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Diving Officer's Report
Times they are a changing. A while ago a
comment was made about BSAC becoming more
and more like PADI because more BSAC
divers are using charter boats and leaving
all the dive planning up to the skippers.
Only REAL BSAC divers were able to take
out the club boat and actually locate and
dive a given site. Well that may not be
the case for much longer. Sovereign Diving
did get back to me and tried to offer
reassurance on many of the points I
raised. I have not had anything in writing
from them yet. One of the interesting
issues that Toby Douglas talked about was
the HSE recommendations that may well be
brought into force. He said that boat
skippers would not be allowed to give
information regarding dive sites, tides,
currents, visability etc. There was to be
a clear allocation of legal responsibility
to the Dive Marshall to plan dives and
give briefings. The skippers would only be
responsible for getting to and from the
dive site and getting divers safely into
and out of the water. It is to be hoped
that this would then mean that they would
have to address the propeller guard issue.
If this does come into effect, the DP & M
course will surely become compulsory and
we will all have to be a lot better
informed about where and when we dive.
Makes you think. Happy Christmas and
safe diving in 2006.
Kate
Dive planning and marshalling sheets don’t
seem to be used. Stewart to send a pack to
Dive Marshall of any new trips to remind
them of club procedure.
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