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Sooner or later most every local occurrence, of the egregious variety, =
is brought to our attention via our network of colleagues, observers and =
informants. When somebody gets killed we become especially incensed and =
go to great lengths to analyze the events, learn something from the =
tragedy and expose the guilty party or practices (if they are still =
alive and in the case of practices, still in force). Despite our =
prodigious efforts to the contrary, foolish and discredited practices =
die hard and the army of the misinformed seems to hold out to the last =
man. In other words the "stroke" is not an endangered species just yet =
and the breeding academies for strokes continue to churn out fresh =
recruits. These new "soldiers of strokism" douse themselves with urine =
and charge unrelenting into the enemy machine guns.

Thus it was no surprise when it came to our knowledge that one Todd =
Ives, West Palm Beach based, IANTD mixed gas instructor, solicited the =
operator of the Grateful Diver to run a "deep air" class, with students, =
to the Lowrance artificial reef. The Lowrance is a 435ft freighter sunk =
in 210 =96 190 fsw offshore Pompano Beach and is a popular  "technical =
dive". As most of you are aware IANTD does not require deep air as a =
prerequisite to mixed gas anymore, although this fact seemed to be lost =
on Mr. Ives. Then again, this practice is not proscribed by IANTD either =
and in the case of the Lowrance the IANTD air training depth limit of =
170=92 could be easily exceeded if a CF occurred. Now, as everyone on =
this list knows, performing any deep air dive, to begin with, is sheer =
idiocy and inviting disaster from the start. Performing such a dive with =
students is simply put, beyond the pale stupid, if not criminally =
negligent. The Lake Wazee deep air training fatalities, of 1997, should =
have led to this practice being permanently outlawed - Apparently not.

Now for a little more background. Ives had steel 108s (at least he was =
diving a drysuit =96 with dry gloves =96 in Florida??) and the students =
were diving 104s and 95s respectively with wetsuits. To round out the =
this fine costume party we had stuffed long hoses, butt mounted lights, =
bungee wings, steel stage bottles and improperly marked backgas. A great =
virtuoso performance. As is generally the usual excuse, Todd Ives =
considered himself an "experienced pro", "good deep on air" and could =
perceive no problem with this exercise even after endless browbeating =
and patient explanation - A typical refrain.


You would think that with two serious technical training accidents =
involving 4 fatalities, during 1998, Mr. Ives would be especially =
cautious in his activities. You would think. First we had the Andre =
Smith fiasco in which 3 people died. Deep diving, excessive weighting, =
bungee wings and wet suits were linked to that tragedy. The second =
fatality involved issues such as inadequate bottle markings and =
inattentiveness on the part of the instructor. Now our Todd Ives knew =
Andre Smith and noted among other things Andre=92s taste for deep air =
and other questionable training propensities. Ives was oblivious to the =
lessons of these recent events despite the fact that they occurred in =
his own backyard and he personally knew some of the players.=20

What we have here is another big accident waiting to happen. A fine =
drunk driving course with faulty brakes and bad tires, thrown in for =
good measure. Some willing boat captain will take this birdbrain and his =
unwitting students out into deep water and the usual Charlie Foxtrot =
will ensue. The heavy tanks, convoluted gear and narcosis will lead to a =
single or multiple fatality and the excuse will be something along the =
following lines. "He (the victim - most likely a student) got caught in =
monofilment", "his lift bag didn=92t deploy", " he panicked and breathed =
the wrong reg", "the inflator didn=92t work", "he gave the out of air =
signal and I couldn=92t locate his backup reg", "he gave me the ok and =
then he passed out" or one of many equally stupid and inexcusable =
reasons.=20

As we all know the real and most obvious reason is the gross violation =
of "rule number one". What we have to ask here is how many of these =
hopelessly ignorant, incompetent or just plain stupid instructors are =
out there exercising their license to kill? Who or what will get this =
situation under control before the list of the dead reads like the New =
York telephone directory?

