Hobart, Tasmania: Exploring the underwater world for seafood in Tasmania is a way of life for many locals, but recent fatalities have raised concerns about the lack of regulations in recreational diving. Hooker diving, a method where divers receive air from the surface through a long hose, has been highlighted as a risky activity, particularly when divers use homemade or self-serviced gear.
Recreational diver John Stanfield enjoys the freedom and precision hooker diving offers, allowing him to plan and execute catching crayfish. However, the fatality rate among recreational divers in Tasmania is alarmingly high, with two out of four deaths this year involving hooker rigs.
Concerns have been raised about the risk-taking behavior of hooker divers who make or repair their own equipment, potentially using inappropriate materials like paint compressors. Experts like David Smart advocate for new laws to safeguard recreational divers, pointing to the success of work health legislation in the commercial diving industry in preventing deaths since the 1980s.
Every week, the hyperbaric unit at the Royal Hobart Hospital treats divers suffering from decompression illness, with cases linked to the misuse of hooker equipment. Professor David Cooper, the unit’s director, emphasizes the severity of this condition, which ranges from mild symptoms to sudden death.
Following investigations into previous fatalities, Tasmanian coroner Olivia McTaggart has called for stricter regulations in recreational diving, though she stopped short of making formal recommendations. The Tasmanian government asserts that it does not regulate recreational diving activities, placing the responsibility on individuals engaging in hooker diving to maintain their equipment and assess the risks involved.
As the debate on regulating recreational diving in Tasmania continues, the spotlight remains on the need for increased safety measures to prevent further tragedies in the underwater world that many locals call home.