Being a diver and a volunteer is it a match

Recent dive out to Pig Island ( one of the 5 Islands, The Gong, Aus) and
talking to the group I was surprised that all were involved in volunteer
work. Is this true of SCUBA divers in general? and if so why?

On May 14, 6:09 pm, "dechucka" <dechu...@vomithotmail.com> wrote:
> Recent dive out to Pig Island ( one of the 5 Islands, The Gong, Aus) and
> talking to the group I was surprised that all were involved in volunteer
> work. Is this true of SCUBA divers in general? and if so why?

Do you mean volunteer work in general or volunteering their diving
skills for various causes?

If the former, I don't know. I do know that diving, more so than a lot
of other hobbies/sports, offers a lot of opportunities to volunteer. I
am a volunteer diver at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, along with
about 200 others who are on the dive roster there and spend a full day
every other week diving to feed animals, clean exhibits and make
presentations to the public. Most major aquaria in the US also have
volunteer dive programs.

I know other divers who volunteer their time to do oyster restoration,
underwater archaeology, underwater debris cleanup and other services.
It's one of the things I love about diving.

gc

"George Cathcart" <george.cathcart@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:49270ea1-0ca7-4061-8d8c-16a8d7574dbe@e39g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> On May 14, 6:09 pm, "dechucka" <dechu...@vomithotmail.com> wrote:
>> Recent dive out to Pig Island ( one of the 5 Islands, The Gong, Aus) and
>> talking to the group I was surprised that all were involved in volunteer
>> work. Is this true of SCUBA divers in general? and if so why?
>
> Do you mean volunteer work in general or volunteering their diving
> skills for various causes?

in general but related to diving as well. The dive i was talking about there
was people from all volunteer groups from puppy walkers from local animal
shelters to the SES, RFS, Coastal Rescue groups etc

>
> If the former, I don't know. I do know that diving, more so than a lot
> of other hobbies/sports, offers a lot of opportunities to volunteer. I
> am a volunteer diver at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, along with
> about 200 others who are on the dive roster there and spend a full day
> every other week diving to feed animals, clean exhibits and make
> presentations to the public. Most major aquaria in the US also have
> volunteer dive programs.


cool

>
> I know other divers who volunteer their time to do oyster restoration,
> underwater archaeology, underwater debris cleanup and other services.
> It's one of the things I love about diving.

and also cooll

>
> gc

On May 14, 4:48 pm, George Cathcart <george.cathc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On May 14, 6:09 pm, "dechucka" <dechu...@vomithotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Recent dive out to Pig Island ( one of the 5 Islands, The Gong, Aus) and
> > talking to the group I was surprised that all were involved in volunteer
> > work. Is this true of SCUBA divers in general? and if so why?
>
> Do you mean volunteer work in general or volunteering their diving
> skills for various causes?
>
> If the former, I don't know. I do know that diving, more so than a lot
> of other hobbies/sports, offers a lot of opportunities to volunteer. I
> am a volunteer diver at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, along with
> about 200 others who are on the dive roster there and spend a full day
> every other week diving to feed animals, clean exhibits and make
> presentations to the public. Most major aquaria in the US also have
> volunteer dive programs.
>
> I know other divers who volunteer their time to do oyster restoration,
> underwater archaeology, underwater debris cleanup and other services.
> It's one of the things I love about diving.
>
> gc

ya.

Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium has only 13 divers on the roster.
It's expensive to build a scientific diving program what with
physicals and all, and outs is only just over 2 years old. If 1/3 of
your divers need a physical each year at $400 or so, that's a lotta
money. Do you have to pay for your own?

