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George, The deaths in West Palm Beach was apparently a charlie foxtrot on a trimix training dive, not deep air. However, from what I've been told by reliable sources, you're probably looking at another fine example of people trying to progress into technical diving too far, too fast. >From what I have been told, the student who passed away had travelled to West Palm to take this trimix course, and probably did not have much experience in "technical diving". I have also been told that the surviving diver last saw the two instructors trying to manage convulsions on the student diver. Apparently the student had buoyancy problems in deco and dropped to a deeper depth on a high nitrox (80/20). What caused the buoyancy problems? I can't tell you. All speculations should be left alone for the time being until a recovery is done. However, there is one definate thing that can be learned from this accident without the bodies; progressing too quickly into advanced forms of technical diving can prove fatal. I would hope there's not an instructor in the world who would disagree that gaining experience between each phase of training is a necessity, but we all know that is not the case. As long as "technical diving" is promoted as "the next level"; ie. you're a big man with a big dick if you technical dive, and a total weenie if you don't, and as long as people want to take a "technical diver course" so they can become "technical divers" the body count will continue. The truly sad thing about this is that there is indeed a need for these courses, but they should only be taught when needed rather then promoted and advertised as the "next thing in diving". Instead, as long as these courses (and the equipment that goes with it) are being pushed to divers who probably don't really need them to just enjoy diving, the end result will be that the industry as a whole will dwindle. I had a long debate with a recognized leader in the recreational scuba industry over a dinner last year. I was trying to justify teaching nitrox to recreational divers. He was convincing me that if the average dive shop spent the money it takes to setup a nitrox station, they can purchase video equipment which they could rent out to divers which would give the divers something they could tangibly take home with them and show people, which, in the long run, would keep those divers coming back for more. As more and more time passes, I am beginning to agree with this individual. More "prospective divers" should be handed a reef fish identification chart rather then a cave reel and manifold. Ken -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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