Are you a recreational, rectech or technical diver.

[Rhone Man]

Same reason music and movies are sold in genres, I suppose.

And because people love labels. As far as I can tell there are no Americans in America - only African Americans, Chinese Americans, Hispanic Americans, Norwegian Americans, WASPs, Canadians (often referred to as God-damned Canadians for some reason), Jewish Americans, Arab Americans, Japanese Americans, Irish Americans and three guys descended from passengers on the Mayflower...

I think if you just say, "I am a diver," that is fine but it invites the question "what kind of diving do you do?"

Nobody minds much what label people give themselves. Except on the internet. The internet was made for pointless arguments like that.

 

[Matt S.]

Hi Jeff, I am a rec diver. Am I correct in guessing that your dives may include some of these activities?

Mandatory decompression stops
Overhead environments
Depths greater than 130'

 

[AfterDark]

I'm an American sport diver. Born in America to dive the cold dark fast moving waters of New England. Where if your not on your game you'd better have a good plan B. I do rock hops that can take me as shallow as 20' for some lobsters, down to a 170' wall dive. I dive mostly solo and at night. When 10' vis is a good day/night a night dive with a light shining 4'-5' you can see forever! That's the kind of diving I do.

 

[ScubaSam]

With the refreshing viewpoint (I'm a diver) typified by Walter and many others here, why is it not a prevailing view across the board?

Egos but I'm Chinese American so what the heck do I know.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

With the refreshing viewpoint (I'm a diver) typified by Walter and many others here, why is it not a prevailing view across the board?

I think it is.

What you see on ScubaBoard is more a reflection of how the board is divided into forum categories than how divers think of themselves. People tend to participate in the ones that interest them the most, based on where they predominantly dive.

Now I have a counter question ... why did you feel the need to create this thread?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I'm a tech diver.

.. couldda fooled your dive buddies ... :shocked2:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I think if you just say, "I am a diver," that is fine but it invites the question "what kind of diving do you do?"

Those are entirely different questions.

Nobody minds much what label people give themselves. Except on the internet. The internet was made for pointless arguments like that.

Not entirely ... we don't have this kind of discussion on our local board. People would really prefer to just talk about diving ... or beer ... or whatever else seems fun to talk about ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Egos but I'm Chinese American so what the heck do I know.

How to make a cheeseburger in a wok?

 

[Trace Malinowski]

When I think of how many times the term "recreational" has been thrown at me as a cop out to quality gear, quality training, quality diving, and personal skills betterment by dive center owners, industry pros and other divers, I have no problem defining myself as a "technical diver", but it would be nice if we could all just be divers again - including snorkelers. pd:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/4888905-post77.html

See!

 

[Walter]

OK, fine. But there is one important way that all the "tech" dives are the same: they are unsuitable for people with only OW/AOW training.

Not necessarily. The first class on wreck penetration I ever attended was one I taught. Also thee are losts of dives no one would define as technical that are unsuitable for lots of people with only OW/AOW training.

So while the label "tech" might not help you tell a cave diver from a wreck diver, if you call a dive a "tech dive" that would tell all the rest of us less advanced pretty fish divers that it isn't a dive for us.

Wouldn't calling it a "cave dive" or a "wreck penetration" dive do the same?

If someone styles themselves a "rec diver," that paints an even more clear picture of what their limitations are because there isn't a galaxy of very different specialties as in tech diving.

Of course there are. Perhaps more different specialties than exist in "tec."

You may not know from "rec" if they are fit to dive to 30' or 130' (because we all know the true test is seeing them in the water, not the card they carry) but you know darn well that they aren't going to be carrying a deco bottle at least.

I sometimes do.

I think the tech/rec distinction is often more useful than it is misleading. It's not the sole means of communication. It's just a possible starting point.

It merely delays the starting point.