When You Go Scuba Diving Is It Safe to Assume That the Equipment You Rent Is In Proper Working Order? Philadelphia Swimming Pool and Water Accident Lawyer Advises “Be Careful.”
Scuba diving is normally one of the greatest and safest sports activities in the world and as an avid diver for well over 40 years, I travel many times a year across the globe to scuba dive and often rent equipment in from various dive operators rather than carry my own equipment. I just returned from a trip to a number of prominent Red Sea dive resorts and was shocked to see that many of the dive shop operators were putting profits above safety when it came to renting dive equipment.
The first thing an experienced and particularly novice diver should do before each dive is check the dive gear, particularly when it is rental gear. Although diving accidents are extremely rare, a faulty regulator or BC rented from a cost cutting dive operator can lead to catastrophic injuries or a fatality. Of course, these are not issues that are frequently discussed. However, when I questioned a prominent dive guide last week why so many people died in the blue hole off of Dahab, Egypt, he answered a simple “bad equipment.” I was told stories of failing regulators and buoyancy compensation devices which failed to inflate when necessary, causing the diver to plunge precipitously to an underwater death. Never assume that all rental equipment is in good order. Test it yourself. Do not be afraid to ask the dive operator when the equipment was purchased and if it is in proper working order and when and if it was tested. Always search for the most reliable and responsible dive operator and I recommend not seeking the cheapest rental or operator in the locale.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a swimming pool accident, diving accident, or other water accident, please contact one of our experienced diving and water accident attorneys for a free no obligation consultation. Our record of success speaks for itself.
