What's wrong with being a recreational diver?

[MXGratefulDiver]

As far as I know...and I'm sure I will be corrected..."recreational diving" is defined by almost all of the certifying agencies as requiring no decompression obligation (a safety stop is not an "obligation," per se) that is not conducted in a overhead environment that is more than x feet from the nearest access to the surface.

It's really a matter of degrees. All dives are decompression dives. Within certain limits, you can avoid obligatory stops by coming up sufficiently slowly ... but even that restriction implies a decompression obligation that requires a certain level of skill in order to do safely.

Likewise a swim-through in Cozumel is an overhead environment ... no different than a cave except by degrees.

Before you run you must learn to walk ... before you walk you must learn to crawl ... but in the end it amounts to the same thing ... using your muscles to get from Point A to Point B. The distinction between crawling, walking and running is really a matter of degrees.

The distinctions you are making in diving are no different.

But I do agree that those who have just learned how to crawl should not be in a rush to learn how to run ... that's a good way to hurt yourself.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Rhone Man]

Likewise a swim-through in Cozumel is an overhead environment ... no different than a cave except by degrees.

Pretty big degrees though.

 

[DevonDiver]

Yeah..degrees like climbing a flight of stairs, or climbing Kilimanjaro.

It's the same process, same actions.... different scenario entirely...

 

[dwhthediver]

All my dives are recreational, even when teaching and being looked at as a "professional", the great thing I have found while teaching...not only are the students learning, so am I, and evolving my teaching and divng techniques. I love photography, not as good as I would like to be, so when not diving with students, I practice bouyancy, and framing, and getting the proper angle, and using more features on my camera, tech divers are the same, enjoying the dives, getting better with their gear, and techniques, we are all divers, some are happy, myself included, floating over a reef taking pictures, some enjoy going deeper and staying longer, and the skills involved with that type of diving.

 

[Jupiter31]

Not a damn thing - my only request is for new divers and experienced, to work on boyancy - the viz you screw up is mine!

The great thing about diving is it can be as much - or frankly as little - as you want it to be.

I have long felt that folks progress too fast - diving is a gradual process; the more you do it the more comfortable you feel - just because you can become a DM, in for example, 60 or 90 days does not mean you should,

One possible exception to this is Rescue Diver - this is a very worthwhile class and I'd take 1 "rescue" vs 10 "deep", "boat" "basic wreck" certified divers anyday.

What you are likely experiencing if you read "Scubaboard" are many very active, experienced divers, who want to go further in diving than you are choosing to at this point in time - nothing wrong with either point of view.

I've found SB has motivated me to do more and more challenging diving - also that there are many really superb, experienced divers out there - and that these is always more to learn.

 

[Teamcasa]

I wonder what is the mad rush some divers have to move so quickly from recreational to "tech" diving? <snip> What's the attraction?

Finally, deep, tech, wreck and cavern diving <snip> So again, why do it?

What's wrong with being a recreational diver?

Nothing is wrong with having no desire to venture into tech diving. For me, I love diving with my wife and we really enjoy ourselves doing recreational diving. I have no desire to dive anywhere or in any situation where a simple oops moment will kill me or my wife.

In my youth I did way more than my share of dangerous stuff and quite thankful I survived. Today, I'm happy to just visit a friendly Garibaldi or just watch the sun filter through the kelp.

There are plenty of adrenalin junkies around to explore the caves, wrecks and explore the depths I'm not going to visit. I know several tech divers and have the greatest respect for their dedication and all the additional training it takes to dive safely but, it's not for me.

As for taking the additional training, like a tech fundamental class, I applaud those divers who want to learn the skills taught in those classes, even if they never plan to do a tech dive.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

There are plenty of adrenalin junkies around to explore the caves, wrecks and explore the depths I'm not going to visit. I know several tech divers and have the greatest respect for their dedication and all the additional training it takes to dive safely but, it's not for me.

That is a good example of the sort of thinking that creates artificial divisions.

I enjoy caves, and wrecks. I go beyond recreational depths when there is something there I want to see.

Adrenalin has nothing to do with it. At my age, I have little adrenalin left for such things.

It's curiosity ... a desire to see and experience new things ... and the fact that when you do 275 to 300 dives per year, the local mudholes get a little bit repetitive after a while.

I do those dives for the same exact reasons why you dive with your wife ... because I enjoy it.

Don't deride people who seek to go beyond your self imposed limits simply because that's not your thing ... and don't seek to put motives on them that you don't understand.

There are many, MANY reasons why someone might want to expand their skills and knowledge beyond the recreational realm. Most of them have nothing to do with ego or adrenalin.

None of them have anything to do with the artificial divisions imposed by terms such as "tech". No matter what level of achievement any of us seek, or what environments we choose to dive in, or what reasons we choose for doing it ... we are ALL doing it for recreation.

In that respect, my motives are exactly the same as yours.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Teamcasa]

That is a good example of the sort of thinking that creates artificial divisions.

I enjoy caves, and wrecks. I go beyond recreational depths when there is something there I want to see.

Adrenalin has nothing to do with it. At my age, I have little adrenalin left for such things.

It is not nor has it ever been my intention to create any sort of division, artificial or otherwise. Maybe the often over used term "adrenalin junkie" was too much and I should have used "more adventurous" instead.

It's curiosity ... a desire to see and experience new things ... and the fact that when you do 275 to 300 dives per year, the local mudholes get a little bit repetitive after a while.

True enough but I only do 50, 75 dives a year but SoCal still has a lot of sites I've yet to visit!

I do those dives for the same exact reasons why you dive with your wife ... because I enjoy it.

Don't deride people who seek to go beyond your self imposed limits simply because that's not your thing ... and don't seek to put motives on them that you don't understand.

There are many, MANY reasons why someone might want to expand their skills and knowledge beyond the recreational realm. Most of them have nothing to do with ego or adrenalin.

None of them have anything to do with the artificial divisions imposed by terms such as "tech". No matter what level of achievement any of us seek, or what environments we choose to dive in, or what reasons we choose for doing it ... we are ALL doing it for recreation.

In that respect, my motives are exactly the same as yours.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Again, I was just replying to the OP's question, as it relates to me and my diving. And I do agree that when ever the term Tech or DIR or other TLA (Three Letter Acronym) gets used, the TLS's and rec divers tend to get a little defensive.

So, let's just dive, share ideas without condemnation, have fun and be safe.

 

[DennisS]

I look at the ocean and diving like I look at the woods. There are a lot of activities to do. You can go for a hike in the neighborhood park or go travel to Alaska. A day hike in the neighborhood park is enjoyable, just like a beach dive in the local ocean. There's hiking, mountain biking (scootering), rock climbing (technical diving), spelunking (caving), and photography. Some people like to climb difficult peaks while others are happy to hike in to a waterfall and just sit. There are people that enjoy ice fishing and people that enjoy ice diving, it's just a matter of preference.

The way I see it is that tech diving, cave diving, U/W hunting, and photography are all under water recreational diving activities. You just pick the ones you want to do.

 

[Hickdive]

I wonder...with less than 200 lifetime dives...have you been everywhere in the world and seen all there is to see and learned all there is to learn <130fsw on one tank?

No, but unless someone decides to pay me a lot more money I'm going to have to make do with the diving on my doorstep rather than in warm, clear tropical waters. The interesting dives locally are all 30m+.

Anyway, I might dive wrecks, do planned deco, use trimix etc. but I'm still a recreational diver because I'm not being paid to be there. 'Technical' diving is just a made up term created to give a warm-fuzzy feeling to Americans who spent years being told that going beyond the NDL was the work of the devil.