What identifies someone as a "good" diver?

[Adobo]

You will know when you see one and they probably won't tell you how great they are either.

Really? Cus I think I am a great diver.:shocked2:

 

[Akimbo]

… Have you encountered many divers with good buoyancy that were not comfortable in the water?...

Absolutely. Their buoyancy was good enough that they were neutrally buoyant and didn't kick up the bottom. Buoyancy seems to be the "big thing" in recreational classes right now even when they don't actually understand Archimedes' principle.

Task loading is where they fall apart, not so much in buoyancy control but when one of the many things that they never experienced before confronts them. That's when their panicky eyeballs start to fill their politically correct low volume masks that don't fit them right in the first place.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Absolutely. Their buoyancy was good enough that they were neutrally buoyant and didn't kicking up the bottom. Buoyancy seems to be the “big thing” in recreational classes right now even when they don’t actually understand Archimedes' principle.

Task loading is where they fall apart, not so much in buoyancy control but when one of the many things that they never experienced before confronts them. That’s when their panicky eyeballs start to fill their politically correct low volume masks that don’t fit them right in the first place.

How does a tech instructor know he's reached your task load limit? Buoyancy failure. Keep adding tasks until the diver can't hold depth.

I'd suggest if a diver "falls apart" they don't met my definition of good buoyancy......

(maybe I should "be able to select a mask that fits")

Tobin

 

[FinnMom]

You will know when you see one and they probably won't tell you how great they are either.

I esp. appreciate the last part. Remember "Me thinks thou dost protest too much"? The opposoite is true too: if someone has to tell you they are exceptional, it's probably because you would never have reached that conclusion without their help. And possibly not even with it

This relates to being a good diver more than you might guess. A good diver isn't too prone to overconfidence & complacency, and generally everyone will be safer if feelings are not strained by having someone in the crowd that can't work & play well with others.

 

[boulderjohn]

So what makes a good baseball or football player?

The correct answer is there is not enough information to answer the question.

Are you talking about a little league player? High school? College? Professional? At each level, you will hear people players described as good or great, but they would get a completely different rating at a different level of play.

The same is true of scuba. The qualities that make someone good vary by the kind of diving being done. That superb resort area divemaster, the best anyone has ever seen there, might look as hopeless in a cave situation as Tim Tebow looked as a professional quarterback.

 

[Diver0001]

As far as indicators go, "unpretentious" would make my list. When modesty is not due to shyness, it can be a good indicator self-confidence in the presence of corroborating indicators like competence setting up gear, respect for other divers and asking relevant questions. It can mean a lack of a "need" to prove anything.

Or turned around the other way, "bragging" usually raises a red-flag for me. When someone is bragging I'm ordinarily wary of them and/or alert for them to do something stupid in order to prove something to either themselves or others.

The same can be said of internet forums, I guess... LOL

R..

 

[OldNSalty]

Matching colorful gear, yes?

 

[cool_hardware52]

Matching colorful gear, yes?

Only if it all black....

Tobin

 

[stuartv]

Someone who is good at all 6 things discussed in this book:

The Six Skills and Other Discussions: Creative Solutions for Technical Divers: Mr Steve Lewis: 9780981228020: Amazon.com: Books

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

even when they don’t actually understand Archimedes' principle.

I ran across this shirt: Archimedes (Eureka!) T-shirt design, printed on demand at weadmire.net that I hoped to wear when teaching OWSI students, but I was informed it could violate harassment policies. Oh well....