Better divers??????

[KD8NPB]

Every GUE diver I have been with (all two of them) has been the best insta-buddy I ever have had...

 

[Guba]

I'm not convinced nationality has too much to do with it. However, I've generally found that the farther away from "home" (where ever that may be), the more SERIOUS a diver is about their sport. I think "serious" divers--those that take care to know what they are doing and how to do it right--are better divers. They pay attention to detail, they listen to briefings, they communicate with their partners, and they are careful with their diving environment.

 

[3D diver]

Not really a competitive sport, eh?

 

[mala]

the tidiest divers i see dive cold waters in drysuits so warm water holiday dives are a breeze.
the worst are the holidays only divers .

 

[fnfalman]

I don't know about better divers but I've met a couple of German babes that were HAWT!!!

 

[Doomnova]

This is speculation. Not to say I have seen it myself but from hearing for other local divers I think it might have to do with diving conditions. Cold water trained and diving vs warm water. People who spend most of their time in drysuits or think neoprene suits(2 piece 7mm) for all their diving will have a leg up on the holiday crowd or the usual warm water crowd due to having to manage more gear and weight and the possibility of 2 air bladders(drysuit) making it much easier to deal with one. This also usually results in better overall shape of the divers hauling 70lbs of gear for 1.5 km along the breakwater to dive in vs 10lbs of a 200m sandy shore dive. So reliving them of those burdens lets the more developed skills show through easier. Also the cold water crowd I would say are more into diving all the time than just the recreation do it once or twice a year crowd. They dive because they have a want/need (depending on how badly they have the diving bug) to be in the water therefore making a more serious crowd which will also have divers wanting to improve their skills rather than just letting the I pass my OW cert I'm good enough crowd.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I have seen some great European divers and some "reef-wreckers". Same goes for Americans, Canadians, Asian.......training and experience are what I have seen witness to in producing better divers. Not regional differences.

YMMV

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I join with those who observe that recently active divers, regardless of training level and nation of origin, are better divers than infrequent and "rusty divers." I will say that I have observed Europeans divers, who usually train and regularly dive in cold and otherwise pretty crappy conditions, seem so gratetful for 80 degree water with 100 feet of vis that they have a great time and an easy time. I also think they are better listeners- listening to the boat briefings, the dive briefing, and that makes them stand out too.
DivemasterDennis (not a Eurpopean)

 

[mala]

american holiday divers heve a pretty bad rep around the world.

 

[DepthCharge]

What I'm talking about is general equipment knowledge (how to set up kit) Bouyancy controll, and what I call "awarness" in the water (how/where you are in the water collumn etc).
I'm talking about what I see at destination diving, and maybe it is the fact that many more americans are just 1 week a year divers, rather than more experienced.
Local diving I also see more "accomplished" divers. So maybe it's just more 1 week a year divers that I'm seeing at resort destinations. But.........given that, again are there more of that type of diver in the US VS other countries?
Later,
John