As a diver who witnessed such an event and find that no matter who you 
claim as your buddy, if he dies it is the family who sues, the lawyers who 
call them up, and the so called friends that try to influence them to serve 
personal reasons. All of that is strong defence for solo diving.

I do not preach solo diving and think it to be wrong.

  I still do it sometimes for lack of the right buddy. There are only a 
handful of divers I trust and the deeper it gets that number reduces to 
just 1. I once found myself about to do a 420ft and the only person 
available as a buddy had questionable past performance problems involving 
buddies, I chose to do that dive solo, that won't ever happen again.

  At 03:02 AM 6/6/01 -0700, Joe wrote:
> >>>: they scare the reader by saying a diver is legally responsible
> >>>for their dive buddy--he/she could get sued if something dreadful
>happens,
>
>Unfortunately, that is true.  If you are there and something bad happens
>that is litigated, odds are you will be dragged into it.  That is not to
>suggest you solo dive but rather that you judiciously select your dive
>buddies.
>
>jc
>
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Allyson <allysonclagett@ea*.ne*>
>To: <kevin.obrien03@us*.cg*.co*>; 'Manos Manoli' <cytech@ma*.co*.cy*>
>Cc: <techdiver@aquanaut.com>
>Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 7:12 AM
>Subject: RE: Solo cash classes
>
>
> > 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.
> >
> > --
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> >
> > --
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> >
>
>--
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"You can't learn to dive on the net, sooner or later you have to get in the 
water"
Your Guide to Great Wreck Diving along the East Coast & more
  Web Site  http://www.capt-jt.com/
Email     captjt@mi*.co*


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