But even then, I'd want a buddy. When the volunteers roll out, are they deployed in pairs?Dive Concierge sounds so much more formal than Dive Butler....Sounder wrote:Zen Diver 2 (Valerie) is always looking for volunteers to join her Dive Concierge Program... you should ask her for more information. It's a VERY rewarding experience and will make you appreciate the demands of cold water diving so much more.
May want to check with the poster of that thread, Sparky. As I understand it, most divers working for law enforcement entities are actual deputies who are also trained in black water diving as Public Safety Divers. Google "Public Safety Divers" and you can find all kinds of info. Also contact the King County Sheriff's Dept. Here's an interesting article I found: http://www.policeone.com/news/1288088/Matt S. wrote:In another thread (http://www.nwdiveclub.com/viewtopic.php?t=2475) a member mentioned that he is a volunteer diver for his local sheriffs dept. in OR.
Are there any similar opportunities around the Seattle area? If so what level of training is needed?
I'd be happy diving in 10 feet of water for lost keys, if there was a need.
yeah, yeah; laugh it up at my expense. ](*,) apparently i need to make a point of getting more sleep than i have been!BASSMAN wrote:thelawgoddess wrote:that's not diving. wtf? i do still want to get to the EUP to help volunteer there some time, though!
Yeah, get some sleep my friend. I'll explain the dive butler thing to you in the morning. It was a joke Valerie started long ago...thelawgoddess wrote:yeah, yeah; laugh it up at my expense. ](*,) apparently i need to make a point of getting more sleep than i have been!BASSMAN wrote:thelawgoddess wrote:that's not diving. wtf? i do still want to get to the EUP to help volunteer there some time, though!
It's all her fault! 
The 'Big Buddy' idea is a great one, and one I already participate in, only in an informal way. There is a great need for this because in my opinion the certifying agencies do not require enough dives to make people feel comfortable in these waters. Maybe in the tropics but not here where the visibility is limited and the water is cold.. And so these newly certified divers are expected to go out after 4-5 dives and dive the Puget Sound with their other newbie buddies.. That is a bad idea and an accident waiting to happen.It's good to see people wanting to volunteer though. Perhaps we should set up more of a formal "Big Buddy" type program through the board where folks wanting to volunteer can help out newer divers by taking them out after thier cert dives.
I know right after I got certified one of the things I was always worried about was ruining a more experienced buddy's dive by giving them a short shallow dive where they mainly had to watch me struggle with bouyancy. Perhaps having an informal program where people volunteered to be "Big Buddies" would be a good way for new divers or visting divers to get out and do some diving.
Thoughts?
Jake
This may not be exactly what you are looking for...but it's definitely a volunteer diving opportunity. Salt Water State Park is always looking for divers to do "critter dives". Basically, you collect specimens for the many, many school children who descend upon that park during the extreme low tides of May & June. The rangers have their system down after many years of doing this. They don't allow the children to touch any of the specimens, and they do a nice job of interpreting. It's a fun experience as the kids tend to look at you as a dive God/Goddess! They'll ask a ton of questions about your gear, and there's always the standard, "Have you seen a shark?!?"Matt S. wrote: Are there any similar opportunities around the Seattle area? If so what level of training is needed?
This was the part I thought was funny.thelawgoddess wrote:that's not diving. wtf?
that sounds like fun. is there somewhere online we can find more information about it?enchantmentdivi wrote:This may not be exactly what you are looking for...but it's definitely a volunteer diving opportunity. Salt Water State Park is always looking for divers to do "critter dives". Basically, you collect specimens for the many, many school children who descend upon that park during the extreme low tides of May & June. The rangers have their system down after many years of doing this. They don't allow the children to touch any of the specimens, and they do a nice job of interpreting. It's a fun experience as the kids tend to look at you as a dive God/Goddess! They'll ask a ton of questions about your gear, and there's always the standard, "Have you seen a shark?!?"
If this is something that interests you, I currently have a contact list of about 20-25 critter divers that I'm about ready to turn into the rangers. If you'd like to be added, just send me a PM with your name, phone number, and days of the week that you are available.
Jenn
Definitely talk with Zen Diver 2 - she is coordinator for the DCP. It's a very rewarding volunteer opportunity.TCWestby wrote:This is interesting, I too have been interested in volunteering. How can I get more info on the Dive Concierge Program?
Hmm, guess I should get busy writing up some protocols!Sounder wrote:Definitely talk with Zen Diver 2 - she is coordinator for the DCP. It's a very rewarding volunteer opportunity.TCWestby wrote:This is interesting, I too have been interested in volunteering. How can I get more info on the Dive Concierge Program?
