Do you consider yourself an 'Advanced' diver?

[tedtim]

But I am just a recreational diver.

Me too, and quite happy to stay in that area of diving.

 

[cloudboy55]

I think the difference between, say, a new diver with five dives versus a diver who has 80 dives is great, but as you pile on more experience the difference begins to lessen.

Around Tennessee, it seems like we certify most divers in quarries as OW or AOW divers when, IMHO, they've not distinguished themselves in a number of important areas. How do you deal with current? How does one dive from a boat? How does one enter a boat after diving? Most of these AOW divers have never experienced these things, and from what I've seen recently may not have dove deeper than 40 feet or so.

I was certified in Key West and had my AOW certifiication in West Palm Beach, so I suppose I place a premium on the above thing I've mentioned. On the other hand, I never had a cold water diving experience until I came home to the quarry in Tennnessee!

In my opinion, the degree of variability between OW and AOW certifications based on location, instructor, etc is too great. It definitely makes me choose dive buddies carefully, regardless of the agency that certified them.

 

[midwestdvr]

Nope, I don't consider myself and advanced diver. 50+ dives all warm water, half of them DM led. Consider myself an average recreational diver.

 

[asmith5]

I consider myself and advancing diver and will never call myself an advanced diver. I improve or learn new skills every time I dive. I won't consider myself an advanced diver untill I have learned all of the skills possible and have a 100% chance of getting myself and my buddy through every possible scenario that could happen under water. That obviously will never happen because you never know what could happen. I always tell myself that the dive that I feel I know everything could be the one I don't survive. I will always be learning while diving and I will never consider myself an advanced diver regardless of my experience. I will just keep trying to improve and keep myself and my buddies safe.

Andrew

 

[friscuba]

I'll consider myself advanced when it starts to get hard to find anyone who can teach me something I don't already know.

R..

I like that definition.

 

[friscuba]

I think the difference between, say, a new diver with five dives versus a diver who has 80 dives is great, but as you pile on more experience the difference begins to lessen.

You say that now. Ask the guys with a thousand dives, or better yet thousands of dives if the difference lessens. It may lessen some, to where you might not notice a big difference after an additional 50-80 dives, but not nearly as much as one would think. There was a post earlier by Scubakevdm stating that at a thousand dives he thought he knew what was going on... then...

For me, the more I dive, the more I realize how much I don't know. I think you'll find that a common trait with most of the divers with larger numbers of dives.

later,

 

[Cobra852]

I like to consider myself a student of Diving.

 

[Santa]

I'm afraid that most of the times I ever felt advanced I was really not.

Nowadays of course I'm suitably humble. Centre of the universe should be.

Edit: Come to think of it I once knew a female diver in a less-than-platonic type of fashion. Her card said advanced but i felt she was more like ... complex.

 

[DiverBuoy]

Wait ... I trip when walking ... get bruised when falling ... and you want to know if I'm advanced when submerged in a "toxic" environment the near exclusive domain of mammals like whales and dolphins?? Pah-leeze.

 

[Santa]

Drrrgh! Why won't anybody say they're advanced.

Now it's impossible for anyone to say they're advanced because all the experienced ones are so %&/% humble.

It's a trick.

Someone out there must be! Someone must feel smugly advanced yet not tell!

Come forth, show yourself, it's a da ... no wait a DOUBLE dare.