100+ Dives And I Still Suck

[Puffer Fish]

not to boast or anything, but since most of my diving so far as been in lake travis, or half-an-hour south at aquarena springs in texas ... perhaps that's made the difference: cause i've actually been rather surprised at how quickly i've stopped sucking in just under 100 dives. i record my weighting on each dive in my log book, and adjust my trim religiously. keep my BC completely deflated for most of the dive, and stay horizontal. still diving wet, don't know when i'll go dry (when i have the cold hard ca$h ... IF i have the cold hard ca$h) but diving once or twice a week has really improved my physical memory, situational awareness, and buoyancy skills! i'm not saying that i don't have a lot to learn (taking my divemaster class this fall), but until i'm ready to invest in doubles, a drysuit, & trimix training, i'm feeling pretty comfortable.

You are doing two dives ...you just did them 50 times or so.

I dive from freshwater, to salt... from rives to springs to shore to way off shore. Current, no current...calm conditions... big seas...great vis, terrible vis, using 5 or 6 different types of tanks and 11 different suit combinations and lots of different depths. I have have a few more dives than you (0k, thousands more), and I have good days and well, not so good days. Last month in the Great Barrior Reef, our guide came up to me and told me I had unreal buoyancy control.... and all I could think of was "Glad she did not see me the week before, because I sucked".

In general, I'm at my worst with 25 lbs of neoprene on, at 100 ft, with a current and surge...I suck something terrible then. I'm at my best with a shorty on, with a light current and just drifting...everything in between, my suckiness varies with the conditions and how mental I am. After a shorty, dry suit is my next best.

I also play golf, and have a 4 handicap.. and from time to time, I also suck at that.

 

[Bogie]

I am getting close to a 100 dives in Monterey.

I am not the worst diver and not a great diver.

I learn from every dive. It is amazing the subtleties of diving. I don't think some of diving can be taught. I have dove in some tuff conditions this winter with huge surges and poor visibility. I still feel like a beginner but compared to my first 20 dives I have made progress.

The GUE people are excellently skilled divers.

I am not the most skilled diver but I think I have as much or more FUN than any diver.

I have a glow and a bug catching smile after every dive.

I love diving.

 

[bamamedic]

Yeah...um....I went on my first ocean dive EVER after logging nearly 300 dives in local quarries, lakes, freshwater springs and caves. I was absolutely amazed at the level of suckage I displayed on that first dive.

Current? What's that? You mean I can't let go of the line and expect to stay in one place?

Surface swimming 100 yards back to the boat against the current, in doubles with an 80 and a 40 under my arm, because I was stupid enough to let go of the down line...well, I don't think I've been more exhausted in my life!

Throw me into still water (or the nice, predictable flow of a cave!) and I actually look halfway decent. Put me into a current, diving off a boat, and I felt like a complete newbie who bought a set of doubles at a yard sale!

Although I've got nearly 300 logged dives...I'm beginning to suspect that about 200 of those are the same damn quarry dive, just repeated 200x.

Humbling experience...but good, because now I know that I've got just a ton of areas to improve on. I've just got to go out and get some more varied experience (which is what people have been telling me for the past year...*sigh*)

 

[tomboyy]

Well, SkimFisher, everybody knows that total dive count is not a reliable proxy for dive experience -- We dove with a guide on one of our trips who had 3000 dives, but in reality, he had about a dozen dives he'd done 300 times each. But I don't think it's unreasonable for someone to expect that at 100 dives, he should be better than he was at 10; or that at 1000, she should be better than at 100. If that's not happening, development as a diver has stagnated.

Unfortunately, everyone doesn't know this and thats why it's a good idea to keep an eye on insta-buddies no matter how good they claim to be or how many dives they claim to have.

 

[JanK]

...

The odds are that you will never reach the point where you have not seen other divers who are better than you, probably much better. You will always think you suck to some degree. Accept it. Positively.

And IMHO it is precisely the awareness and acceptance of this inevitable suckery that separates the good and the not good divers.

 

[Sas]

I was easily the worst in my OW class so have always felt I sucked at diving. These days after 350+ dives I suck a lot less and in the recreational diving that I do locally, I'm pretty good. But it took a long time to get there as I have never been a natural at diving. I'm moving on to different stuff now though and am back to sucking... I like how in diving there is always more to learn.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I posted a thread a year or so ago when I had 50+ dives and discussed how, after a year into my diving career, I still sucked.

Well... one year later... I still suck at diving...

Don't feel bad. I just marked my 34th Anniversary since basic OW.... on a scale of 1 to 10, I tip the "suck" scale as an 11.2, and if I sucked any worse, such a vacuum would ensue that even light could not escape.... but I digress

As always, you've written a terrific post.

You are well on you way to "less-suckiness".

It does get better.

But I still suck.

Best wishes.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

...
I came to the conclusion that you could be a moron and still have a good time in Hawaii ....

Peace,
Greg

I am living proof of the above

Best wishes.

 

[Scubagolf]

I had to laugh at the golf analogy. Great post.
I can't imagine feeling frustrated diving though. Anytime I'm in the water...surfing, body surfing, spearfishing or scuba diving...I never actually "measure" my performance. I'm just really stoked to have the means and to be healthy enough to be out there.

I couldn't agree more. I have thousands of rounds of golf over the last 40+ years and about 150 dives. I am constantly frustrated on the golf course, and never frustrated diving.

 

[diver_doug]

sabbath999

I suspect you don't suck (whenever someone's willing to admit they suck, they usually don't...see my signature), but you feel you suck when you guage yourself against more adept divers, or against some potentiality you have in your mind. It's good to understand one's limititations, areas in which one can improve etc. but one should also acknowledge one's strengths and abilities. I bet if you could instantly transition from the skill level you had during your cert dives to your current level of skill, you would feel that you've come quite a long way.