The Irish Underwater Council is seeking an exemption from the proposed new compulsory lifejacket rules for divers travelling to and from dive sites.
The council, also known as Comhairle Fó Thuinn (CFT), says that it agrees in principle with the need for lifejackets, and was one of the first organisations in the State to insist that every diver owned and used a lifejacket as part of safety equipment.
However, it contends that there are grounds for an exception to the new regulations, which will apply to all non-mechanically propelled craft under seven metres or 23 feet in length. It points out that every club boat within the CFT organisation carries an adjustable buoyancy lifejacket for every person on board, and divers' suits have sufficient inherent buoyancy.
"Even without any lifejacket at all, a diver's suit is capable of maintaining the diver at the surface for a period in excess of 24 hours, in safety and relative comfort in even moderate seas," the council said in a letter sent to the Minister for the Marine, Mr Ahern.
CFT said its vessels are equipped with full safety equipment, including flares and radio, and many of its members assist in search and recovery operations with the Irish Coast Guard on a voluntary basis.
