Judging a diver's experience: logging number of dives and hours of dive time

[kelemvor]

This would probably be an excellent separate topic, probably been done but never a bad idea to share information on local custom concerning tips.

Yep, there's as many threads about tipping as there are about split fins or logging dives on SB.

 

[boulderjohn]

The experience of a person that spends a massive amount of time underwater, but who does only a few ascents (e.g. you stay for more than one hour and a half at 25/30m depth), is very different from the one who actually has the same amount of hours but dives deeper (e.g. average 50m) and often ascent in the blue, with strong currents.

And those skills are remarkably perishable. Take a year off and your ability to hold an open water stop will be noticeably diminished.

Obviously conditions are a factor, but as a cave diver the deco part is typically easy, typically pretty short for most (or almost never for Mexico cave divers).

There is a significant difference in decompression stops between 1) crawling into a niche in a cave, clinging to a rock on a cave floor, or lying on a big log in a cave mouth and 2) Holding a stop within a foot or two of depth while hovering in horizontal trim the ocean.

 

[Manatee Diver]

There is a significant difference in decompression stops between 1) crawling into a niche in a cave, clinging to a rock on a cave floor, or lying on a big log in a cave mouth and 2) Holding a stop within a foot or two of depth while hovering in horizontal trim the ocean.

I agree 100% which is why I do my deco related classes in open water.

 

[Scuba Client]

It is often debated how to judge a diver's experience. One way is to log number of dives and/or hours of dive time. I would be interesting in seeing how SB participants deal with these variables.

The question of judging experience is different from judging competence. The latter may really only be judged by observation of performance. There are many other ways to potentially judge experience, such as certifications or certification level. Duration of certification is probably not a good discriminator, by itself. Feel free to discuss these other methods of judging experience in your post.

I judge experience on how you handle a dive incident. If you panic and drown, you failed. If you live and give it away, you're sane.

 

[Wibble]

Not sure about it. One of the most complicated things about technical diving is the ascent (depending on where and how a person dives, obviously). The experience of a person that spends a massive amount of time underwater, but who does only a few ascents (e.g. you stay for more than one hour and a half at 25/30m depth), is very different from the one who actually has the same amount of hours but dives deeper (e.g. average 50m) and often ascent in the blue, with strong currents.

I believe that all these metrics (number of dives, hours of diving, and depths) are useful. And, as I have already said, not sufficient

Depends if that's open or closed circuit ascents.

OC is so easy in comparison to CCR where so much else is going on. Aside from dumping from the wing and drysuit plus winding the reel, there's dumping from the loop, monitoring O2, controlling the ascent, etc. Once at your deco stops it all calms down again.

 

[ginti]

Depends if that's open or closed circuit ascents.

OC is so easy in comparison to CCR where so much else is going on. Aside from dumping from the wing and drysuit plus winding the reel, there's dumping from the loop, monitoring O2, controlling the ascent, etc. Once at your deco stops it all calms down again.

But that is in perfect agreement with what I said....

 

[Julius SCHMIDT]

I hadn't dived in maybe 10-15 years and as I had lost touch with everyone, needed to get a ticket to dive, decided on some 55metre course, jumped in a two metre deep pool all new gear, wetsuit, never dived a plate, doubles, long hose, canister light no weight check, jumped in and hovered 1 inch from the bottom for half an hour. Did the same in the ocean with stages at the top and the bottom of the dives
OH yeah I was using an old mask that leaked like one of those fancy public building windows with the water running down during the pool time wasting session

So what is it on here that people think everyone is supposed to be sub par in desperate need of a refresher

 

[chillyinCanada]

I t

And those skills are remarkably perishable. Take a year off and your ability to hold an open water stop will be noticeably diminished.



There is a significant difference in decompression stops between 1) crawling into a niche in a cave, clinging to a rock on a cave floor, or lying on a big log in a cave mouth and 2) Holding a stop within a foot or two of depth while hovering in horizontal trim the ocean.

I truly hope that you are wrong about this.

 

[Wibble]

But that is in perfect agreement with what I said....

Didn't see the specific CCR mention, so was going off topic about our CCR challenges

It's most definitely the case that tech divers do fewer dives overall. They tend to be deeper, longer and more complex and a lot of new experience is gained. The worst example of counting dives are the 'pros' who're doing endless shallow training dives; lots of dives without learning.

 

[TMHeimer]

I hadn't dived in maybe 10-15 years and as I had lost touch with everyone, needed to get a ticket to dive, decided on some 55metre course, jumped in a two metre deep pool all new gear, wetsuit, never dived a plate, doubles, long hose, canister light no weight check, jumped in and hovered 1 inch from the bottom for half an hour. Did the same in the ocean with stages at the top and the bottom of the dives
OH yeah I was using an old mask that leaked like one of those fancy public building windows with the water running down during the pool time wasting session

So what is it on here that people think everyone is supposed to be sub par in desperate need of a refresher

What's a ticket to dive?