With warmest regards, your disgusted

Bill Mee








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<DIV>
<P>Sooner or later most every local occurrence, of the egregious =
variety, is=20
brought to our attention via our network of colleagues, observers and=20
informants. When somebody gets killed we become especially incensed and =
go to=20
great lengths to analyze the events, learn something from the tragedy =
and expose=20
the guilty party or practices (if they are still alive and in the case =
of=20
practices, still in force). Despite our prodigious efforts to the =
contrary,=20
foolish and discredited practices die hard and the army of the =
misinformed seems=20
to hold out to the last man. In other words the "stroke" is =
not an=20
endangered species just yet and the breeding academies for strokes =
continue to=20
churn out fresh recruits. These new "soldiers of strokism" =
douse=20
themselves with urine and charge unrelenting into the enemy machine =
guns.</P>
<P>Thus it was no surprise when it came to our knowledge that one Todd =
Ives,=20
West Palm Beach based, IANTD mixed gas instructor, solicited the =
operator of the=20
Grateful Diver to run a "deep air" class, with students, to =
the=20
Lowrance artificial reef. The Lowrance is a 435ft freighter sunk in 210 =
–=20
190 fsw offshore Pompano Beach and is a popular  "technical=20
dive". As most of you are aware IANTD does not require deep air as =
a=20
prerequisite to mixed gas anymore, although this fact seemed to be lost =
on Mr.=20
Ives. Then again, this practice is not proscribed by IANTD either and in =
the=20
case of the Lowrance the IANTD air training depth limit of 170’ =
could be=20
easily exceeded if a CF occurred. Now, as everyone on this list knows,=20
performing any deep air dive, to begin with, is sheer idiocy and =
inviting=20
disaster from the start. Performing such a dive with students is simply =
put,=20
beyond the pale stupid, if not criminally negligent. The Lake Wazee deep =
air=20
training fatalities, of 1997, should have led to this practice being =
permanently=20
outlawed - Apparently not.</P>
<P>Now for a little more background. Ives had steel 108s (at least he =
was diving=20
a drysuit – with dry gloves – in Florida??) and the students =
were=20
diving 104s and 95s respectively with wetsuits. To round out the this =
fine=20
costume party we had stuffed long hoses, butt mounted lights, bungee =
wings,=20
steel stage bottles and improperly marked backgas. A great virtuoso =
performance.=20
As is generally the usual excuse, Todd Ives considered himself an=20
"experienced pro", "good deep on air" and could =
perceive no=20
problem with this exercise even after endless browbeating and patient=20
explanation - A typical refrain.</P>
<P></P>
<P>You would think that with two serious technical training accidents =
involving=20
4 fatalities, during 1998, Mr. Ives would be especially cautious in his=20
activities. You would think. First we had the Andre Smith fiasco in =
which 3=20
people died. Deep diving, excessive weighting, bungee wings and wet =
suits were=20
linked to that tragedy. The second fatality involved issues such as =
inadequate=20
bottle markings and inattentiveness on the part of the instructor. Now =
our Todd=20
Ives knew Andre Smith and noted among other things Andre’s taste =
for deep=20
air and other questionable training propensities. Ives was oblivious to =
the=20
lessons of these recent events despite the fact that they occurred in =
his own=20
backyard and he personally knew some of the players. </P>
<P>What we have here is another big accident waiting to happen. A fine =
drunk=20
driving course with faulty brakes and bad tires, thrown in for good =
measure.=20
Some willing boat captain will take this birdbrain and his unwitting =
students=20
out into deep water and the usual Charlie Foxtrot will ensue. The heavy =
tanks,=20
convoluted gear and narcosis will lead to a single or multiple fatality =
and the=20
excuse will be something along the following lines. "He (the victim =
- most=20
likely a student) got caught in monofilment", "his lift bag=20
didn’t deploy", " he panicked and breathed the wrong =
reg",=20
"the inflator didn’t work", "he gave the out of air =
signal=20
and I couldn’t locate his backup reg", "he gave me the =
ok and=20
then he passed out" or one of many equally stupid and inexcusable =
reasons.=20
</P>
<P>As we all know the real and most obvious reason is the gross =
violation of=20
"rule number one". What we have to ask here is how many of =
these=20
hopelessly ignorant, incompetent or just plain stupid instructors are =
out there=20
exercising their license to kill? Who or what will get this situation =
under=20
control before the list of the dead reads like the New York telephone=20
directory?</P>
<P>With warmest regards, your disgusted</P>
<P>Bill Mee</P>
<P> </P>
<P> </P>
<P> </P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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