Do you think humble divers are usually safer divers?

[annie]

I think what we're talking about is trying to judge whether someone would be a good buddy or not.
I know that my first impressions of people are usually wrong, and often I don't have enough time to chat with a new buddy before diving to really decide what they're like.
But I do ask my standard questions about previous dives, experience, and I do a *thorough* buddy check, dive planning, explain about my dodgy ear etc. Their reactions to me (28yrs old, pink drysuit, big smile) tell me a lot about them. The humble types are ok with it, the cocky ones try to rush me, diss me, act like a matcho, whatever. So I form an opinion. But I never assume anything; some people are good actors.

 

[divad]

That's what everybody says.

 

[scywin]

In order to be safe, you need to be able to recognize your limitations and be prepared to abort a dive that is beyond your ability. This may correlate with a humble demeanor, but I do not consider myself humble but I will abort a dive if I am in a situation I can not handle even if others who are stronger or more skiled feel safe.

This honest assessment of my ability keeps me safe not only in scuba, but also in flying and even in driving my car. Age helps in learning your limits, but it is the attitude that counts.

 

[DivemasterBob]

To be Humble or not to be that is the question……I feel that it’s the actions that go on throughout the dive that divulge weather he/or she is a good diver. I think Immersed did an article awhile back about diver personalities I'll find the article and post it on this thread but if my memory serve me correct civilians were the most aggressive bunch of the whole group. To me what makes a good buddy takes time to find out. You have to dive with them learn how they dive to make an assessment if they are a good diver or not. Not how if they are humble or not on the surface. When I dive, on the way out to the site, after I rig and they go over my buddies rig I pretty much enjoy the ride and mellow out. Would I be considered a humble diver or some one who is mentally prepping for a dive??? How can you tell with out seeing me dive??? I have dove with some cocky aggressive, confidant technical divers who I wanted to shut up while we on the boat, but underwater they were A+++ . I have also seen quite humble really nice divers, get pretty jammed up underwater.
The point of my ramble is you have to dive with the person and see their skills before you decide if there are good divers or not and that means more than one dive……

 

[scywin]

I think the original question was not so much about diver skill as diver safety. I would rather dive with a careful newbie than a high risk taking expert. I suggest reading "The Last Dive". The characters were all excellent divers, but I would not want to be on the same boat with any of them!

 

[ElectricZombie]

I don't mind a bit of an ego as long as the person knows what they are doing. If the person is a jerk or is loud and annoying, I'm not diving with them simply because I hate people like that. A person can be skilled and have a healthy opinion of themselves without being a jerk. Don't dive with people you don't like or don't trust.

There is this idiot who dives on some of the boats I go out on a lot. The last time I saw him, he told me I was unsafe becasue I didn't carry a pony bottle. Oh, then he said that my doubles were unsafe, not a real redundant gas source and too difficult to use. All this from a guy who walks on the bottom and has almost killed himself several times while diving. What a jerk.

I don't have a problem diving with newbies as long as they have a reasonable amount of skill. I'm not going to babysit when I'm supposed to be relaxing. Actually, the guy I dive with most is one of my students I certified 2 semesters ago.

 

[DivemasterBob]

I think the original question was not so much about diver skill as diver safety. I would rather dive with a careful newbie than a high risk taking expert. I suggest reading "The Last Dive". The characters were all excellent divers, but I would not want to be on the same boat with any of them!

Good book and well worth the read for learning what not to do. But dosen't diver skill and diver safety go hand in hand, can you have a good safe diver that is unskilled???

 

[scywin]

There is no question that more skill is better than less skill, but expert divers can put themselves in situations beyond their ability too. The issue in my mind is does the person have a realistic assessment of their own ability? If you know your ability, whatever level it may be, and stay within your limits, scuba is quite safe. Put yourself in a situation a bit beyond those limits and you can get in trouble without knowing it.

This is what I think the original question was about when tssplash asked about humility.

 

[RiverRat]

Humble......................Let's see........

My first dive was a Discover Scuba in St. Maarten last year, warm water, great vis, great dive. Very relaxing. Awesome experience.
Great DM at Dive Safari's. After that I thought this sport was cake......boy was I wrong!

After finishing my OW dives last weekend in a 57 degree thermocline in a dark quarry, 7mm wetsuit and hood, a new mask that flooded about 15 times, losing my snorkel, getting "lost" in a sea of bubbles then realizing I was ascending (should of had my eye on my depth guage) and navigating with a compass when the vis went from 5 ft. down to about 1 ft. (with instructor of course) I am TOTALLY humble!

On my first ascent on the first dive I started to hypoventilate. Not good, felt like I was pulling too hard on the reg, and decided to surface from 10 ft. (I was the last one in and everyone soon "disappeared in the bad vis"). My instructor said I was trying to do too much at once, new gear, etc. etc. I was not in the best of spirits to dive anyway, so had it not been OW dives I probably would have called it a day.
Anyway, the instructor said "let's do what we gotta do" and she led me down the wall for a visual reference and within a few minutes I was totally calm and had a great weekend of diving and "learning" many new skills in a cold water, low vis environment. I plan on diving to my skill level, learning proper buoyancy etc. etc. before I even consider myself even slightly more than a novice.........Yes I now have a C-Card, but that doesn't say much at this stage of the game.

RiverRat the humble one

 

[scywin]

Congratulations on the new C-Card. I would dive with you given the opportunity. Yours is the attitude I like to see.