Are cold water divers better?

[AfterDark]

As long as we're posting ice pictures here's an old one! There were no ice diving courses then, nobody knew that the hole should be bigger! Look close OMG no SPG's, no octos, no redundant air,no backup diver but it sure was fun! I'm on the right.

 

[EastTNDiver]

Well, I've never done any ice diving...but, here's a shot of a local quarry before we backed down the hill to unload our gear.

 

[Tropicalwolf]

Short answer, yes, training and diving cold can prep you for just about anything

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Short answer, yes, training and diving cold can prep you for just about anything

Not really ... diving in Puget Sound didn't at all prepare me for the exit at Monastery ... or, for that matter, surf entries in Hawaii. Typically, the closest thing we get to surf around here is when the ferry goes by ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Buoyant1]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I guess the question is; define "Better"

I'd say that maybe we are a little differently driven...but the objective is the same....we just need more equipment to make it happen YEAR ROUND!

Looking at my dive log, I only see missing months for February and April...mostly because it seems that my local quarry is FROZEN in Feb. and sometimes not thawed in April...I DID get in some March dives a few years back...but I've done a dive here every other month! And if I'm home for the holidaze, I plan on diving on January First again in 2012!

My last dive, the bottom temp was 41º. Thankfully I have a dry suit!

 

[OldNSalty]

I don't know about better but I suspect as a group they are more motivated. I would like to go ice diving one time but I have to admit, if I didn't live near warm water, I would probably only dive on vacation.

 

[caseybird]

I became a much better diver overall when I learned to dive cold. I had to have my "stuff" much more together for cold, and that rubbed off on my warm water dives.
However, I do not like diving when the water turns hard.

 

[shorediver66]

No, they a simply colder.

 

[Atom]

What you don't know can and will hurt you. Just ask Rich Pyle about how warm warm water is at times.
[video=youtube_share;UbFTdiBa9cg]http://youtu.be/UbFTdiBa9cg[/video]

Haven't laugh that much at a youtube video in a while, priceless! Especially the helium induced high pitch voice ; )

Nice thread, I think people are right on the idea that cold-water is kind of a filter that mostly lets through motivated divers, so it would be normal for those individuals to acquire maybe a bit more knowledge/technique. But like other pointed out, water temperature isn't everything, different locations have their challenges, I've never done a surf entry so I guess I'd have my ass kicked if I went diving in Hawaii, even though I've gone into -1C water.

So what's a good diver? Those things would describe a good diver to me...

-Has fun diving
-Is safe (knows when to thumb the dive, doesn't take unnecessary risks)
-Plans his dives properly (gas, time limits, other site specific hazards, exposure protection)
-Is a proper team diver when he dives with others
-Has good buoyancy control (and is not grossly over-weighted)
-Fit to dive
-Able to handle the required task loading for the dive planned
-Respects the dive environment so that other divers can enjoy it too (doesn't molest the reefs, leave the artifacts on the wrecks, doesn't annoy the people living near the site, ...)
-Knows his propulsion techniques enough not to mess the vis too much (or knows to stay off the bottom)
-I'd say good trim. But I know some people don't fuss about it (buoyancy is more important)
-Has taken a rescue class and keeps the skills fresh by practicing them once in a while

 

[Bombay High]

I always remember my first cold water dive. It was in Aberdeen, Scotland in February and its was absolutely Goddamned freezing, and I was wearing an ill fitting borrowed wetsuit. Very low viz. Nothing to look at except rocks and seaweed. After the dive we had to clamber up the rocks and cross a field of sheep in our gear to get back to the car park. When we got there, we came across another group of divers gearing up. And the whole time whilst we are stripping down and they are gearing up, I could not stop grinning.

Eventually one of them asks me, "so why are you grinning like that?"

"Because you still have to do it!" I replied with a smile.

Aberdeen in a wetsuit !!!! You must be ****ing insane !!