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Kevin, Obviously, there is plenty of interest in a solo diving certification course. As you said, they would not develop training if their weren't interest. I don't think anyone here is against agencies or individuals making money in the dive industry--we all make livings. The problem lies in teaching unsafe practices --and I am not talking just this solo diving certification issue. The thing that angered me about the article in Rodale's is that they introduce the idea of the solo c-card on one page and then there is an article (written by a lawyer) on the very next page outlining the dangers of buddy diving: they scare the reader by saying a diver is legally responsible for their dive buddy--he/she could get sued if something dreadful happens, that having a buddy is a hindrance for experienced divers, and they say that statistically dive partnerships fail more than they succeed. (where did they get these statistics?) They are good, they disputed every good reason to buddy dive. Budding divers who are excited by a new ability and who starve for more information about diving take articles such as this as gospel and I feel the article(s) are one big advertisement for their class. The tops of the pages should say "advertisement." Allyson -----Original Message----- From: kevin.obrien03@us*.cg*.co* [mailto:kevin.obrien03@us*.cg*.co*] Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 7:45 AM To: Manos Manoli Cc: techdiver@aquanaut.com Subject: Re: Solo cash classes At the risk of being severely flamed by many on this list, I have to disagree on the solo diver issue. I think that, for certain individuals, there is nothing wrong with wanting to dive solo. Aside from freedom of choice, which presumably we all agree on, there are valid reasons for some divers to want to dive solo. Underwater photography is a perfect example. Most of the time the buddy is bored to tears or nowhere to be found, as the photo diver moves very slowly and may spend a lot of time (maybe the entire dive) around a single subject. But let's get to the point that seems to irritate most of those against solo diving. You see it as a greed issue for the agencies. That's pure bullshit. Most of the time, the agencies are well behind the diving community, only finally creating new training after there is a proven demand for it. Come on, use your heads, is an agency going to spend lots of $$ creating training materials, spending legal fees, etc. for a course that only a very small number of people will pay for. Of course not. The agencies are for-profit businesses. They provide a service that a reasonably large group of divers will want -- enough so that they can make money. And making money isn't bad. Anyone else on this list in business ?? Do you want to make money -- or go broke ?? In fact, profit at the agencies allows them to do research, create new training approaches and other things that have made this sport safer every year. So, to the question of solo diving. Why not allow a capable diver that has appropriate training and experience to dive alone if he/she chooses ?? At a minimum, the agencies might require advanced/rescue level certification, minimum of 100 dives, max. depth 80-100 ft, completely redundant gas supply with min. volume, say a 13 cf pony, etc. as prerequisites. As a recreational diving instructor, I can tell you that when I have a group of non-certified open water students underwater on their training dives, I am diving alone. Who's going to help me if I have a problem ?? One of the students ?? Not a chance in hell. OK, I've said my piece. Flame on. Safe diving -- KOB. -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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