FROM THE SAFETY STOP
//
L E T T E R S F R O M M E M B E R S
12
|
WINTER 2014
ETHICAL OBSERVATION
The recent issue is very good across
the board, with a fantastic mix of
articles and pictures right through
to the end — the Parting Shot is
really nice. Great articles on South
Africa and gear maintenance, too.
“The Observer Effect” hit home.
I’ve been in that cove, and I’ve seen
the armada that hits the water in a
frenzy above the dugong once it’s
spotted. I backed off completely
when the splashing masses moved
in, and to this day, it still bothers me.
It is possible to responsibly observe
fish at cleaning stations, mantas
overhead and even octopuses
mating. And it is possible to watch
a dugong grazing and see it surface
from a distance without disturbing
it. It all comes down to respect for
the environment and for the critters
big and small that live in it.
— Jason Maddox,
Plantation, Fla.
A VALUABLE RESOURCE
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it
again: Alert Diver is a first-rate
publication, and DAN is a first-
rate organization. The magazine
is an important dive education
resource, and the membership
gives me peace of mind when I
dive. They are as much a part of
my dive bag as my regulator.
— Charles D. Sheldon,
via Facebook
I just received the Fall issue of
Alert Diver and found it packed
with information. The member-
submitted stories were the most
educational of all, especially “Just
Another Day at the Office” (DAN
Was There For Me) by Meghan K.
MacCollum. I have always put safety
first and have not had any incidents
requiring DAN’s assistance, but
MacCollum’s story reinforced to me
the need to make sure I keep my
DAN dive-accident insurance up to
date. As she stated several times, she
was diving in shallow water and still
got symptoms. Her story also lent
insight into how DAN assists after
such an incident. This gave me more
confidence in DAN’s ability to help
us diving professionals when we are
having just another day at the office.
Thanks also for helping me keep
my marine-life identification skills
sharp. I like to guess at the identity
of the creatures in your pictures,
and whether I am wrong or right, I
always learn something.
— David Crawford,
Lynchburg, Va.
INCOMPARABLE IMAGES
Congratulations to Stephen
Frink and the staff of Alert
Diver. The Fall 2013 issue is
full of underwater-photography
goodness, with excellent articles
and photos by Chris Fallows, Andy
and Allison Sallmon and Douglas
Seifert, a great interview with
Doug Perrine and more.
— Eric Cheng, via Facebook
Alert Diver raises the bar in our
industry. I opened my copy in the
car outside of the post office today
and was really pleased to see Doug
Perrine’s portfolio. His imagery,
ambition and knowledge of his
subjects set another very high bar
in underwater media.
— David Doubilet,
via Facebook
PLANNING AHEAD
I read with interest “Legal Liability
in Diving” (Expert Opinions) in the
Fall issue. I am fortunate never to
have been injured by an operator’s
negligence, but I have often been
troubled by the wording of releases
that I have had to sign.
Both Mr. Steidley and Mr.
Hewitt portrayed liability releases
as not covering gross negligence.
According to Steidley, “... a plaintiff
would typically have to prove
gross negligence ...”; Hewitt said,
“It may not bar claims for injuries
and damages caused by gross
negligence ....” On many occasions,
however, I have been asked to sign
waivers that included a paragraph
holding the operator harmless
in case of gross negligence. On
one liveaboard, I crossed out the
offending words and was not
challenged. On another I sat with
the captain in his cabin for about
10 minutes arguing about the gross
negligence clause and was told flat
out that if I did not sign the waiver
as written I would not be allowed
to dive. Rather than throwing away
several thousand dollars for the
trip, I caved and signed.
I wonder whether it would be
a good idea to ask to see a copy
of the operator’s waiver before
booking a trip and letting the
Letters
RANDALL BENTON
