Anything you can do, I can do better...

[eants]

Question to those who have been diving for awhile now.
My girlfriend (soon to be wife) and I have been diving for about 2 year. We make it a point to travel somewhere tropical at least once a year and look forward to meeting others who share the same passion as we do.

My question. Why do so many divers who we talk to in our area have what I will call “The one upsmanship?” Meaning no matter what we have done or experienced, the people we talk to have done it better, longer, etc. The local dive store staff seems to be the best at this game. In some instances, it seems they are talking down to us.
Hopefully this is just a geographic oddity and we will not experience this everywhere we travel as we continue our love affair with this sport; meeting other fellow divers who share in our passion is one reason we got started.

Thanks for letting me vent!

-E

 

[Blackwood]

Hopefully this is just a geographic oddity and we will not experience this everywhere we travel as we continue our love affair with this sport; meeting other fellow divers who share in our passion is one reason we got started.

Don't count on it.

I don't think it has anything to do with diving specifically, but many people are braggarts.

Fortunately, unless you have a full face mask and comm gear, they can't ruin your dive

 

[dkatchalov]

the people we talk to have done it better, longer, etc.

They are talking about diving, right?!

On a serious note, it depends who you talk to. There can be a fair bit of macho and bravado in diving - who has gone deepest, longest, etc. I see it regularly with the tech guys on the charter boats I dive.

Just tell them you regularly dive 300ft on air, that'll shut them up

 

[Roadtrip]

E,

The only shocking thing about your post is that it took you two years to make it! LOL
Seriously...you will run into Elitists (is that even a word?) everywhere you go in this game. Just book one of those cattle car dive charters and see how long it takes for one of them to tell you that your gear is crap, and you need do buy x, y and z or you will die. I've learned to take it with a grain of a salt...especially in the "etherworld" of the internet.

Dive Shops are positively the worst for this behavior. Unless you take 35 courses from them and buy everything they sell. We dive several times a week here on the NC coast, Do our own Nitrox fills, have our own gear that we get wholesale and some online from different producers, and have completely dropped off the LDS grid. Mainly due to this type of Elitism. If you ever get down my way, drop me a line. You are welcome to dive with me anytime. BTW...we do carry O2 bottles on our boats before anyone tells you that if you don't go with the LDS you will die. Not bashing all dive shops mind you...I do still buy odds and ends from a local outfit that is cool because I support them and am glad they are here....I just don't do charters with them. There are lots of wonderful people that dive and just like anything, a few outspoken and opinionated ones can turn you off. Don't let it bring you down.

Cheers, Roadtrip

 

[VooDooGasMan]

must be rubbing of on you ,cause your printing on your post is better than mine,

 

[nadwidny]

Question to those who have been diving for awhile now.
My girlfriend (soon to be wife) and I have been diving for about 2 year. We make it a point to travel somewhere tropical at least once a year and look forward to meeting others who share the same passion as we do.

My question. Why do so many divers who we talk to in our area have what I will call “The one upsmanship?” Meaning no matter what we have done or experienced, the people we talk to have done it better, longer, etc. The local dive store staff seems to be the best at this game. In some instances, it seems they are talking down to us.
Hopefully this is just a geographic oddity and we will not experience this everywhere we travel as we continue our love affair with this sport; meeting other fellow divers who share in our passion is one reason we got started.

Welcome to diving and its' various personalities. I can assure you that the "one upsmanship" is not endemic to your area. There are a significant number in this game that do scuba because its' good for their ego. The good news is that there is also a group that scuba for the love of the sport.

After awhile you'll learn to avoid the former and hang out with the latter. Sounds like you're already learning the first step: avoid talking to shop monkeys and LDS hang-arounds.

 

[Roadtrip]

btw....how was the diving in Fiji? Now thats what I call a Dive Trip!

 

[eants]

Wow! Thanks for the quick feedback.

I know that no matter where you go, you do find people who want to be better then everyone else. I do let it slide for the most part but for some reason the LDS (I guess the means Local Dive Shop. Don’t hate me because I am new) just hit a nerve with my girl and I. I try to support the local economy no matter where we travel. So giving them the first opportunity to earn my business is essential. However, I may only go there for the “need now” items.

Roadtrip, we may take you up on your offer. In fact I am traveling to Charlotte next week for business. I am not to sure where that is in relation to you. My girl is from a small town call Havelock NC. She keeps threatening me to move down there. Should I be scared?

Thanks again for the vote of confidence from all of you.

Oh did I tell you this one time in band camp I went diving in a lake that was 500 feet deep and the only thing I took down with me was a candle for light?

-E

 

[Tom Smedley]

The one-upmanship that you describe is pretty much world wide. The thing you have to do is look at it as entertainment and don't take offense. Usually the ones that are hitting the hardest are the ones with no experience. You can smile and enjoy the show or you can start asking questions and enjoy the show even more.

The ones that are most entertaining are the "Divemasters" on resort boats that can't stand the fact that a diver on the boat doesn't need their assistance.

"It doesn't matter that you have been diving three times as long as I have been alive and have 3000 logged dives I don't like the way you configure your gear and your entry method is not the way we do it." Oh - explain to me why. "Uhhh... it's against policy." I see - the old policy ruse strikes again.

Then the last day of the trip the guy who has been driving the boat all week is our divemaster and he proved outstanding. Showed me stuff I would have never seen. Slow and easy - my pace.

Then there are divemasters like Victor in St Lucia and Murphn in Bonaire that do have the knowledge, skills, and expertise to back it up and they are the most fabulous leaders there are. "How many dives do you have Murph?" "Oh I don't know - enough."

Rise above it - learn to enjoy it - and surround yourself with confident divers that don't have to prove anything.

 

[Roadtrip]

E,
Havelock is a very small town, home of the Cherry pt. Marine Corps Air Station. It is near morehead and Cape Lookout...which has some very nice diving. Wilmington is a much nicer city and the diving down this way is excellent. Charlotte is a large city about 4 hours west. If she wants to move to Carolina...tell her Wilmington is your choice...then it will only be a 2 hour trip to the in laws.

Cheers, Roadtrip