[divetheworld]

Originally Posted by jknights

To put the training of divers (OC or SCR/CCR) into context I feel somewhat agrieved by some of the comment which encourages a thought process of once you are trained you are perfect and failure proofed. This is b******s.

Also I object strongly to being told by a manufacturer or individual that a unit I purchase with my money cannot be delivered to me until after I have been trained. If I want to be 'stupid' or 'idiotic' then that is my perogative, even to the point of killing myself.

As soon to be trained SCR diver I have no problem about wanting to do the training.
As an OC diver of 15 years experience, 10 years of which being a BSAC instructor I would say that some of the best and worst divers I have dived with are those that have been trained formally by BSAC and/or PADI. I'm not a perfect diver and have never claimed to be but I am very concerned about the safety of my buddy (where present) and myself. Yes, I do solo-dive and it is safe if done within strict guidelines (note not laws/rules), namely follow the plan, use an SMB and always have shore/boat cover.

I have also had the pleasure of diving with some of the old originals who had absolutely no formal training.

Can I ask some of the other contributors how the likes of Jacques Cousteau, Hans Hass and Rob Palmer, to mention a few, managed to become legendary divers, when they were the first and were therefore untrained. They had no formal training only a careful consideration of what was prudent and what risk-management to adopt.

Can I relay a saying that rings true in life "Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the absolute obeyance of fools". Choose which camp you belong to ;-)

Boy, oh boy, off soap box now. No personal offense to anybody I hope.
Happy diving all.

Excellently articulated my good chap. May green blobs abundantly fall upon you.