Do you want to be a better diver?

I have always wanted that. From my OW class, I knew my skills weren't what they should be. I signed up for more classes, and eventually different classes; I hooked up with a mentor and then similarly motivated others. I took more advanced classes, and even more advanced classes; to this day, I work on being a better diver. There are a LOT of parameters I measure -- it isn't just trim, or pinpoint buoyancy, although they are certainly part of it.

But I have dived with people who are completely happy with where they are as a diver. They can do everything they want to do, and they're comfortable, and that's all they need.

Where do you fall on the spectrum?

My goal is to get worse more slowly

when I was first certified, I would not have fully recognized what you meant I do want to be a better diver, but not only for my own personal enjoyment through advancement of training, etc but for others. I find much more enjoyment accompanying a nervous new diver or blind diver than for me personally entering into a new realm. Someday I will hit a cave, but until then, my heart goes all warm and fuzzy for a new diver with a positive experience or a special diver with a once in a lifetime experience with me

Donna

Nope. I've hit my peak. Just like golf, can't improve much. What I need is more diving.

Even though I "earned" my OW certification, I'm hoping to improve on those basic skills this year. That's because although sure, I could do each skill once, for the instructor and test, I don't feel like they are at all a part of my motor memory, and it makes me feel like I'm just barely good enough. I don't like that feeling. And from my two experiences on "real world" boat dives, that's not really the place to practice stuff (some of it, sure, but not the basic drills like took place in the pool).

So, on my upcoming trip, I am going to follow along as my travel-mate does his OW certification and I'll be doing a refresher. Not on the book stuff (I will study that at home prior to leaving), but on all the pool skills and the basic open water skills. We're going to do the class together, with just the two of us, and I'm hoping that in that setting I will feel free to ask for individual attention, if I need it, and to really drill on the basic stuff that you don't practice on a one hour dive with a group. Things like swimming with no mask on, doing buddy breathing, free-flowing regulator, etc. I want those things to feel like instinct, not like things I simply hope will go well when I need them.

I don't want to move along to any more advanced skills until I have the basics down cold, which I definitely don't feel that I have now. Then... we'll see

B.

PS: I wanted to add that by reading this forum, I've been able to get a good feel for what I might have missed - or might want to supplement - in my original OW training. I don't necessarily think I got bad info or had a bad instructor, but between the relatively short length of the class, and the fact that it was somewhat padded with PADI advertising and attempts to be "cool" and popular seeming, I can see the gaps. I aim to fill them.

I wonder how much of becoming a better diver is about training and how much is about mileage? Certainly both play a pretty key role in improvement. Of course, there's likely a good bit of discussion to be had around what makes a diver "better". These days I'm happy diving my favorite sites to stay practiced for diving while traveling and if I can get in ~50 dives/year I'll take it. The only metric I really work on at the moment is bottom time. There are a number of things I'm interested in, but I'm waiting to be more inspired before enrolling in those more advanced/technical classes.

Garrobo:

Nope. I've hit my peak. Just like golf, can't improve much. What I need is more diving.

Click to expand...

wow, lurker here, seen a couple of your posts, simple dude, in a good way are you truly not looking to learn more?

For some reason, that surprises me . . .

D

Woefully unimpressed with my current skill level.

Must keep improving!

All water near me is currently frozen solid, so I hit the pool every Friday. Since the pool is only 9 feet deep and the only thing to see in it is bandaids and hair - I've got nothing else to do in there except work on skills.

If by "better" diver you mean honing the basics then yes, I'll become a better diver. If by better you mean taking a bunch of classes that have no bearing on what I want to do and I'm simply taking them because they're available, or just so I can say that I have this certification or that certification. Then no, I'm not looking to be a better diver that way. For example; I wouldn't become cave certified if I had no real interest in cave diving. Or, learn to dive a drysuit if diving cold water wasn't something I would do. Those are trophy chasers and badge collectors. I'm only interested in learning and honing the skills I need for whatever it is I want to do.

By the way . . . being a better diver has nothing to do with technical training, or doing more "advanced" dives. It has to do with being BETTER in whatever way you think of improving, whether that's better buoyancy control, better buddy skills, better photography, better spearfishing, or whatever you view as your particular diving goals.

Garrobo, your post was very honest. I feel that way about my riding. After 20 years, I'm as good as I'm going to get, so the only goal is to enjoy what I'm doing.