What identifies someone as a "good" diver?

[DevonDiver]

Applicable at/to any level of diving :

1. Reliable fundamental skills.
2. Instinctive equipment familiarity.
3. Intuitive theoretical understanding.
4. Effective risk mitigation.
5. Accurate self-awareness.

 

[CptTightPants21]

My point was just that someone who skimps on safety, in my book, isn't a good diver. AKA: "It's no big deal, I've done this 200 times, nothing is going to happen so we don't need to do (insert whatever safety precaution here), etc, etc."

Define your safety precautions....

Based on who's agencies standards? And whose agency trumps the other if you were certified by different outfits? Is there like a ranking system?

 

[seeker242]

Define your safety precautions....

Based on who's agencies standards? And whose agency trumps the other if you were certified by different outfits? Is there like a ranking system?

The safety precautions are whatever I say they are! If I say you need to wear a neon pink wetsuit for safety reasons, then if you don't, you're a bad diver!... Come on now, stop being a nitpicking pedant. You're honestly questioning the idea that someone who doesn't dive safe, isn't a good diver? Come on now, that's bleeping ridiculous...

 

[DevonDiver]

Define your safety precautions....

Based on who's agencies standards? And whose agency trumps the other if you were certified by different outfits? Is there like a ranking system?

Based on prudently applying whatever YOU were taught.

It doesn't need to devolve into an inter-agency debate.

A good diver understands the issues and would go beyond an agency dogma to mitigate them. A personal understanding, and decision, is what highlights a good diver.

 

[CptTightPants21]

The safety precautions are whatever I say they are! If I say you need to wear a neon pink wetsuit for safety reasons, then if you don't, you're a bad diver!... Come on now, stop being a nitpicking pedant. You're honestly questioning the idea that someone who doesn't dive safe, isn't a good diver? Come on now, that's bleeping ridiculous...

Do you analyze your tanks for O2 content (and potentially CO) before each dive?
Do you swap out batteries on your lights after each day of diving?
--in some circles these would be serious safety violations


I am being a nitpicking pedant, party to generate discussion, party because you would call anyone who did do your "buddy check" a bad diver. I take issue with someone who doesn't look at skill, doesn't look at experience, but throws the bad diver label on a person because they didn't do or agree with your buddy check.

The bad diver label is a serious label in my book. If I really think you are a bad diver that means I am not answering your phone call to go on a dive.

If your original point was simply "A good diver should be a safe diver". I would agree, but also consider that a generic comment with little substance, which why I kind of asked for specifics.

 

[seeker242]

I take issue with someone who doesn't look at skill, doesn't look at experience, but throws the bad diver label on a person because they didn't do or agree with your buddy check.

It was merely an example to demonstrate overlooking common and basic safety precautions. It could have been anything.

If your original point was simply "A good diver should be a safe diver". I would agree, but also consider that a generic comment with little substance

Yes, that was the point and it was supposed to be a generic comment. AKA "complacency kills" is quite generic but it's most certainly true.

 

[Rhone Man]

What actually "makes a good diver" and what are "indicators" i.e. easily observable behaviors of a good diver, are not the same IMO.

I suspect that the OP is asking how does one more or less "at a glance" make a judgement.

Pretty much, and I would maybe add "on a boat stuffed full of divers in the Cayman Islands." Anyone putting their gear on in a car park near Puget Sound with snow on the ground gets the benefit of the doubt for me.

But, yes, "at a glance" is never going to give you an infallible metric.

 

[Hawkwood]

Pretty much, and I would maybe add "on a boat stuffed full of divers in the Cayman Islands." Anyone putting their gear on in a car park near Puget Sound with snow on the ground gets the benefit of the doubt for me.

But, yes, "at a glance" is never going to give you an infallible metric.

I figured that might have been why you started this in "Basic".

 

[Lorenzoid]

At the top of my list of characteristics that a good diver exhibits I would put that the diver appears to have high regard for: safety of himself and others; and the environment. Exactly what kind of behaviors I would have to observe to lead me to believe the diver has those characteristics is a can of worms. I'll go with "I can't define it but I know it when I see it."

What makes "a safe diver"? How does the individual diver know if his risk mitigation is effective? Don't we only know after the fact when it was ineffective?

 

[uncfnp]

Pretty much, and I would maybe add "on a boat stuffed full of divers in the Cayman Islands." Anyone putting their gear on in a car park near Puget Sound with snow on the ground gets the benefit of the doubt for me.

But, yes, "at a glance" is never going to give you an infallible metric.

Worn gear in a diver thats set up quickly and is ready to go and fully at ease well before splash time.