nolatom
Contributor
I was thinking about how some of us learn from parents and schools, some of us from books, but most of us from experience?
("Experience is a tough teacher, she gives the test first and the lesson afterwards". I don't know who said that, but it wasn't me.)
But some of the useful things I've learned in my limited scuba experience over the past 15 years or so:
Humility-- the ocean is more powerful than I am, I'd better learn its rules (Boyle's, Dalton's, many others).
Take advice, and listen to instruction-- everything in that PADI book I got, was there for a reason.
More humility, and respect for Nature--"welcome to the food chain, folks, you're no longer on top"
Knowing when your "point of no return" is, *before* you've reached and passed it-- air, nitrogen, oxygen, ocean current to name just a few.
Remaining calm during what seems initially like task-overload--"Stop, Breathe, Think, Act", *in that order, not the other way around*
Saving something for the other guy/girl--My last 500 pounds is for you, and vice-versa.
Get good equipment, and take care of it-- It's life support, the downside to cheap or neglected gear is not attractive and will happen at the worst possible time.
Meeting new people, getting to know them, and taking a chance on them, it generally works out-- we (or "I") call this, the "instabuddy"
Respect for those who went before us--"real" wrecks we dive
Honesty--inflate your BC or wing, but not your experience and knowledge, in the pre-dive buddy chat.
Appreciation for the beauty of Nature-- we get to see stuff first-hand that most people don't
Knowing your limits-- sometimes, chasing one possible casualty will result in two casualties. Learn when to call a dive.
Paying it Forward-- buddy with the newbie, just as the more experienced buddies tolerated and taught you when you were the newbie
Being observant-- what's around you, good or bad? is that diver narced, and needs to come up 20 feet? Do you note on the way out, what it will look like on the way back?
Giving encouragement, or at least constructive rather than belittliing criticism-- I've been on both ends of this one, honey helps the medicine go down.
Listening in class-- okay, this one is not experienced-based as such, but the instructor's voice, remembered, got me out of a couple of scrapes that could have been worse.
Okay, those are the habits and character traits I thought of, and I'm still learning. Others??
("Experience is a tough teacher, she gives the test first and the lesson afterwards". I don't know who said that, but it wasn't me.)
But some of the useful things I've learned in my limited scuba experience over the past 15 years or so:
Humility-- the ocean is more powerful than I am, I'd better learn its rules (Boyle's, Dalton's, many others).
Take advice, and listen to instruction-- everything in that PADI book I got, was there for a reason.
More humility, and respect for Nature--"welcome to the food chain, folks, you're no longer on top"
Knowing when your "point of no return" is, *before* you've reached and passed it-- air, nitrogen, oxygen, ocean current to name just a few.
Remaining calm during what seems initially like task-overload--"Stop, Breathe, Think, Act", *in that order, not the other way around*
Saving something for the other guy/girl--My last 500 pounds is for you, and vice-versa.
Get good equipment, and take care of it-- It's life support, the downside to cheap or neglected gear is not attractive and will happen at the worst possible time.
Meeting new people, getting to know them, and taking a chance on them, it generally works out-- we (or "I") call this, the "instabuddy"
Respect for those who went before us--"real" wrecks we dive
Honesty--inflate your BC or wing, but not your experience and knowledge, in the pre-dive buddy chat.
Appreciation for the beauty of Nature-- we get to see stuff first-hand that most people don't
Knowing your limits-- sometimes, chasing one possible casualty will result in two casualties. Learn when to call a dive.
Paying it Forward-- buddy with the newbie, just as the more experienced buddies tolerated and taught you when you were the newbie
Being observant-- what's around you, good or bad? is that diver narced, and needs to come up 20 feet? Do you note on the way out, what it will look like on the way back?
Giving encouragement, or at least constructive rather than belittliing criticism-- I've been on both ends of this one, honey helps the medicine go down.
Listening in class-- okay, this one is not experienced-based as such, but the instructor's voice, remembered, got me out of a couple of scrapes that could have been worse.
Okay, those are the habits and character traits I thought of, and I'm still learning. Others??