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Firstly I have to say that since I live in England I have no idea about the rules governing diving in the U.S. but it sounds like you might be about to experience some of the problems we have had to contend with in the U.K. for the last three years. Recreational diving does not fall under the control of the government in the UK as long as money does change hands. You can teach your friend to dive and not have to worry about any controls except those placed upon you by the training agency that you are using. However if you charge your friend to learn to dive then a whole set of regs. come into play from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Pool training is Ok but when you go into open water then you must have a complete dive team available. (dive supervisor, stand by diver, and the instructor). The crazy thing is that this support is not for the students but for the instructor who is being paid and therefor coming under their jurisdiction. To earn money as a diver you must be an HSE part 4 restricted at least (part 4 being SCUBA, part 3 being surface supply, part 1 being offshore and part 2 being saturation). Here is the next bit of odd regulations, as a nitrox instructor you can teach nitrox to your students and have them breathing it underwater but you cant unless you are a part 1. This was the case a little while ago at least and it might of been sorted out by now. I know the HSE is reviewing the commercial diving training program and requirements at the moment. Perhaps it would be a good idea if those people involved in Diver training (not commercial diver training) got involved with the process. I'm sure that PADI UK is getting stuck in there so I would like to hope that IANTD, TDI, ANDI and the rest are putting their oar in to make sure it is done right the first time. For that matter why leave it to them alone. Write or phone the HSE and find out whats happening and how it may affect you. Having written this I just realised that I was going to sit back and let it happen, and that would have been a mistake because I could only blame myself for not getting involved if the result of the review was less than ideal. The same should could be said of yourselves in the States, dont just bitch if the you dont like it----- do something, write your congressman (I've always wanted to say that) Email Bill at the whitehouse, let him know how you feel, offer him a free diving course (or perhaps his lovely daughter Chelsea. Gotta go now I'm starting to ramble a bit. Gibbo John M. Gibbons 0171-793-1101 Home Univ. London School of Pharmacy 0171-582-6561 Fax Dept. of Pharmaceutical Chemistry 0171-753-5800 Wk ex 4882 jgibbo@cl*.ul*.ac*.uk* or jgibbo@cu*.ph*.lo*.ac*.uk*
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