Dive and let dive... dealing with different styles of diving.

We divers are passionate about our diving and almost to a fault. We tend to like what we like and abhor most everything else. We divide ourselves into cults without even realizing it. Shortly upon reading the threads and posts here on ScubaBoard, you soon learn that a Back Plate and Wing is the ONLY BCD to consider, that PDCs will rot your brain and that if you dive with split fins, you will surely die. For the record, I don't believe any of those things but you would think that these are immutable truths by the sheer volume of postings to that effect. For the record #2, it's way OK if you do believe any or all of those things.

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The good book tells us that "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another". Think about that for a moment. That means we're not all going to agree and as we discuss those differences, we can expect a few sparks. The only way to improve is to evaluate and possibly adopt new ideas and strategies. As I approach the 49th anniversary of my first dive in June, I can tell you that my diving has changed for the better in so many ways. Yay! Some of those changes took a lot of time to evolve while others happened overnight. I am definitely a better, safer and more environmentally sensitive diver compared to that first plunge in Lake Underhill so many years ago. Just ask me!

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The point is that I've developed a unique approach to my diving and even my teaching. I'm proud of that approach too, but I've also learned to bite my tongue when I see people diving differently than I do. Dive and let dive. Why? Mostly it's because I'm not the Scuba Police. While I like the way I dive there are no laws suggesting that this is the only way to dive. Moreover, since a lot of what I have learned has been through trial, error and watching others do it right, I expect a lot of other divers are the same way. They would rather see a sermon any day than to hear one. Examples are huge and much of my teaching is summed up by telling my students to imitate me as much as they can. I set the example every second I'm in the water, especially when I'm with students. I can't tell you how many times people come up to me to ask how I look so effortless in the water. That's cool and you can bet I don't mind speaking at that point. On the other hand, unless I see them hurt the environment, I won't try to shame other divers into doing things my way. I'll gladly show you how I dive, but I'm not going to lambast you for diving differently than I do, even if you are wearing split fins! Dive and let dive.

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The same goes for teaching. I see instructors make their classes kneel all the time. I gave that up over a dozen years ago. Sure, it makes me shake my head and I will point it out to my class that they aren't allowed to kneel like that. But I'm not going to stick my nose into the other instructor's business and tell them how to run their class. No, indeed. I will set the example. I will talk to them about if they ask and many have. My OW class simply does not resemble other OW classes and often they'll simply ask me what class I'm teaching. I still won't mock or shame another instructor. I'm not the Scuba Police. Teach and let teach. I have and will approach an instructor to the side if I see an unsafe practice or if their students are standing, sitting or kneeling on the reef. Yes, I have a line that I don't want to see crossed, but for the most part, I dive and let dive.

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The same goes here on ScubaBoard. Post and let post. How many times have we seen a person ask about a particular BCD and get hit with 25 posts about how superior BP&Wings are. It's funny. But it's not. Are you right? To you, sure. But in a thread about a specific BCD, you're way off topic. How many times have we read people condemning a particular BCD and it turns out they've never dove one. Tell us what you do know, instead. It's not a bad BCD just because you didn't pick it. Recently we had a thread about a coming IDC and inviting others to join in on the fun. The first post was a hijack about how that poster didn't like that particular agency. Rly? If you don't have something good to say: sit on your hands! The OP didn't ask if anyone liked or disliked their agency, but they were looking for like-minded people to become an instructor with them. Dive and let dive. Post and let post. Don't let your need to grind an ax be a wet blanket for everyone else. Stay on topic. Read the OP (original post) to see that you are. If you have something that you want to say find a thread about that topic or start your own! Post and let post. Also, if a person doesn't agree with you: THAT'S OK. It would be a boring place if we all posted the same thing. Don't call them a name. Don't impugn their ancestors. Tell us what & why you believe what you believe and refrain from telling us what & why they believe differently. They can tell us if they so choose. Post and let post.

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Let's face it. We all love to dive. Most of the differences between us are mere nuances. Let's not blow them up into being something more than they are. Since this is Basic Etiquette for a dive boat or even a forum, I decided to put it in our Basic Scuba Forum. Dive and let dive. Teach and let teach. Post and let post.

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This is why I love our invasions. Crappy divers get sorted out pretty quickly into good divers. Our Bonaire trip was fun.

 

Nothing changes. The diving elite when I started were convinced that this concept was the only safe and proper way to dive. The US Navy is really effective at instilling a sense of superiority in working divers and combat swimmers, which serves an important operational purpose.

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Like everyone else, I bought into the group-think like every other young sailor -- until they put me in one of these. There are hundreds of reasons to go underwater and there are dozens of optimum styles for every one of them.