Since this is a first issue we'll start off the opinions. Next issue it will be your turn to respond or submit your own dive issues or questions.

Using a Karate problem as an analogy, Can divers BUY their Blackbelt in Dive certification without really being able to take care of themselves when they need it most? Some of the major certification bodies, perhaps one in particular, have relaxed fitness and training standards over the years, in an effort to bring a larger piece of the consumer universe into diving. Today it is commonplace to get on a charter boat at any major dive destination and find many of the divers on the boat : unable to set up their own equipment without assistance; unable to submerge after something that looked more like a giant belly flop than a giant stride---you know, head down and fins kicking continuously in the air for more than a minute before they realize they are not going to get down; unable to control their buoyancy along the reef, and unable to make an ascent and safety stop without broaching the surface from an over-inflated BCD; or the inability to swim any real distance if they had to or even to pull themselves up unto the boat without assistance from crew...all these attributes were unheard of little more than a decade ago when standards were stricter. Should the Dive industry pull in its belt and not be so greedy, perhaps saving the lives of many people who should not dive? What changes can you suggest that could be implemented?

Many divers are being taught that having a second regulator attached to their first stage represents an alternate air source. It is the position of this Journal that a true Alternate Air Source should mean a pony bottle with at least 13 cubic feet of air, better still a 20 or 30 cubic foot tank. When the label Alternate Air Source is used to describe an extra second stage without a separate first stage, a false impression of purpose is transferred to student and frequent diver alike. And it is this false impression which could cause the drowning of these divers if a first stage failure occurs (the most likely regulator failure is the first stage). The pony tank should have either its own first and second stage regulator, or first stage regulator and Scubapro Air II buoyancy inflator and built in second stage. Further, your buddy should not be considered an alternate air source unless you can find a way to guarantee you will always be physically connected during your dives, and that your buddy will always have considerably more air than you. What are your thoughts ?