities.  We have "more than enough" trained
people 
now, don't we?  We will just crank them back up as the old-timers pass on.

The fact remains that the group of eight candidates is well aware of the 
controversy.  We discussed it openly and as honestly as we could.  I
cautioned 
them all, that they must not violate any standards or procedures
(particularly now 
that they even knew they existed.  Most thought that all you did was go
diving, 
the further the better.  So much for the educational and mentoring
programs).  
We made jokes that there were "spies in the trees, watching our every
move".  
We hashed and rehashed course limits, outlines and procedures. And, at the 
end, they said, as a group "We will make you proud".  

The millenium is upon us, or at least within a year, depending on your
definition. 
And the time will come, in the not too distant future, that many of us
gather and 
reminisce, longing for the days when the cool cave waters were on our
skin... 
as our cold and heartless souls burn in hell.

This missive was written by me, primarily as an act of catharsis.  It was
not 
cleared by TDI, reviewed for content or in any way, shape or form
represents
the 
company's viewpoint.  They are my own.  Pass it on, burn it, wad it up or
send it 
to the recycle bin.  Who really cares?

Joe Odom

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