Ginnie is the only system where I don't run a primary in the US.
In France the line starts always in OW and sometimes even in the air, so there is usually no need for a primary.
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Ginnie is the only system where I don't run a primary in the US.
In France the line starts always in OW and sometimes even in the air, so there is usually no need for a primary.
I wish we here in the US would do the same, and adopt the standard of putting in a permanent primary line leading to open water. I understand the philosophy of protecting OW divers who may follow the line into a cave, but I also understand how dangerous it can be diving in a popular cave on a weekend when 10 other teams are in the cave. I’ll probably get zinged for this comment, but I think the benefits of not having a permanent primary line outweigh the costs. And yes, I understand that I would not be the one to be hurt by following a line without the proper training.
Specifically, how many times have you gone in or out of the Eye at Ginnie, and had to negotiate 5 different primary lines, many of which are strategically placed to entangle any diver passing through the area. I call these primary lines gill nets. Maybe I should ask Greenpeace to take up my cause in the same manner as they are trying to address gill nets catching dauphins?
Or, maybe we can start a tee time process similar to golf? We can sign up for cave entry times and limit the number of primary lines in the opening?
Please note, I’m not criticizing those that put in primary lines. If I’m not diving in a cave that I haven’t been in 20 times before, I always put in a primary line. That is the safe thing to do. And yes, I agree we need to accomodate others in the dive team who prefer a primary line. That is the polite and respectful thing to do. My suggestion is to make running a primary line redundant, and put in a permanent line, strategically placed that is safe for everyone; a line that we can all rely on to be there when we exit the cave.
I think we here in the US feel we have a fiduciary responsibility to protect the irresponsible from harming themselves. If we have a sign in place warning open water divers not to pass, and they choose to ignore the warning and follow a permanent line into a cave and dive past their skill level, that is their choice and they should take responsibility for their decision. Kind of like allowing someone to operate a motor cycle without a helmet.