Starting a dive club/whats the liability?

[PJK]

Fellow Divers:
Starting a dive club, and being concerned about liability issues is huge these days. However, If you stick to a liability release form regiment, it should take away 95 %, (?) of the liability. The other 5 %, or maybe more, of the public are being convinced by Lawyers they have a legitimate case. Their will always be sue happy people in this world that point fingers and blame someone else for their actions.

Why not join other dive clubs or, Societies that are already in exsistance. For example, Minnesota Frogmen. The club has a group of main people that each have a boat and take turns using them. They also share an air compressor and even have extra dive cylinders to use and rent out very cheap. (I heard $5.00 for the day). During the summer months, they have a local dive every Sunday in Lake Minnetonka, and know of all the clear (VIS) and hot spots. They also have occasional weekday / nightdives. They also have dive trips to Lake Superior! Sometimes they even sponsor a trip to the Florida Keys during the cold winter months.

Their are a couple of key people to contact to find out more about Minnesota frogmen.

1-Jim Cilberti 952-935-2146
2-Bob Seper 763-473-1351
3-Mark A (Forgot his last name) 952-472-4651

Check them out! They are fun and inexpensive!

Their is another group of shipwreck divers that are very dedicated to the preservation of shipwrecks. They are a Society, and not a dive club. They are in exsistance so that we can continue to dive the shipwrecks of the Great Lakes safely, and so that the government can't think of a reason to ban divers from diving the shipwrecks.

The GLSPS , (Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society) would like to invite divers, non divers and Maritime History buffs, to join us in an effort to preserve these shipwrecks. Mainly along the north and south shores of Lake Superior and Isle Royale. It only costs $20.00 per year to join and they need your support! Why not join. They have many benefits for there members. For example,

1-The Society will be lauching a GLSPS work boat this summer in which they will be performing preservation projects.
2-They perform underwater light construction on the shipwrecks they are preserving. This will give you something to do underwater other than just swimming around.
(Taking the "light Underwater Construction" coarse is awsome)!!
3-Special Pricing on First Aid, Oxygen, AED, and other Safety classes.
4-Newsletters twice a year to members on the progress being made.
5-Hang out with very knowlegable divers. (They also have alot of "cool" stories to tell about past experiences on shipwrecks).
6-A rewarding chance to make a difference in the diving community. And many more !

Log onto the GLSPS web site for more details at, .

Also check out the annual "Dive Into the Past" show they are putting on Saturday February 28th 2004 at the Roseville area highschool. Check the web for details! They have a very good show planned for this year!!
The show is a great way to meet new dive buddies!

PLEASE check them out, they are looking for a few good members, divers and non-divers!

Hope to see you all there.

PJK