Wazee 2009 Rules

[deep thought]

Wazee 2009

Hey folks, I just opened my letter from Jackson County Parks and there is some issues that concern me regarding Instructor use and abuse of access to the site, as well as students or divers abuse.  First off I must admit this letter has been sitting on my desk for weeks as I assumed it was the regular complimentary pass for dive centers…it was not – eek!  So my apology if I’m rehashing an issue, but I didn’t see a post regarding Wazee in this regard.

The park is not providing a pass to dive centers to allow instructor(s) access to teach diving at Wazee,  rather they are asking instructors to fill out a “teaching” form each day of diving with student names and DOB.  So the change is no pass card, the form was used last year, but they added student DOB.  The issue is that the park is concerned over instructors accessing the site for free when they are not actually teaching, and putting names of divers on the teaching roster that are not actually taking classes.  Instructors diving for fun was listed as not allowed, instructors were asked to pay. 

Having used Wazee for years, I have seen positive and negative changes, more positive than negative…but the site remains a tremendous resource for teaching and fun dives.  When you consider the resources the park has provided  (or allowed) such as underwater platforms with lines and floats, relaxed dive flag standards, artificial shipwreck, gremlins, diver tables, improved camping, paved roads, they are planning 2 new diver access points for 2010,  plus the high quality emergency response service, not to forget the coincidental benefit we receive from the well stocked fish population and the restriction on motorized boats... Yes the rate for diver entrance, parking or yearly permit has risen significantly but not out of line with other dive parks around the nation that I visit.

Having used Wazee for years, I have also seen people skip out on entrance fees, and once I was myself thrown out of the park for an alleged violation of park rules.  This story is actually quite funny and dates back to when a “dive shop” used to sell air on the property,  then the park policy changed to not allow sales of air on-site.  Keith was just opening his shop – early days – and the “other store” had summer hours…so as a back up I brought out a small shop compressor for my customers use.  The other store felt threatened so they called a park ranger who happened to be home painting his shed and was so riled up by the call that he came down to investigate.  I have some guy in plain clothes come up to me and ask to buy an air fill.  “Sorry” I reply, “no air to sell, this is for my divers only”.  “You are a liar” states this person, “I have it on good word that you sell air fills”, then proceeds to pull out his citation pad… Oh, Oh Boo-Boo, it’s Mr. Forest Ranger.  A nasty letter was sent to the park, and they remained ignorant and only obstinate conciliatory.  It was easy to deal with the complaining dive store – years of warning customers about bad air fills is tit for tat…and directing people to visit the shop that is there year round.  In years to follow I didn’t need to bring a compressor with a local store that supports rec and tech, then rebreathers –opps! that’s another story….

Compressors on site at Wazee are no longer allowed.  This has nothing to do with selling gas fills, it has to do with instructors and divers running compressors at locations that annoyed other visitors at the park.  This could have been totally avoided if people were considerate and moved to remote areas.  This does not apply to every person who had a compressor,  but a few people in bad locations.

Getting back to the park concerns over abuse or cheating on entrance fees, the letter states that instructors were abusive to park staff?  I don’t care for additional paperwork, nor am I excited about more hoops to jump through, but I certainly wouldn’t abuse park employees!  How about a positive letter to the park expressing your concerns or perhaps some suggestions on improving the check in procedures.  And for instructors who are teaching, we have a burden to ensure that our students are registered if we want to keep our concessions. 

For the divers who are using the park, please come prepared with small cash for the honor box when park staff are not on site, I realize it happens from time to time.  And from what I gather speaking with people who are close to the park, Rangers will be more active and writing citations for violators – be warned.  And I think we are past the point of returning to days of trust, we just have to accept layers of bureaucracy to enjoy Wazee.

Gee isn’t diving fun.

[MNDiveLady]

But now that gas is down to an acceptable arm and a leg, I plan to do a couple of Wazee dives this year!

[dfreeman]

You will probably see me there doing the Walleye run.

Doug

[dfreeman]

Some of these rules and letter may be due to an ice dive where a number of divers doing ice dives and instruction were percieved to not register nor pay up.  I think that this left a strong feeling in Jackson County.

Doug

[duidog]

Who know the law where a buisness charges for diving on a public dive park.  Per wisconsin statues, it isn't allowed. 

Not to mention Jackson County Sherriff Dept also been investigating the entire ice diving incedent.  I did receive a call from "Boo-Boo."  Apparently no-one paid the park fee's that day.

Instead of giving cash, I'm writing checks for proof unless they are at the window collecting.  The stupid forms don't work and J/C hardly keeps enough on site during the off season.

Well that is, if I ever return to wazee.

[WaterWolf]

If you guys are talking about this year's ice social, the statement above is not true. I was there with a few guys in different vehicles and we all paid.

Fred

[duidog]

Sorry Waterwolf.  This was as per an e-mail i received from the dive center whom hosted the Ice Dive Weekend and confirmed by a conversation with mr deputy.....

[divbum]

Unless something has changed, the fees collected by the shop hosting the social were only to participate in their social - use there ice diving equipment, trailer to change in, food supplied....  and never as a fee to use The park and that every diver was expected to pay for separately.  I would be very surprised that no one paid ???, as I know the diver I talked to that went bought paid for his annual pass that day.  Most people know the park rules and this was stated in past event announcements.  No different then running your open water dives at the park, students pay for the course and they pay the park fees.

[Chris H]

I don't think Waterwolf is claiming everyone at the event paid, but that the people that he went to the event with did.  I was at the event and also paid the park fee by purchasing an annual dive pass.

[matt t.]

Jackson County could certainly make it easier to pay the fee at Wazee. I understand staffing costs blah, blah, blah. But to not staff the entry booth every weekend from April-October is just plain ignorant. How much is Jackson County losing by not paying a HS kid $8/hr to staff the entry booth? I try to plan on having the correct amount for the envelope, but sometimes have to borrow from a buddy until after diving. I'll even admit to not paying a time or 2 (due to not having small enough bills) in the past 5 years or so I've been going up there. As far as instructors not getting a free pass anymore, it is unfortunate, but you are making money on the classes from students so I don't think purchasing an annual pass is to much to ask, especially for what you are getting from the site as an instructor. This year I plan to purchase the annual pass as I plan to do a lot of diving up that way with Red Granite on more of a decline. To the abuse the park workers were getting from divers, I've never seen it. Heck, the only workers we ever see wave at us as they are speeding by..... YMMV