Dive Unprofessionals

[NudeDiver]

diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.

So basically ANYTHING can a "sport" according to some people.

My point, precisely.

Coming up next on the Summer Olympics: Competitive Crack Smoking!!

 

[vladimir]

So basically ANYTHING can a "sport" according to some people.

My point, precisely.

Coming up next on the Summer Olympics: Competitive Crack Smoking!!

Well, according to the dictionary, not anything, but a diversion, recreation, or pleasant pastime could be a sport. And look at that--they specifically mentioned golf. Of course you're free to make up your own definitions for words, but language works best when we use the commonly agreed upon definitions. And the dictionary lists them for us, in case we're unsure.

 

[BDSC]

Well, according to the dictionary, not anything, but a diversion, recreation, or pleasant pastime could be a sport. And look at that--they specifically mentioned golf. Of course you're free to make up your own definitions for words, but language works best when we use the commonly agreed upon definitions. And the dictionary lists them for us, in case we're unsure.

So let's see what Mr. Webster has to say:

1. A diversion; pastime.
2. A particular game or physical activity pursued for diversion. esp. an outdoor or athletic game as baseball, football, track, tennis, swimming, etc.

So no mention here of golf, bowling, or hunting & fishing for that matter. Great hobbies like scuba but definitely not sports.

 

[Monkey_Gland]

The instructor on my AOW course was an a$$. He made three students cry by repeatedly shouting at them and then after a student had made very hurried ascent after a panicking on the deep dive realised he hadn't packed the emergency o2 and we watched him get roasted by the dive centre staff.

Oh and I think there's a bloke down my street who'd at least medal for the crack smoking...

 

[vladimir]

So let's see what Mr. Webster has to say:

1. A diversion; pastime.
2. A particular game or physical activity pursued for diversion. esp. an outdoor or athletic game as baseball, football, track, tennis, swimming, etc.

So no mention here of golf, bowling, or hunting & fishing for that matter. Great hobbies like scuba but definitely not sports.

You have correctly noted that all dictionaries aren't exactly alike. I used dictionary.com. You can see that it might be inefficient to name each and every sport in the definition of sport, right? Wouldn't golf qualify as "a physical activity pursued for diversion," as Webster's put it? Or as "a diversion; pastime"?

 

[Doc]

Originally Posted by LastManOut and quoted by Vladmir: I had an American chap come on board a boat once like he owned the place. Fat, loud, and obviously rich due to the thousands of dollars worth of gear he brought on, we had him spotted before he reached the turn of the U-berth.

What are the odds?

Vlad, you missed the irony of the highlighted terms that I added to that quote. (LMO got it, I think. Dunno)

First, we see a seeming unsubstantiated inflammatory subjective judgement. (like he owned the place)

Second comes a comment based on the person's physical attribute. Argue physical condition as you will, it is merely prejudgemental in this case. (Fat)

Third comes a derisive comment as to the man's obvious greater wealth as compared to the observer. (obviously rich)

Fourth comes the ultimate in pre-judgemental tip off, a stated admission that this was a group-think behaviour. (We had him spotted before...)

Fifth, the reference to: grow large amounts of facial hair and are generally disliked. Another apparently cultural thing, I never made the connection between having a beard and not being loved by momma.

Throw into that mix the needless and indictive solitary use of specifying nationality (American) in an otherwise quite broad based observation.

I've learned any number of interesting things about diving by engaging any and all in converstaion, including fat, wealthy Americans. Loud? I try to avoid....

An objective criticism of compatability, "loud' is an entirely different story, but different nationalities exhibit varying volume levels of speech.

Every nationality has it's own idiosyncrasies in speech, take for instance the endearing use of local down under slang (having an absolute tosser for a teacher). I just love all them Aussies. See?

My point was about pre-judging, ego and the warning that possibly "recognizing" these negative aspects of any human, specifically in a highly subjective manner, can be quite indicative of hubris.

Again- we're all different. You can decide to alienate yourself immediately from a dive instruction client. Zenophobia comes in all degrees, it is in human DNA to distance yourself from others that are different.

Gonzales: There is one question, Inspector Callahan: Why do they call you "Dirty Harry"?
De Georgio: Ah that's one thing about our Harry, doesn't play any favorites! Harry hates everybody. L*****, M****, H****, Fat D****, N*****, H******, C*****, you name it.
Gonzales: How does he feel about Mexicans?
De Georgio: Ask him.
Harry Callahan: Especially S****.

Or you can, by sticking it out for 1 short week, develop lifetime observations that will provide statistical, seemingly objective reasons to hate certain nationalities or specific people. Science! Aint it grand?

 

[BDSC]

Wouldn't golf qualify as "a physical activity pursued for diversion," as Webster's put it? Or as "a diversion; pastime"?

Nope!

 

[DiverDurf]

I am a new diver (cert. in Dec) with only 10 dives under my belt so far.....but I'm trying, lol! Anyway, I have only come across one dive instructor so far that I didn't care much for and he was with another agency. I remember my instructor and I coming out of the spring after my final checkout dive and he was congratulating me, etc. The other instructor is from our city as well, so naturally they both knew each other. He invited us over to his tent to chat it up a bit, and he offered us a beer while slamming his own down after just taking a solo diver down for a checkout dive. THEN........it happened. The bravado came out and he started talking about how many hundreds of divers he has certified, and how "back in the day when men were REAL divers," yada-yada-yada........all in front of me (the newly certified diver) and his own student still finishing up his checkout dives. I just chuckled to myself and walked away.

 

[Tortuga68]

Every nationality has it's own idiosyncrasies in speech, take for instance the endearing use of local down under slang (having an absolute tosser for a teacher). I just love all them Aussies. See?

Tosser is English slang, not Australian; we would call them wankers

 

[vladimir]

Nope!

It's hard to argue with that sort of logic.