R-balljunkie, I too have rolled my eyes at individual profiles on ScubaBoard, but while reflecting on my own profile (as an Instructor), it is not too difficult to rack up numbers. Even before becoming an instructor, as some have mentioned, if it is a person's hobby, then they can easily rack up dives. I started diving in 1989 and got certified in 1995 (was lucky to have a father that let me use his gear at such a young age). Having a passion for something is a driving force for most divers with high numbers. Now granted, when looking at profiles, you have to sometimes read between the lines, and distinguish what is real and what is made up (not that it really matters if the information you get from ScubaBoard is relevant to why you logged on.) As an instructor logging dives (racking up numbers-not necessarily logging on paper or digital copy) is easy to do. Average Saturday, 12 divers, separate courses, 4 Open Water, 4 Advanced Open Water, 4 Rescue, dives rack up very fast. 0800- Advanced Deep Dive, 0900- Open Water Dive 1, 1000- Rescue Dive 1, 1100- Advanced Navigation Dive, 1200- Open Water Dive 2, 1300- Lunch, 1400- Rescue Dive 2, 1500- Open Water Dive 3, Break, 2000- Advanced Night Dive. Now per my standards (not the agencies) I only take 2 at a time down (if no Dive Master or Assistant Instructor is available), so in reality that same day my dives would be logged as such (25 minute dives): 0800-0900- 2 dives, 0900-1000- 2 dives, 1100-1200- 2 dives, 1200-1300- 2 dives, 1400-1500- 2 dives, 2000- 2 dives. Now considering these are training dives, most of the time does come from instruction, evaluation, or counseling on the surface before repeat of skills, so decompression sickness or any other diver related illness is not really taken into consideration (however, would be if dives were 25 minutes in succession). Add that up for 1 day and you would total 12 dives. Now on an average work week (Sunday through Saturday for me), Sunday on the lake I average at least one recovery (for small objects, sunglasses, keys, etc.) here around our docks. Then finishing up Open Water Divers (Dive 4) and Advanced Divers (usually Buoyancy, Search and Recovery, Deep, Wreck, Nitrox, Navigation, etc. to get their 5 dives) So 7 dives for Sunday. Monday's are slow so usually paperwork no dives (now that deer season is in usually I'm late on Monday's anyways). Tuesday I average at least one recovery dive or work dive (dock repair or hull cleaning). So that is 1 dive for Tuesday. Wednesday, being hump day, I usually make at least 1 dive for repairs or checking training platforms (replacing ropes, cleaning the area of debris for students / confined water teaching area and check out area). That is 1 dive for Wednesday. Thursday usually no dive, preparing for weekend on the lake (here at the marina). Friday's, I usually have at least 2 recovery dives (it still amazes me how many people - including myself - drop things getting off there boat and back onto the docks). So 2 dives for Friday. Saturday mentioned above, so 12 dives for Saturday. For the entire week that totals 23 dives. Now considering I dive and teach for 3 Public Safety Teams (we will leave out those dives for sake of time). On average we stay heavy in the diving business as listed from April To October (not including trips), so that is an average of 32 weeks x 23 = 736 dives during the heavy months. Now spread that out through the year 736 / 365 = 2 Dives a day for 7 days a week (average). Now to most this still seems extreme, but for those that work in the industry (commercial, teaching, PSD, etc.) It is not very difficult to rack up dives. In 2013, my company was hired to do a job by a large business in our area. Our job lasted approximately 6 months and consisted of making 5 minute dives ever hour for a 10 hour day, 7 days a week. During these dives, we had to check a drainage valve for debris, at the bottom of a 14 acre lake, while the lake was being drained. The lake was being drained because the dam needed repairs (rebuilt). This particular lake was also fire protection for the company (water fire intakes for the building), and those intakes had to be cleaned and inspected. Now adding that up (and yes these were short dives, 5 minutes, but were logged for inspection purposes and payment) 6 months (30 day average) = 180 days. 10 hour days (10 dives a day) X 180 = 1800 dives (seems like a lot, I know). Now add that to the 736 average dives per year and total would have been 2536 dives for the year of 2013. So racking up dives is a simple matter of what you classify a dive (depth and time, and on the teaching side of things, each training agency has it's own definition of what a dive is). To me I classify a dive, breathing compressed air, at anything more than 1 ata (putting my head under the water). Now that does not necessary mean I log the dive. I am in the neighborhood of 3000-4000 dives (not logging pool dives, though I still consider them dives being at more than 1 ata.). I would hate to give a more reasonable number because I'm not sure I could accurately calculate the number (including pool dives, work dives, etc.). For those that are not in the industry, it does seem more of a stretch to have high numbers, but I try not to discredit them, simply because of what each person calculates as a dive.
Your question of how do some folks have so many dives without access all of the time, well sometimes we must read between the lines (and continue to roll our eyes). (My profile)3000 dives over a 20 year period, is an average of 150 dives a year (average of 3 dives a week). Avid divers (even dive instructors who do it for a living) can easily obtain these numbers. Location does play into these numbers (instructors inland on the lake - compared to inland instructors that are not, or instructors that run a company that salvages, such as my company - compared to instructors in the tropics with high tourist numbers). But even being inland, there are still so many diving locations (most being free of charge), lakes, rivers, quarries, ponds, springs,etc., that one can rack up dives on. In the end, you must decide what you consider a dive (your definition), and then log those you consider legitimate dives. Then you will have your totals. But if you take an avid diver, such as yourself then logging a high number of dives is not hard to do. Saying in your profile that you have 200-499 dives is very reasonable for only been diving 5 years. You would have averaged 200 dives / 5 years = 40 dives a year. Over a 20 year period, 40 dives x 20 years = 800 dives (on the low side, 2000 on the high side, 499 dives / 5 years = 100 dives a year X 20 years = 2000 dives). As a recreational diver (I assume you are, forgive me if you are not, no disrespect), 800 dives is an awesome thing to be proud of. I would not have any trouble believing you have logged this many dives as an avid diver (40 dives a year is avid to me, great job keep diving).
One last thought, growing up I knew of a diver that made a living collecting golf balls out of ponds from golf courses, then turned around and sold them back to the golf course (They actually paid him to clean the pond and then paid to get the golf balls back, once again he made a living doing this at least for 5 years). Now he did this 5 days a week at 3 different golf courses, averaging 5 ponds per course. On average 10 ft depth (regardless of time, breathing compressed air at more than 1 ata.), 2 dives per pond a day. That is a total of 30 dives a day (30 dives a day did I say that right, once again your definition of a dive). Over a 5 year period his totals would be 39,000 dives. Keep in mind he only held an open water certification. Now I would not even begin to justify any reason to say that I had done 39,000 dives in a 5 year period, but numbers don't lie. What an awesome way to make a living (at least for 5 years), you know private golf courses probably paid him a good amount to do this. Hopefully this will help you understand why some have so many dives.
