Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
There is one aspect to this whole truly sad state of affairs which disturbs me, for one, greatly. A number of posts have alleged that the victim (and I use that word advisedly if with some reservation, the jury is not yet in) had logged less than 100 dives during the whole of her diving career. If this is true, and I guess Alan Pelstring could confirm or deny this, I seriously question how it can be that she was able to, "sanctioned" is perhaps a better way of putting it, take part in a course such as the one on which she died. If these allegations are NOT true, please hit the delete button right now, otherwise please excuse the bandwidth. I would think that Jane, and I do hope that I do not offend anyone's sensibilities by referring to the victim by name, like all the other relatively new divers I have known would have included her training dives with her recreational dives to a sum total of <100. Now Jane was, in this instance, doing a trimix course, which means that she would have previously done a EAN course, and before that a master diver course, and before that ... you get, I trust, my drift. All of these require training dives under supervision. So just how many truly recreational dives did Jane, and the rest of the Janes of this world for that matter, actually do before she embarked on her Trimix course? Just who, or which organisation within the parameters of its criteria, was it that allowed/permitted/sanctioned her participation on this course? Exactly what are/were their criteria? Excuse me, but am I the only voice in the wilderness to suggest that less than 100 dives (including training dives) is not exactly a panacea for qualification for a demanding course such as this? I, for one, think it most unlikely that ANYONE has the necessary experience to undertake this kind of activity with this number of dives under their weight belt. NOBODY, not even the WKPP and I am sure that they would agree with me here, CAN TEACH EXPERIENCE indeed I much doubt that the WKPP would remotely entertain instruction at this level to people this experienced, or rather, to people with so little experience. So, OK, the usual disclaimers. I don't know from diddly squat the real criteria of the various training (at whatever level) agencies, nor those of the WKPP. As well I am, even though it is as a result of a particular incident, speaking in generalities. Nevertheless I do know what I demand/expect of my colleagues in my far more humble and limited sphere of diving and I do know that a <100 dive experienced diver is not in my book, nor that (and I am sure that I can speak for them in this instance) of my peers, particularly experienced. May I also take this opportunity to add, for what little it may be worth, my belated condolences to Alan Pelstring and Jane's family and other friends. Christian -- 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]