An objective way to eyeball someone's skill level

[divebunny13]

The more they brag the worse they are

THIS.

Example: I introduced myself to an experienced diver who was going out with one of his friends (a DSD) on my boat. I said, "Hi! I'm divebunny, the instructor on staff." The first question out of his mouth was (in a very condescending voice) "How many dives do you have?" He then proceeded to tell me everywhere that he had been diving and blah blah blah about his 300+ dives.

We get to the dive site and he immediately abandons his buddy, starts kicking the coral and blew through his air faster than anyone.

AND he told me how dangerous it was that I used tables instead of computers. Grrrr.

 

[Jim Kerr]

Beware of divers that go on and on about what great divers they are.

:lol: You are soooo right about that.

 

[nannymouse]

-How long since you started diving Four months
-how long since your last dive Two weeks
-total number of dives Twenty
-number of dives per year I will let you know in eight months
-certification level PADI Open Water

-(average?) depth of your 10% deepest dives 60 ft.

How much does this actually tell you?

Would it help you to see me check my gear before my dive?
Would it help to know that I have surfed, snorkled, and swam in my area for 40 years?
Would it help you to see that I keep my mask (and fins) on until I am IN the boat?

My dive buddies seem to think that I am the one who should lead the dives, because I am more aware and careful than they are.

But I don't think that I am a skilled diver.

 

[Wayfarer2]

To create a useful "dive skill index" simply divide the cubic ft of their spare air by the number of retractors on their BCD.

But how do I figure out this formula if they also have a pony?
This is all so confusing! I hate math!

 

[Bspurr13]

The only true way to tell someone’s skill level is to dive with them.

My kids and I have sat in dive op vehicles, on the way to their boat, with other divers bragging about how friggin cool they are, what certs they have, where they have been and what awesome divers they are - only to watch them panic, freak and splash around like retards once their face hits the water. Then, once they do get to the bottom… Drag their fins, grab the bottom/reef and basically stir up so much crap that my 11 year old boy looks at me and shakes his head.

I have also watched my air-headed teenage daughter (14 – and AOW) set up her gear with the tank on backwards and her reg upside-down…. Then watch her, once she hits the water (only about 30 dives, with about 25 of them in CA w/ 7mm of rubber – about ½ of them below 60’ and maybe 5-8 at/or below 100&#8217 hover with perfect buoyancy, regardless of depth, and make it all look so effortless that I truly believe she is ½ fish. It is all second nature to her.

Dive with them… That is the only way to truly judge their skill level.

That being said - One rule that I have found to be pretty accurate is: The amount of crap that comes out of their mouth (bragging) is inversely related to their skill level.

Brett

 

[M_Bipartitus]

Beware of divers that go on and on about what great divers they are.

The more they brag the worse they are

Problem with that is the worst offenders I know are also the most experienced (Instructors, tech divers, Dive Safety Officers...)

 

[dannobee]

You have to dive with someone to assess their skills --and you have to dive with them a lot, in all kinds of conditions.

For example, diving in the Caribbean is one thing. Diving in the Northeast US is something very different. A hundred Caribbean dives may sound like a reasonable number, but someone who does 20 winter dives off the coast of New England may have higher skills because of the complexity of the dives.

There are other factors as well, such as additional training; wetsuit vs. drysuit; etc.

Jeff

This is true. Everywhere in the world I've dived the DM asks three questions; How many dives do you have? When was your last dive? Where do you normally dive? When I answer the last one "Monterey and Carmel," they just go on to the next diver.

There is something about diving with a drysuit or a thick wetsuit in water below 50 degrees and in big seas with limited visibility that *can* make you a better diver, if you choose to practice your skills. It sure ain't like diving in Cozumel.

 

[Charlie99]

Beware of divers that go on and on about what great divers they are.

Particularly if they are ex-Seals that dove the Doria last week.

In a more serious note ..... behavior topside is often a good indicator of behavior underwater. The braggart, the obnoxious guy, the one that doesn't pay attention to the site briefing will all show that same sort of behavior underwater.

When first diving with someone, fairly early on in the dive I'll poke my nose in under some ledge and peer into it a while and see how long it is before my buddy halts his progress. Very quick way to check on overall buddy awareness.

I prefer an alert, well intentioned newbie over an experienced diver with a bad attitude, poor buddy skill, or poor awareness of what is going on around him.

 

[TSandM]

I'll take attitude over skill. I've had very enjoyable dives with very novice divers, who were honest about their skill level and who paid attention to what I asked of them during the dive (that they stay where I could see them and stay in communication). I've had a horrible dive with someone with advanced (technical) certifications who did NOT stay in communication and left me in the water.

If someone is actively entering into the pre-dive discussion about what we are going to do and how we are going to do it, that's a good sign. If someone is busier talking than listening, that's a bad sign, no matter what it is they are saying.

 

[Papa_Bear]

As my Grandmother used to say "Diver is as Diver does!" I can tell in the first 3min in the water! Many times I can tell on the entrance or when the set their gear up!