imasinker
Contributor
Recently I have had this discussion with many divers experienced and some not so experienced. So I am looking here to see what other divers think about this subject.
I was certified last May and have logged 40 dives not including my open water. Of that 40 dives 16 were wreck dives deepest being 111 feet and yes I am now certified advanced. I chose to take time in between basic diver and advanced to learn my skills better and prepare myself to become a better diver. Now I don't consider myself an experienced diver, but I would say I am a safe and confident diver. NOW with saying that heres a take I think worth discusing. I have seen people take the open water diver course, the following week take the advanced course then head off to do deep dives and charters with only 8 dives under their belt being class dives open water, thinking they are qualified and experienced. So now your on a charter and you look at someone you don't know and they say " oh ya I am an advanced diver. To me diver trainning that being Padi or any other organization can differ from instructor to instructor. I will say those I learned from were amazing and very well respected as instructors. Just because you hold a certificate saying your advanced or rescue trained doesn't mean your an experienced diver and sadly sometimes not all that qualified. Diving and continuing to dive and train is what i think makes an experienced diver. Am I wrong with this opinion? I see this as a problem at times with divers who immediatly go out to dive places they are unfamiliar with and havent dove much at all,thats when accidents happen. We all were once, and i still am a new diver. Some of us take to diving like fish to water, pardon the pun while others are far from ready and I have seen this too many times in my short time as a diver. Thats what scares me. It just bothers me to hear someone say " I have my advanced diver certy I know what I am doing" Diving and continuing to dive makes you a diver right? what do you think?
I am not or do not want to offend anyone by this post, please do not feel this as a rant or attack, but more of a concern.
Rob
I was certified last May and have logged 40 dives not including my open water. Of that 40 dives 16 were wreck dives deepest being 111 feet and yes I am now certified advanced. I chose to take time in between basic diver and advanced to learn my skills better and prepare myself to become a better diver. Now I don't consider myself an experienced diver, but I would say I am a safe and confident diver. NOW with saying that heres a take I think worth discusing. I have seen people take the open water diver course, the following week take the advanced course then head off to do deep dives and charters with only 8 dives under their belt being class dives open water, thinking they are qualified and experienced. So now your on a charter and you look at someone you don't know and they say " oh ya I am an advanced diver. To me diver trainning that being Padi or any other organization can differ from instructor to instructor. I will say those I learned from were amazing and very well respected as instructors. Just because you hold a certificate saying your advanced or rescue trained doesn't mean your an experienced diver and sadly sometimes not all that qualified. Diving and continuing to dive and train is what i think makes an experienced diver. Am I wrong with this opinion? I see this as a problem at times with divers who immediatly go out to dive places they are unfamiliar with and havent dove much at all,thats when accidents happen. We all were once, and i still am a new diver. Some of us take to diving like fish to water, pardon the pun while others are far from ready and I have seen this too many times in my short time as a diver. Thats what scares me. It just bothers me to hear someone say " I have my advanced diver certy I know what I am doing" Diving and continuing to dive makes you a diver right? what do you think?
I am not or do not want to offend anyone by this post, please do not feel this as a rant or attack, but more of a concern.
Rob