Do you REALLY know how to scuba dive?

[rakpix]

So what you are saying is a child who has recently learned to walk, who can stand up and travel to a chosen location without falling over - in control of that walk, yet clearly not a master yet - does not have the ability to walk?

no, they can walk. but is their action deliberate? would you trust a child to walk along the rim of the grand canyon? would you trust a student without deliberate buoyancy control to safely execute a carribean wall dive? in either case, uncontrolled motion resulting from uncontrolled action can have disastrous consequences. or in other words, you need to master "standing" before you can master "walking" .... in my mind anyway.

 

[freewillie]

This is what I know.

I know how to put together my scuba unit and get in the water.

I know how to descend to depth, cruise around the reef, ascend and perform safety stop, then get back on the boat or exit the surf back to the beach safely.

I can navigate with a compass reasonably well but could still use a lot more practice.

I know my limitations. I eventually want to complete a Advance OW course for night dives, deep dives, peak performance bouyancy, and underwater navigation.

I know I don't have quite enough experience to take my newly certified Jr OW daughter on a shore dive just yet.

I know that this sport is a lot of fun, and the learning is part of that fun.

I know that after every dive I have a huge smile on my face!

fun and safe diving.

 

[TSandM]

I think most of us can drive. I can get in the car, start it, and go to the grocery store; I can also get on the freeway and drive to Los Angeles, and I have all the skills necessary to do this in normal conditions.

My experience with commuting over a mountain pass in the wintertime, is that many people do not realize they do NOT have the skills to drive well in the snow.

I watch the Indianapolis 500, and I KNOW I don't have the skills to drive like that, at those speeds, under those conditions, and among those other drivers.

I think most divers can dive to the grocery store, and the ones who dive frequently can dive to LA. Most don't even realize that they could end up diving over a mountain pass, and few even know that there is a level of Indianapolis skill, let alone aspire to it. Some of us have the good fortune to dive with Indianapolis divers, and immediately recognize that there is a level of skill and control beyond what we have experienced. If we're REALLY lucky, somebody decides to mentor us toward that goal.