Mailing List Archive

Mailing List: techdiver

Message Display

Is PADI now offering trimix?  This doesn't sound like PADI.
----------
> From: Bill Mee <wwm@sa*.ne*>
> To: techdiver@aquanaut.com
> Cc: cavers@ww*.ge*.co*; gmirvine@sa*.ne*
> Subject: BAD NEWS: Fallout from the WPB tragedy
> Date: Thursday, January 22, 1998 3:05 PM
> 
> 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
--
Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.

Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]