Are divers an arrogant bunch?

[Teamcasa]

I have been reading and posting to a few recent threads that on the whole, criticize so-called un-fit divers and/or the agencies/instructors that certify them. It starting to look like a small segment of divers what the sport to themselves. They want or need to feel superior to others and tend to go on and on about their diving prowess, high skill levels and diving accomplishments. I have been guilty of this myself as well.

I think diving, like many other activities have room for most everyone. There is room for the extremely high skilled divers that think the Andrea Doria is just a warm up to someday diving the Titanic and the overweight, ex-smoker, business executive and his newly OW certified lovely bride to visit Hawaii’s beautiful and majestic turtles. There’s room for the diver that has 50K in high tech gear and the student that just bought their first US Divers mask, fins and snorkel.

The main issue here is safety, your’s and mine. I am comfortable diving with my lovely bride and all that entails. If the John Chatterton’s of the diving world are not comfortable having me as a buddy, fine – I’ll get over it. I have resigned myself to the notion that spending any time at 180 fsw is not in my future. I’ll just have to stick to diving Catalina, Bonaire or somewhere in Hawaii. I am a safe diver, confident enough to dive with my wife and ready to protect her life at any cost. I dive within HER limits. I don’t push her into situations that make her uncomfortable and I let her set the pace.

Arrogance will divide and hurt this great sport. Look at skiing for instance. If God forbid, you show up on the slopes with two year old gear, everyone looks down their surgically perfect nose at you. (Is that the same with BP/W divers?) I’d hate to see that attitude get a strong foothold in diving. So, I would suggest that instead of whining about any particular agencies standards; instructors and other skilled divers should promote safe diving practices, instruct those in their charge to learn more, dive more and to take lessons from competent teachers regardless of agency affiliation. Bottom line is that diving is a leisure activity for most so be safe and have fun.

Dave

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I have been reading and posting to a few recent threads that on the whole, criticize so-called un-fit divers and/or the agencies/instructors that certify them. It starting to look like a small segment of divers what the sport to themselves. They want or need to feel superior to others and tend to go on and on about their diving prowess, high skill levels and diving accomplishments. I have been guilty of this myself as well.

I think diving, like many other activities have room for most everyone. There is room for the extremely high skilled divers that think the Andrea Doria is just a warm up to someday diving the Titanic and the overweight, ex-smoker, business executive and his newly OW certified lovely bride to visit Hawaii’s beautiful and majestic turtles. There’s room for the diver that has 50K in high tech gear and the student that just bought their first US Divers mask, fins and snorkel.

The main issue here is safety, your’s and mine. I am comfortable diving with my lovely bride and all that entails. If the John Chatterton’s of the diving world are not comfortable having me as a buddy, fine – I’ll get over it. I have resigned myself to the notion that spending any time at 180 fsw is not in my future. I’ll just have to stick to diving Catalina, Bonaire or somewhere in Hawaii. I am a safe diver, confident enough to dive with my wife and ready to protect her life at any cost. I dive within HER limits. I don’t push her into situations that make her uncomfortable and I let her set the pace.

Arrogance will divide and hurt this great sport. Look at skiing for instance. If God forbid, you show up on the slopes with two year old gear, everyone looks down their surgically perfect nose at you. (Is that the same with BP/W divers?) I’d hate to see that attitude get a strong foothold in diving. So, I would suggest that instead of whining about any particular agencies standards; instructors and other skilled divers should promote safe diving practices, instruct those in their charge to learn more, dive more and to take lessons from competent teachers regardless of agency affiliation. Bottom line is that diving is a leisure activity for most so be safe and have fun.

Dave

As with most stereotypes ... the people you premise as the rule are actually the exception.

Most experienced divers are very generous with their time and expertise ... most have long since learned that it's safer and more fun to leave the ego on the beach.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[garyfotodiver]

Dave:

Why are you picking on Mr. Chatterdon? Can you quote a post on this Board where he makes the statements you attribute to him?

Just last night, I heard him address a group of recently-certified teenage divers. He had the nicest, most positive attidute and remarks that I have heard in a long time.

If you want to gripe, do so but please have some facts.

 

[TSandM]

I don't think anybody on this board is trying to suggest that all divers need to be ready to dive the Doria.

I think a lot of people on this board think that good buoyancy control, the ability to maintain horizontal trim, an understanding of basic gas management, proficiency with emergency procedures, and diving with minimal impact on the environment are desirable goals, and ones not reached with the average OW education that divers get. That's all. If that's elitist, then I guess I am; but I'm a very average diver in skills and talent, and I dive with all kinds of people including (especially) beginners. So I don't think I'm arrogant . . .

 

[tangfish]

I sense that this post is in response to some run-in you had with some dive-snobbery :light:

I agree with the general sentiment of your post, especially given some of the responses I see from some SB members when new divers show up and ask a 'stupid' question. For some reason, the road of improving one's diving skills all too often ends up in a place of arrogance and disregard for other divers of a different mind.

I'm not quite sure why though, since without all the 'fun', 'recreational' ways to learn about diving, most of us wouldn't have ever discovered it. Even those who pop out of the womb as highly proficient technical divers (of whom there are ostensibly many) owe much of world's diving infrastructure to the much larger base of recreational divers (i.e., from an economic standpoint, 'advanced divers' should harbor a great deal of gratitude to their green brethren).

 

[downdeep]

There are a few dive snobs at my LDS as well. Funny, but I learn from them (sometimes only what kind of diver I DON'T want to be).

Even a blind hog finds an acorn every now and then.

 

[Teamcasa]

Dave:

Why are you picking on Mr. Chatterdon? Can you quote a post on this Board where he makes the statements you attribute to him?

Just last night, I heard him address a group of recently-certified teenage divers. He had the nicest, most positive attidute and remarks that I have heard in a long time.

If you want to gripe, do so but please have some facts.

I meant NO disrespect to Mr. Chatterton at all; I only referred to him as an example of very highly skilled divers. If it came across differently, I apologize sincerely!

Dave

 

[scarefaceDM]

I can tell you from exerience, and my experience is based on diving with MANY different divers and mentaities. There is a small percentage of folks whom are wholier that thou and think they own the water. Them are folks that will brag, belittle and ridicule you for how you dive, where you dive and what kind of gear you have. These are not the ones you want to be around. I can say just a handfull of folks i came across are what I call..ANAL Retentive.

The more experienced crowd...love to share there knowledge of diving. There experiences and are always willing to help if ASKED. and some will kindly offer a spare reg, fin or even offer there spare gear so you can go enjoy a dive.

Yes there are jokers, pokers and..midnight...um...well you get the picture. But the best thing is...the diving community is a Community...where you will make a friend or three along the way...no matter where you dive. No matter the education, the profession or the money they may have or not have...we share one common thing...the love for the underworld...exploring and sharing afterwards.

DO not worry too much about it...there are ANAL retentives all over..but they are a small percentage.

 

[tangfish]

I do want to qualify my last statement by affirming what NWGratefulDiver and others said. Namely, that a few bad apples can definitely give a bad name to the whole barrel.

Most people, in general, who dive are very, *very* good people - even if a few attain an air of superiority after awhile (and even those people are nice in many cases, if you know them personally).

 

[MikeFerrara]

I'm thinkin that if you cain't run with the big dogs you oughta just stay on the porch.