LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Who do you consider to be 'dive sector officials'?
Monday, July 24, 2006
Dear Sir:
Please allow me to respond to your article, 'Tank testing worries for dive sector'.
In your headlines, you referred to dive sector officials and several companies and senior officials. It would be nice if you had elaborated on who you have considered to be "dive sector officials"?
As a member of the Cayman Islands Water Sports Association, which is part of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA), we have an elected president by the name of Steve Broadbent who would be considered a Dive Sector official, yet my understanding is that he was not contacted in reference to this article.
As the main concern of your article is the hydro testing of tanks, I believe you should have done more investigating prior to your writing of this article.
Point #1- After Hurricane Ivan, Bob Sotos Reef Divers was the first open for business for hydro testing both scuba tanks and storage bottles while other companies were completing repairs to their facilities.
Point #2- The claim that finding prompt service is a "nightmare" and that scuba tanks have to be tested on a timely basis are both false as the hydro testing of a scuba tank is required to be done every 5 years so there is plenty of time in which to set up an appointment. The issue of the $25 per tank is the same price that has been charged for years. I find it hard to believe that, with shipping and duty, one would be able to send 100 scuba tanks to North America and pay less than $25 per tank to have that service done.
Point #3- You are correct that VIP (visual testing of tanks) is required on a yearly basis and that many of the personnel of dive shops on island have had training to perform this inspection. So it would be interesting to find out which "officials" eyebrows were raised and why?
As the owner and operator of a dive operation here on Grand Cayman for the past 12 years I can say that the water sports industry in the Cayman Islands is top notch and will continue to uphold the highest safety standards in the world.
Next time you attempt to contact an agency that monitors the diving industry in all aspects you can contact Steve Broadbent (Ocean Frontiers) who, again, is the president of the Water Sports Association, or Ken Thompson president of CITA.
Lastly, we hold association meetings monthly to discuss safety as well as all other facets of the diving industry. I would like to extend a personal invite to the author of this article to contact me if you wish to come and sit in on any of our meetings.
Keith Keller
Neptune's Divers Cayman Ltd
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