From: craig@cattnts.canada.ncr.com (Craig Campbell)
Subject: Re: Definition of "Recreational Diving"
Organization: AT&T / NCR Canada Ltd., Toronto, Canada
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 15:05:56 GMT

In article <1992Nov18.203536.25039@ncar.ucar.edu> wgreen@eckhart.scd.ucar.edu (Wayne Green) writes:
>An advanced
>diver should not push the limits of their group to meet
>their own advanced abilities or enhanced desires. As advanced
>divers, we promote safe enjoyment of the sport to maintain
>open bounds for advanced enjoyment of the sport. We have
>one case where the Mexican government has imposed a limit
>to prevent the accidents seen there by unresponsible 
>participation of divers going beyond the range of thier
>abilities.

Your statement, Wayne, just doesn't sit that well with me.  
While in Florida last January, my buddies and I signed up for an advanced
wreck dive.  Our logs were checked, to ensure that we had the proper
experience.  We were the first to sign up.  By the time the trip happened 
(the next day or two), the boat was fully booked.  After we had paid, and as
we were boarding the boat, (the 'divemaster' {heavy sarcasm implied} had 
noticed some of our gear) we started to hear of restrictions on our dive.

These restrictions included a depth limit (90ft?) of the first deck, a
complete ban on penetration (they didn't want us to take out lights or reels!),
and a mandated no deco profile (which my computer (and tables) declared as
a MANDATORY decompression dive.  The DM didn't care..I quietly asked him).
This group of advanced divers were observed to be a very un-advanced
group (BC's put on upside down, unable to assemble gear, extreme
anxiety, etc.).

My diving was (unjustly/unjustifiably) curtailed due to others limitations.
(As you can tell, I'm still p*ssed after almost a year!)  If I'm taking
students diving, or buddies of lesser training/experience, then I don't
plan dives outside their comfort level.  When I PAY US $$$ (converted from
the ever weakening Canadian $$) for an advanced dive with my buddies, I want 
to dive MY skill level, with absolutely NO REGARD for the other divers on the
boat that I am NOT DIVING WITH!  

In the recreational/sport world, divers should not dive in groups, but rather
buddy pairs (your buddy's equipment is your redundancy), so you need only
concern yourself with pushing your buddy's limits, not the group's limits.
With redundant systems, technical teams can consist of an odd number of
divers (we're supposed to be independant), so the term group could be applied.

I'm not forcing any other diver to penetrate a wreck we're on, why should
another diver be allowed to prevent me from penetrating?  (We didn't penetrate
the wreck, despite the ban, because a member of OUR team called it DURING the
dive.  According to our rules (personal), no appology, excuse, or reason is
required to call any dive any time.  I do believe that he was concerned with
annoying the boat crew.  My other buddy and I, were not. :-}  {evil grin})

>Wayne Green      NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research)

If you don't hold me back,
I won't bring you down,

craig
-- 
Craig Campbell		|	These opinions are entirely the result of a 
Systems Engineer	|	small butterfly crashing into the far side
NCR Canada,		|	of the planet.  Chaos Rules.
an AT&T Company		|	I speak for no one, except, possibly, myself.
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA