Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
I'll add another twist.Two people:
Person A and person B do open water together and get certified.
Diver A decides he likes the whole class thing and takes all the classes he can one after another. He get's into DM program and get's all required 60 dives by never leaving class environment including internship. He becomes an instructor and teaches for the shop he originally got certified through. All gear he uses is what the dive shop mandes their instructors use and he knows no different from day one. After 5 years instructor racks up 600 dives but 90% of them are dives in 20 feet of water certifying students. The other 10% are with classes doing advanced and rescue courses. The instructor has never done an independant dive on his own with a buddy.
Diver B right away joined a dive club and 4 weeks later took advanced because a new friend was taking it and they figured it would be fun. Besides they needed the cert to get on the local charter boats. Diver B never does another class related dive. Half of his dives are over 100 feet. He's been on live aboards, has gotten cought in currents and had to fight to get back to the boat, he has done many challenging shore dives, and has tried all types of new and different gear. Over the same 5 years diver B only has 200 dives.
Which diver has more experience?
You decide to go on a day charter boat to an advanced dive spot with depths down to 120 feet and possible currents and the spot is offshore so wind and swells can come up making it into a double diamond dive. Your dive buddy cancels in the last minute but you decide to go on the trip anyway. When you get on the boat the DM tells you no solo diving at this spot.
Diver A and Diver B just happen to be on this same trip and neither has a buddy.
Diver A finally decides to break out of the dive shop and do a dive on his own, and Diver B has been on this boat 10 times and has dove this spot 5 times.
They tell you to buddy with either diver A or B, take your choice. Diver A tells you he has 600 dives, he's an instructor, and has been diving for 5 years. Diver B tells you he is only advanced open water certified, he has 200 dives and has been diving for 5 years.
Who do you dive with?