*

On May 15, 8:18 am, Star <lcl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On May 14, 4:48 pm, George Cathcart <george.cathc...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On May 14, 6:09 pm, "dechucka" <dechu...@vomithotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > Recent dive out to Pig Island ( one of the 5 Islands, The Gong, Aus) and
> > > talking to the group I was surprised that all were involved in volunteer
> > > work. Is this true of SCUBA divers in general? and if so why?
>
> > Do you mean volunteer work in general or volunteering their diving
> > skills for various causes?
>
> > If the former, I don't know. I do know that diving, more so than a lot
> > of other hobbies/sports, offers a lot of opportunities to volunteer. I
> > am a volunteer diver at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, along with
> > about 200 others who are on the dive roster there and spend a full day
> > every other week diving to feed animals, clean exhibits and make
> > presentations to the public. Most major aquaria in the US also have
> > volunteer dive programs.
>
> > I know other divers who volunteer their time to do oyster restoration,
> > underwater archaeology, underwater debris cleanup and other services.
> > It's one of the things I love about diving.
>
> > gc
>
> ya.
>
> Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium has only 13 divers on the roster.
> It's expensive to build a scientific diving program what with
> physicals and all, and outs is only just over 2 years old. If 1/3 of
> your divers need a physical each year at $400 or so, that's a lotta
> money. Do you have to pay for your own?
>
> *

Yes, we do. Most of the cost of mine is paid by insurance. The
aquarium has a deal with a local clinic that does the tests necessary
for divers for about $250. We have a scale up of how often you need
physicals and what tests you need based on age. I don't recall the
details (I'm over 60, so I need to go every other year regardless). We
have had a few people say they couldn't afford it and opt to fulfill
their obligations by being surface tenders.

Considering the long-term health care benefits and potential savings
of regular physicals, I think insurers should generally pay for them,
within reason. Not everyone needs a PFT, for example, but there are
lots of other tests that can and should be done.

gc

On Fri, 16 May 2008 08:37:03 +1000, dechucka wrote:

> but a windbag who is up to date with the major changes to CPR

If the changes so *major*, then people would have been dying right and
left from the old procedures... Maybe it is just a difference in what you
consider 'major' vs the rest of us? I'll believe it to be major when they
can show that at least 50% more people would live with the new procedures
who would have died with the old procedures... Getting volunteers for this
might be a bit difficult though...

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"Grumman-581" <grumman581+usenet-2008@gmail.com> wrote in message
newsan.2008.05.15.22.45.11.234000@grumman581-usenet-2008-gmail-com...
> On Fri, 16 May 2008 08:37:03 +1000, dechucka wrote:
>
>> but a windbag who is up to date with the major changes to CPR
>
> If the changes so *major*, then people would have been dying right and
> left from the old procedures... Maybe it is just a difference in what you
> consider 'major' vs the rest of us?


Well the Septic Heart whatever considered it a major change so I will go
with that. If members of rsc don't consider it a major change so be it.


I'll believe it to be major when they
> can show that at least 50% more people would live with the new procedures
> who would have died with the old procedures... Getting volunteers for this
> might be a bit difficult though...

I volunteer you

"dechucka" <dechucka@vomithotmail.com> pounded away at his keyboard
resulting in:

:Recent dive out to Pig Island ( one of the 5 Islands, The Gong, Aus) and
:talking to the group I was surprised that all were involved in volunteer
:work. Is this true of SCUBA divers in general? and if so why?

it's true of me on rare occasions. very rare occasions.

Dan Bracuk
Never use a big word when a diminutive one will do.


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> :Recent dive out to Pig Island ( one of the 5 Islands, The Gong, Aus) and
> :talking to the group I was surprised that all were involved in volunteer
> :work. Is this true of SCUBA divers in general? and if so why?
>
> it's true of me on rare occasions. very rare occasions.

It's true of me too.

I suspect that the kind of things that lead someone to take up, and stick
with scuba, are the same kinds of things that make people get closely
involved in other things. We tend to be somewhat passionate about what we
do, something common to those that volunteer.

Lee

On Thu, 15 May 2008 08:09:33 +1000, dechucka wrote:

> Recent dive out to Pig Island ( one of the 5 Islands, The Gong, Aus) and
> talking to the group I was surprised that all were involved in volunteer
> work. Is this true of SCUBA divers in general? and if so why?

I'm ex-Navy... NAVY -- Never Again Volunteer Yourself...

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