Rewarding Good Behavior

[TraceMalin]

On another board, the conversation about the School Sink fatalities made me think about ways in which we can convey a message that safe cave diving at all levels is equally, if not more impressive, than exploration, major dives, and other feats that we laud as a community. I suggested that the NSS-CDS, the NACD and other cave training agencies find a way of rewarding a safe attitude among cave divers. We presently have awards for the number of safe cave dives after full cave, but the idea of a "spirit award" came to me to be given to divers at any level of cave training who demonstrate an attitude toward safety and community that we can all respect and admire.

For example, divers who don't go beyond their levels of training, who seek to really master the skills, techniques and art of cave diving, who are great emissaries of the cave community by demonstrating positive actions and attitudes in their relationships with land owners, other cave divers, etc., who are role models for safe diving practices, who volunteer in the community among other traits and attributes which would reflect positively on the cave community in general would and should be recognized for their committment to safety and community.

I'm not sure how this could be implemented or what accounting procedures would work to verify such an award, or if it has any value to the community? Any thoughts or opinions on this? Do we already have one of these that I'm not aware of at this time?

Forgive the cross post, but I wanted to put this idea out to as many cavers as possible for attention or consideration.

[sskasser]

Awesome idea

[RN]

I liked the idea when you first posted it on TDS. I still like it. My main concern is verification of the qualifications. I suggest this be an award divers must be nominated for rather than one they can apply for. In addition there should be a requirement that 2 other people vote for the nominated to receive the award. This will make it mean something. Although I think I understand the concept behind the Abe Davis, Nicholson, and Exley awards, it's not difficult to forge a log showing the required number of dives. So the value of those awards (to me anyway) isn't very high. It's for that reason I've yet to apply for one.

[TraceMalin]

I liked the idea when you first posted it on TDS. I still like it. My main concern is verification of the qualifications. I suggest this be an award divers must be nominated for rather than one they can apply for. In addition there should be a requirement that 2 other people vote for the nominated to receive the award. This will make it mean something. Although I think I understand the concept behind the Abe Davis, Nicholson, and Exley awards, it's not difficult to forge a log showing the required number of dives. So the value of those awards (to me anyway) isn't very high. It's for that reason I've yet to apply for one.

I agree with you. Your ideas for determining award winners are the kind of thing that I had in mind. Those divers who gain the attention of instructors and divers in the community can be nominated by others and it would be nice if the honor or the reward was nice enough to make it a real honor, lucrative or otherwise rewarding to receive.

I haven't put in for any logged dive awards either, but that's mostly because when I log dives I just put the place and date and how many dives I did. No other information. I write them down on scrap paper or on anything if I want to make a note. Lots are just deco schedules in my wetnotes. I like to see how many dives I've done as the year gets underway lately because I usually hit between 200 and 400 per year. Those are all kinds of dives and mostly teaching or diving for fun locally at Dutch Springs, in the Delaware and St. Lawrence Rivers, a few local ocean dives, etc. I've been fortunate enough to be doing this pretty much daily for about 7 months out of the year. I'm actually enjoying the time off concentrating on working out every day and not diving after a busy year.

However, I'll probably be putting in for awards in the future because my girlfriend hooked us up with a gig in which a logbook is required. I bought a generic logbook that had more spaces for information than nonsense and I started logging cave, trimix and memorable dives. I went all out adding maps of the Old Freetown System on Grand Bahama Island where I spent a couple months this past winter, the Devil's Eye and Ear at Ginnie Springs, and the wrecks of the Vickery, Keystorm and America in the St. Lawrence where the logbook gave spaces for maps. Heck, I even added stickers to pimp the cover! With all the work I'm putting into logging now, I'll want some sort of bling-bling!

I was supposed to be cave diving and wreck diving in Florida since November 11 (and adding cave dives to the pimped out logbook), but as I was driving down, my mother was in a car accident. She swerved to miss a deer and ended up rolling down an embankment in an isolated area. She was stuck in her Jeep about an hour and a half before she was able to find her cell phone, dial 911, and have firefighters locate and extract her. After being admitted, blood work showed either the possibility of a heart attack or bruising from the impact. I returned home, of course, despite my brother, his girlfriend and even my mom assuring me that I should go on the trip. Turns out that her heart isn't in the best shape right now and she's going to need us to make things easy on her for awhile so all my travel is pretty much postponed for a few weeks. My girlfriend is in Florida now and probably will be diving the Keys for the next couple of days. I'm only slightly envious. If she was cave diving ... OUCH! That would really hurt! My heart enzymes would probably be severely elevated!

[TonyDCaver]

Trace,

I like the idea of this. Obviously negative feedback to divers who are not being safe isn't working, maybe giving positive feedback to those who are doing good would be for the greater good.

-Tony

[OFG-1]

Well, I don't know about you guys, buy I am already rewarded for my diving practices by being allowed to continue to walk, breathe, pay taxes, and listen to my wife b**ch at me. Somehow over the last 35 or so years, I have considered this to be a great alternative to a long dirt nap, and a pretty good incentive to be cautious.

[FW]

Well, I don't know about you guys, buy I am already rewarded for my diving practices by being allowed to continue to walk, breathe, pay taxes, and listen to my wife b**ch at me. Somehow over the last 35 or so years, I have considered this to be a great alternative to a long dirt nap, and a pretty good incentive to be cautious.

I agree with John.. We don't need anymore "red tape". Cavern divers are taught the need for training, and anyone diving beyond their level are doing so at their own risk.

[Sludge]

My instructor had a way of rewarding a safe attitude. It's called "not beating the crap out of us."

[netmage]

Attitude and discipline used to be prerequisites for technical training...

[Danseur]

Well, I love the spirit of the idea... and although it may take the smallest amount of work on the agency's part, it's well worth it. HOWEVER, MOST of the same effect could be accomplished if we really, as a community, went out of our way to notice and COMMEND divers who are doing things right at the cavern or intro level etc . Specifically, walking up to a diver at the dive site and just giving an ATTABOY etc. Replace (some) of the ego driven rational to dive beyond your level and replace it with another ego driven rational of respect of peers and and those leading in the field.

In a conversation with Trace he had also mentioned that shops could make a note of who always comes back within thirds (based on the fill pressures that they are obviously already measuring) and extend the ATTABOY, or perhaps even an award. Elegant idea I think...

I'm not a fan of 'Big Government' and certainly not 'Big Brother', so 'official' stuff I am weary of in many instances, but behavioral conditioning to convince people to get the training through positive reinforcement, by any means available, has to be a priority; Awards are certainly a simple, tangible way to accomplish this.

Good call Trace.