FROM THE PUBLISHER
Barbara Doernbach navigates the iconic Leru Cut in the Russell Islands group in the Solomon Islands. Accessible only by live- aboard, Leru Cut is a narrow passage leading from the wall to Leru Island, a 100-meter swim with light filtering down from above and behind the diver. A skilled crew will know the exact time of day in any season to ensure the dramatic backlight that reveals the detail of the fissure. Photo by Stephen Frink, Canon EOS 5D MkIII, Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L USM Fisheye at 15mm, Sea- cam housing, available light 1/80th second at f/5.6, ISO 320.
STANDARDS VS. JUDGMENT
William Cline, Publisher Patty Cline, Associate Publisher Amber Wagenknecht, Executive Editor Betty Orr, Senior Editor Neal Watson, Sr., Editor-at-Large Britain Cline, Advertising Sales Manager June Cline, Social & Podcast Producer Contributors: Alex Brylske, Ph.D., FL Cathryn Castle Garcia, Azores, Portugal SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY® MAGAZINE JUNE 2026 VOL. 3, NO. 6
An airline pilot operates under company pro- cedures, federal regulations, aircraft limitations, checklists, and weather minimums. But once that pilot is responsible for a flight, the ultimate decision still rests in the cockpit. If the pilot does not believe it is safe to fly, the plane does not leave the ground. Dive instruction is not so different. One cannot scroll through industry social media right now without seeing opinions about the recent accidents our industry has suffered. As is often the case after a tragedy, many armchair experts quickly weigh in on what is supposedly “wrong” with training standards, instructor ratios, agencies, risk management, and the way we teach people to dive. But before we rush to blame “lax standards,” we need to remember what a standard actually is. Training agencies establish maximum ratios, minimum requirements, required skills, super- vision expectations, and course performance standards. Those standards create the agreed- upon boundaries for instruction. But no agency requires an instructor to teach at the maximum ratio. A maximum is not a mandate. It is a ceil- ing. The decision to use that maximum ulti- mately belongs to the instructor. Should con- ditions, student ability, visibility, current, tem- perature, task loading, site logistics, or available support staff warrant a smaller group, it is the instructor’s responsibility to make that call. Like the pilot in command, the instructor must decide whether the planned training is appropriate for the conditions in front of them.
When I first started teaching, I was working in Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri. Like many inland locations in the Midwest, summer visibility could be extremely poor due to warm-water algae blooms. There were days when visibility was only three to five feet. In those conditions, without additional divemaster support, one instructor would be challenged to safely supervise a maximum-sized class while still meeting direct supervision requirements for teaching and evaluation. There was nothing in the standards that pre- vented me from being more conservative. I could divide the class into smaller groups, take two students at a time for open water work. Did it make the day longer for everyone involved? Absolutely. But safety was not com- promised. A ratio that may be reasonable in clear, calm, shallow water with experienced assistants may be completely inappropriate in cold, dark, low- visibility water with nervous students and no support staff. Standards define what is permitted. Pro- fessionalism determines what is prudent. So before we blame training agencies or assume the answer is always more regulation, we need to look inward as an industry. The re- sponsibility to manage class size, site conditions, student readiness, and instructional support rests with us. The agencies may provide the procedures, limits, and checklists. But once the class enters the water, the instructor is the one in com- mand.
Jeff Cinciripino, CT William Cline, TX John Christopher Fine, J.D., FL Stephen Frink, FL Mark B. Hatter, FL Al Hornsby, Singapore Tom Leaird, IN Steven Lopez, MSc, CA Jo Mikutowicz, Cayman Islands Dr. Carmen Obied, CA Dan Orr, ID Margo Peyton, SC Michael Salvarezza, NY Peter Symes, Denmark Harry Truitt, WA Christopher P. Weaver, NY Gil Zeimer, CA
Scuba Diving Industry ® Magazine (Print: ISSN 2996-1416, Digital: ISSN 2996-1424, U.S. Trademark #99278901) Published monthly by Cline Group LLC, 1740 Airpark Lane, Plano, TX 75093. Printed copies are mailed within the USA to select dive retailers & advertisers. Subscriptions are free to dive pros & distributed digitally to 165 countries. POSTMASTER send address changes to Scuba Diving Industry Magazine, 1740 Airpark Ln., Plano, TX 75093. Any part of this publication may be reproduced, as long as the source is quoted “Scuba Diving Industry Magazine.” Editorial re- quests: editor@scubadivingindustry.com or 954- 358-9660 The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Cline Group LLC or any of its affiliates. A.I. may be used to generate graphics or edits as needed. © 2026, all rights reserved by Cline Group LLC.
email William
free sta ff subscription
William Cline, Publisher
PAGE FIVE | SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker