Boat diving speciallity

[Dr Stevil]

My understanding was that BH was removed from AD because so many divers only ever dive from charter boats, but we're going off topic

Anyhoo... I'd refuse on principal, after all you've got plenty of boat dives logged already.
But I'm sure this outfit can impose whatever extra charges and courses they like and get away with it, after all look at the misrepresentation fiasco of the recent cylinder markings!  "You gotta have a sticker because it's the law, I won't fill your tanks without stickers, we'll sell you some for three pounds each"  

So does this mean that from now on PADI, or at least this one outfit,  are not going to have boat diving in OW and AOW ? Can't see that catching on

[The Dougie Paddler]

The group in question is Deep Blue Scuba in Edinburgh, they are a reasonably friendly bunch, and I do enjoy diving with them, and am booked to dive with them in the Moray Firth later this year.

I can see the logic in asking new members to prove some boat diving experience. I have done both open water and rescue diver coarses with them, and although not covered in either of these coarses, I have done a number of boat dives with them at North Berwick and St. Abbs.

Last October they were happy to take me up to Scappa Flow, delayed crossing the Pentland Firth by 14 hours because of stormforce winds. Most of diving was done in sea states of 4 -6 with reasonable windspeeds. My arguement with them is that if it was ok for me to dive in these conditions in October then why now do I require to do this speciality now.

Will ask them for further info on "HSE direction"

Dougie