Hi Alan,Your guess is certainly as plausible as any others I've been able to think of. You make some good points, however I'm skeptical about ignoring ABS in regards to their rule making procedure which includes input from industry sectors such as commercial and passenger carrying vessels, but not the private sector. I've always felt it's much better to be proactive in hopes of setting your own future in case the worst happens rather than waiting for the worst to happen and then react to it. Remember also, as someone else said earlier, it's not ABS that will be regulating us but government, insurance companies, etc. I don't think we have anything to lose, or fear, by participating with ABS or any other rule making authority. At worst, they ignore our input. At best, we make things better for ourselves.
We have power as a special interest group if we use our resources wisely and speak with a common voice. I just counted about 60 manned submersibles listed on the MTSMUV web site. I know of about 55 private manned submersibles from the psubber community. I suspect there are other commercial/research vessels that exist which are not listed on the MTSMUV website, but I also know there are many private p-subs submersibles not listed on our web site either. We'll have to do a more thorough inventory count, but it's very possible we in the private sector already are as large as the commercial sector, if not larger. So I think we have a valid claim to make in asking to have our voice heard, and I think we have a valid question in "Why are you ignoring us?" Not just of ABS, but any cert agency or other entity.
Jon Alan James wrote:
Hugh & Jon,Maybe ABS don't want to talk to amateurs because they want to turn a blindeye to what could become unpopular & complicated. To have a lesserclassification would mean that they would have to compromise existing rulesthat they feel are important. As long as they ignore us, lets ignore them & enjoy the freedom.I don't think we've grown to the point where it's worth considering regulationor certification. I only know of 2 homebuilt subs in NZ.You can scuba dive in NZ without getting any certification & basically you are a wet submarine with human propulsion that's exposed to large man eating predators, the bends, nitrogen narcosis etc. There are an estimated 90 deaths per year world wide for scuba. Hugh mentioned hang gliding; all of my 3 friends thatparaglide have ended up in hospital as a result & I know of many more.The US Hang glider association had a 1.33 percent fatality rate per year of it's members over a 10 year period. That's a 1 in 10 chance of getting killed if youcontinue that sport for 10 years let alone getting injured.What I'm saying is that compared with what's out there I don't think we need to getparanoid about being regulated.What is going on in the group at the moment seems pretty good. If someone is doing anything suspect the whole group lets them know it (as I've found out ).Regards Alan
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