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Piotr, 

   True, law will not stop people from taking risks.   What it will do is
impede the free dissemination of information and of education as to how to do
it safely.  

   As it is now in America a new or young diver has easy access to all the
information he wants on technical and cave diving because those who engage in
it are under so threat of recrimination and dive sites are accessible.
  Rather than having to go out and experiment under cover he can take a
course or read books that will at least make him better aware of what he is
up against and what to expect.  

   If we begin to place responsibility for deaths and injuries on the general
public through the government the public will rebel and the politicians will
respond by doing their job, which is to eliminate the economic and emotional
threat to the populace.  They will not be able to stop the individual from
going out and trying it, but they can create a hostil atmosphere for anyone
who appears to be encouraging it by offering courses.

   For decades the cave and deep wreck diving community in America opperated
from the closet to avoid hassels from the mainline sport agencies, local
governments, and the mothers of dead divers.   Many many divers have died
trying to emulate them without training, without even a hint of the factors
involved.   In recent years these truely advanced divers who had to learn
largely by experimentation and trial & error have emerged and begun to more
openly teach what they have learned to interrested others.
   The result is that now there is no excuse for not getting educated or at
least hearing the word before attempting such technical exploits and this can
only result in less death and injury.  When a diver is confronted with enough
information to realize what he is getting into he will most likely either
decide to stay out of it or get the required training to do it safely.  

   Many Americans seem to expect the government to guarantee their safety
from all pain, suffering and risk, and men everywhere have always used the
government to force their will on others or to gain some economic advantage.
 I don't believe the original post I refered to was intended to do either,
but was simply an immediate emotional response to a perceived threat.
   My intent was to point out that placing responsibility for deaths and
injuries on the politicians who preside over and administer the freedom to
dive these public owned sites in order to selectively exclude the enemy is a
self defeating tactic.


   I'm sorry to hear of the restrictions on diving in Poland.  It might be
interesting to hear some more details about these if you're up to educating
us.  


   I will be in the Bahamas for the next couple of weeks so I won't be able
to respond or monitor the list but I look forward to seeing how it is doing
with WKPP gone for a while when I get back.  Hopefully I'll have a couple of
good sea stories to tell. 

Keep it going guys !

Chuck

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