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Predictably, we are now beginning to observe the inevitable fallout from
the single worst technical diving accident, ever. Independently, one of
the largest gas suppliers in the Southeast, Tri-Gas, has reported that
they are considering a total ban on the sale of Helium and other gases
for the purpose of diving.  This, they say,  is a direct result of 
liability issues raised following the well publicized WPB tragedy.

I hope that the consequences of this policy are not lost on our friends
in the technical diving instructional community.  While Divers Supply
has probably lost there taste for deep offshore instruction in tri-mix
diving, I am sure that there are many others around the country who
still plan to make a go of this.  I would think that  IANTD, TDI, ANDI,
NAUI and PADI,  to name just a few, have no active plans afoot to remove
tri-mix from their present or future curricula.

 It would be unfair to place all of the blame on the folks at Divers
Supply for this unhappy turn of events in that the sort of "former"
behaviors tolerated at their operation are pandemic throughout technical
diving. It was just a matter of time before a similar event transpired
somewhere else.  

Still, I can only speculate that if Divers Supply had not become
involved with preventing the WKPP from recovering material associated
with the WPB tragedy in a timely fashion, we might have quickly absolved
the role of breathing gases as contributory to the fatalities.  
Instead, these people continue to complain about "malicious attacks" by
a few on the Internet (sound familiar?) as well as the "slanderous and
malice(sic) behavior that's been demonstrated on the internet".  In
other words it's our fault that these three people are dead and that we
have no right to discuss the context of this tragedy as it relates to
diving, especially in light of the fact that the primary focus of this
discussion list is technical diving. Perish the thought that freedom of 
speech and opinion be exercised unconstrained.

 PLEASE  read Dan Volker's articulate and thoughtful recent piece on
this matter. Dan discusses the problems and known specifics of the
accident, what measures should be taken to prevent reoccurrence and the
role of Divers Supply in  actively interfering with the recovery efforts
of the WKPP. 

Australia openly outlaws some forms of technical diving.  Now "technical
diving" will be de facto outlawed here by the unavailability of
breathing gas.  The WKPP will still be able to obtain gas and dive it's
permitted sites, but what about you?

There are plenty of people out there who passionately hate George Irvine
for his self appointed role as dive industry pundit and harbinger of
doom, if equipment, training practices and procedures are not cleaned
up.  Well, for all of those personal preference, thin skinned types out
there, your boys have really hit it out of the ball park now. In fact
now may be a good time to sell your "techno" dive gear and sign up for
golf lessons instead of advanced trimix. 

Sorry folks,

Bill Mee
--
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