On 26 Jun 2003 at 12:48, John Nitrox wrote:

> At 05:17 PM 6/25/2003 -0500, Mike Wallace wrote:
>
> >Personally, I think the operation has some responsibility in insuring
> >that the customers are fully aware of the conditions they are likely
> >to face and in no uncertain terms they should be told that they
> >should not dive those conditions if they are not fully prepared for
> >them. After that, when the fins hit the water it's the diver's
> >ass.....
>
>
>          Moreover, I think it's incumbent upon the dive operation to
>          give
> potential customers information on the difficulty of the dive before
> those customers are sitting in diesel fumes on a pitching sea where
> self-estimation of diving abilities might soar.

Agreed. Apparently in this case that information may have been give to the
customers prior to the trip, according to the information that Don presented.


>
>          At the very least, the operation or DM, shouldn't make any
> difficulties worse.  On my last dive trip, the newest diver was
> running short on gas and was using his buddy's octopus when a DM
> approached him insisting that he use the DM's octopus.  Not being a
> DIR devotee, the DM gave the new diver a regulator which wasn't
> working instead of the one the DM himself was using.  It purged, but
> the diaphragm allowed water into the mouthpiece.  After a couple of
> aborted tries, the new diver gave up and went back to a working
> regulator, but this was an instance of a DM creating a problem,
> something which should never happen.

This guy was not  a DM as far as I'm concerned.


>
>          It's always the diver's ass, so don't be afraid to take a
>          pass on
> what the DM says.  Usually the DM is right and is very familiar with
> the risks, but the diver is the one who will be doing the dying if
> something goes wrong, so the diver shouldn't neglect his own good
> judgment.

Very well said!

Mike


>
>
> DPTNST,
>
>
> John


--
Mike Wallace
Huntsville, Alabama