Nagano Maru Wreck, Truk Lagoon. © Copyright Werner Thiele. All Rights Reserved.
A good guy we know in Europe, (we'll call him Helmut) who dives the North Sea all the time, posted this excellent question on a major social medium a little while back. Helmut asked rhetorically “Should recreational diver certifications be forever?” Here was my reply & a semi-snarky debate that soon ensued...
John Hessburg: An excellent question. Thanks for bringing up this important topic, Helmut. We have pondered this many times as well. It's our feeling that for especially the more serious technical venues, like cave & cenote diving, wrecks in Truk & the Solomons, deep mixed-gas wrecks in the mid-Atlantic, heavy-current dives in the NordSee, etc. perhaps the industry might consider requiring proof of a refresher course for any divers who've gone, say, longer than 2 or 3 years without a dive. Would love to hear the ideas of other divers, both pros & recreational enthusiasts...
Derek (pseudonym): I like the way G.U.E. certification works; after you get certified, you have to renew your certification after 3 years. You have to "proof" you made a minimum of 25 dives on the highest level of your certification, by uploading your logbook entries.
Manfred (pseudonym): "Bad divers die. I like that. Sort of thins out the mix u know." (His exact words, folks.)
John Hessburg: I'm calling baloney on these remarks, Manfred. Not even remotely clever nor funny. Your comment crosses the line. Here is a story showing why you may wish to rethink this....
A few years back a couple buddies & I were diving, on our own, off Ala Moana Beach Park near Honolulu on Oahu island. When we came back to shore & were shucking our gear, we saw a commotion 100 meters down the shoreline & we rushed over to help. While taking a resort course from a local dive shop, a young Japanese tourist was stricken with DCS-2 & passed out cold in the water. The instructors hauled him to shore & tried to revive him, but he slipped into a deep coma, likely from a brain aneurysm or catastrophic stroke. Then his breathing stopped...
The crowd watched helplessly as all color drained from his limp body, & paramedics struggled frantically to restore his vital functions. His wife & many friends watched him slowly slip away into a gray ghastly death & the looks on their faces were so horrified, so sad to see a loved one ripped from life right in front of them, I am certain had you seen that wife's devastated expression, you never again would feel comfortable declaring "I like that."
Meanwhile, back in the North Cascades I served a few years on the Mountain Rescue Council as well, & sadly, many of our "clients" were brought off the peaks literally in pieces after static falls of 100 - 500 meters; or were so battered beyond recognition by long bouncing falls down jagged faces that we had to haul them away in black rubber bags. If you could have been there on those missions, comforting the wives & children & parents back at base camp, who were worried sick & waiting for word from the advance team, you never again would feel comfortable making jokes that cold & hostile.
Sure, there are bad divers & bad climbers, but they are human beings with families. And if you were ever in a jam after a diving accident, I am sure you would appreciate a rescue team showing you a bit more compassion & concern than you expressed today. Best wishes to you, young man, & I hope you'll give this some thought. God bless you & your family this Spring.
Dive often, dive smart & dive safely, sir. Don't go thinning the mix on us, now...
John Hessburg: An excellent question. Thanks for bringing up this important topic, Helmut. We have pondered this many times as well. It's our feeling that for especially the more serious technical venues, like cave & cenote diving, wrecks in Truk & the Solomons, deep mixed-gas wrecks in the mid-Atlantic, heavy-current dives in the NordSee, etc. perhaps the industry might consider requiring proof of a refresher course for any divers who've gone, say, longer than 2 or 3 years without a dive. Would love to hear the ideas of other divers, both pros & recreational enthusiasts...
Derek (pseudonym): I like the way G.U.E. certification works; after you get certified, you have to renew your certification after 3 years. You have to "proof" you made a minimum of 25 dives on the highest level of your certification, by uploading your logbook entries.
Manfred (pseudonym): "Bad divers die. I like that. Sort of thins out the mix u know." (His exact words, folks.)
John Hessburg: I'm calling baloney on these remarks, Manfred. Not even remotely clever nor funny. Your comment crosses the line. Here is a story showing why you may wish to rethink this....
A few years back a couple buddies & I were diving, on our own, off Ala Moana Beach Park near Honolulu on Oahu island. When we came back to shore & were shucking our gear, we saw a commotion 100 meters down the shoreline & we rushed over to help. While taking a resort course from a local dive shop, a young Japanese tourist was stricken with DCS-2 & passed out cold in the water. The instructors hauled him to shore & tried to revive him, but he slipped into a deep coma, likely from a brain aneurysm or catastrophic stroke. Then his breathing stopped...
The crowd watched helplessly as all color drained from his limp body, & paramedics struggled frantically to restore his vital functions. His wife & many friends watched him slowly slip away into a gray ghastly death & the looks on their faces were so horrified, so sad to see a loved one ripped from life right in front of them, I am certain had you seen that wife's devastated expression, you never again would feel comfortable declaring "I like that."
Meanwhile, back in the North Cascades I served a few years on the Mountain Rescue Council as well, & sadly, many of our "clients" were brought off the peaks literally in pieces after static falls of 100 - 500 meters; or were so battered beyond recognition by long bouncing falls down jagged faces that we had to haul them away in black rubber bags. If you could have been there on those missions, comforting the wives & children & parents back at base camp, who were worried sick & waiting for word from the advance team, you never again would feel comfortable making jokes that cold & hostile.
Sure, there are bad divers & bad climbers, but they are human beings with families. And if you were ever in a jam after a diving accident, I am sure you would appreciate a rescue team showing you a bit more compassion & concern than you expressed today. Best wishes to you, young man, & I hope you'll give this some thought. God bless you & your family this Spring.
Dive often, dive smart & dive safely, sir. Don't go thinning the mix on us, now...
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