Madiera this Saturday

[gillenvy]

Protocal? (...try to SELL more gear, we don't have enough)

(Tireless are the transparent SALES PITCHES guised as “HUMBLE” opinion. I don’t think buying more gear has any equality to that we need to use our brains more often before situations like this happen. Though it's quite certain some in their domineering arrogance we'll keep reminding us that more gear and classes can be a solution, got to keep SELLING! )

THE SIMPLEST REDUNDANT AIR SOURCE IS FREE – A BUDDY.

Scubafreak: Being a PADI Instructor...
Among other safe diving practices, PADI states: “Adhere to a buddy system throughout every dive. Plan dives – including communications, procedures for reuniting in case of separation and emergency procedures – with my buddy.”

Even if his buddy had taken a little more time then him to get into the water, they could have probably caught up to Scubafreak as they would have had their fins on going the same direction. Maybe even have handed Scubafreak his other fin instead of having to tow him?

Maybe the buddy would have reminded the Instructor - Scubafreak, that it might have been more prudent to suit up fully on land before wading in, inflate their BCD’s beforehand. Buddy checks and establishing buoyancy I learned in my beginning scuba lesson.

Maybe another person would have offered advice to even call the dive? Or call for help?

A BUDDY would have been the extra set of fins, an extra air source, an extra set of eyes of what not to miss, and an extra brain to help remind the Instructor to STOP, THINK, before acting and getting into the water. Much of this can’t be purchased at a dive store, but can be shared together as a team with another, at perhaps even greater enjoyment..

PADI: “Be familiar with my dives sites. If not, obtain a formal diving orientation from a knowledgeable, local source. If diving conditions are worst than those in which I am experienced, postpone diving or select an alternate site with better conditions. Engage only in diving activities consistent with my training and experience.”

Protocal: Read Above!

Furthermore: “I understand the importance of and purposes of these established practices. I recognize they are for my own safety and well-being, and that failure to adhere to them can place me in jeopardy when diving.”

PRUDENT: Read Above!

Not following this, I believe Scubafreak earned his incident, and thank goodness he’s lucky it turned out for the better. Unlike Richard, I don’t think a PADI Professional Diving Instructor has the right to choose when it is CONVENIENT to follow PADI’s safe diving guidelines or not. To me, you can’t have it both ways, why be a PADI instructor then? If so, don't tell me what you teach is what I and my family learned - that's a discredit to what we accept and follow to be safer divers and ahere to it.

If you want to put yourself or others in activities that involve even higher risk or potential harm than recreational diving, then you shouldn’t be teaching for PADI. I’m sure you can find many ways like others to SELL to the higher risk seekers.

Nothing beats what we already have, a brain – it’s up to all of us to use it. As stated, established practices that the recreational diver employs help limit potential jeopardy, and in my opinion, nothing beats dive buddy teams - two brains offer smarter safety redundancy than anything you can buy.