An objective way to eyeball someone's skill level

[Diver Dennis]

I look at their fins. The old saying, you can tell the man by his shoes, you can tell the diver by their fins.

N

I like this one...

 

[Diver Dennis]

Check out.

I agree with you Thal, or at least seeing them in the water.

 

[h90]

"Before in Europe we dove a lot up to 100 Meter deep, mostly on Argon-Oxygen mix."
That Argon-Oxygen mix made me to tell him that this weekend I have to work---no time to dive with him--

 

[Bob]

)

I look at their fins. The old saying, you can tell the man by his shoes, you can tell the diver by their fins.

N

That's good! I like that.
almtree: Bob

 

[BarryNL]

Some of the criteria some people naturally use and that would/might be good to take into account could include:

-How long since you started diving
-how long since your last dive
-total number of dives
-number of dives per year
-certification level

some that I was thinking could be taken into account could be
-(average?) depth of your 10% deepest dives
-...?

Hmm, I dove with an instructor as a buddy in Greece last year who would have scored highly on all these points but was still a clueless gimp underwater. I've had Discover Scuba students with better buoyancy control and less arm flapping.

The only way to accurately know someone's skill is to see them in the water (or a GUE-F cert. maybe )

 

[Fuzzmutton]

Heyyyy, I think we arm flappers are getting a bad reputation here!

I read in a Dive Alert mag artictle (I read practically everything) something about tips to avoid contact with reefs, like the 'one finger touch' to push yourself away, and several others. Anyhoo, one of the ways mentioned was SCULLING, or shall we say, the evil arm-flapping.

I am proud to say I flap a little to do my part and stay off the reefs, since I don't have a propeller which I can throw into reverse and no one has shown me a better method yet for backing up underwater

Fuzz

 

[Teamcasa]

... since I don't have a propeller which I can throw into reverse and no one has shown me a better method yet for backing up underwater

Fuzz

DAGS Scuba Back Kick.

Someone knows where the how-to video is i'm sure.

 

[BarryNL]

I am proud to say I flap a little to do my part and stay off the reefs, since I don't have a propeller which I can throw into reverse and no one has shown me a better method yet for backing up underwater

It's called the "back-kick". Takes a little practice but works beautifully.

You Tube has a video here.

 

[Fuzzmutton]

Wow!! Thanks guys! I can't wait to practice that at Monterey this summer (my garden tub is big, it just doesn't leave much room for maneuvering around)

This will be a new skill that I will really enjoy practicing. I watch other divers to see what they do, I had not seen anyone employ that particular move but maybe I missed it somewhere.

Fuzz

 

[24940]

It's not an easy kick to master, but has to be the most useful utility kick there is. Split fins don't make it easier.