Beginner divers - different dive types and conditions to acquire the main skills

[Sbiriguda]

Is there a list of "dive types" or "diving conditions" to be experienced by a diver in order to get all the main skills, given a specific level of certification for example PADI open water or AOW?
One should try lake dives, and dives in inner seas like the Mediterranean, in tropical seas like the Indian Ocean, with different weather, in different season, with different currents? Drift dives, kayak dives?

I will put the question as follows...
Imagine a person who takes an Open Water certification and makes 10.000 dives in the very same place and spot. He or she would be "an experienced diver", having 10.000 dives. But on the other hand also an inexperienced diver, because by repeating always the same dive the dive type and conditions are always the same and there is no progress in the skills that might prove necessary in other environments

 

[markmud]

Hi Sbiriguda,

I think your premise is correct. A diver who dives Gilboa Springs for 100 dives has good experience but is not well rounded.

Here is my list for a recreational diver:

1. cold water (Gilboa, yes)
2. deep to 130 feet (40m) (Gilboa, yes)
3. drift dives.
4. wall dives, (Gilboa, yes)
5. offshore,
6. caverns,
7. alpine lakes,
8. screw-up the direction of the current and have to swim home into the current,
9. boat dives (from a boat)
10. wreck dives
11. low viz (Gilboa, possible)
12. boat traffic above (tow a dive float)
13. liveaboard
14. running and using a reference line (Gilboa, yes)
    
15. and more...

cheers,
markm

 

[happy-diver]

this place will set you in good stead for everything

Cape Schanck

 

[markmud]

this place will set you in good stead for everything

Cape Flattery

cheers,
markm

 

[Zef]

Is there a list of "dive types" or "diving conditions" to be experienced by a diver in order to get all the main skills, given a specific level of certification for example PADI open water or AOW?
One should try lake dives, and dives in inner seas like the Mediterranean, in tropical seas like the Indian Ocean, with different weather, in different season, with different currents? Drift dives, kayak dives?

I will put the question as follows...
Imagine a person who takes an Open Water certification and makes 10.000 dives in the very same place and spot. He or she would be "an experienced diver", having 10.000 dives. But on the other hand also an inexperienced diver, because by repeating always the same dive the dive type and conditions are always the same and there is no progress in the skills that might prove necessary in other environments

Of course. The depth and breadth of one's experience is directly related to a combination of the variety conditions and sites one dives in, as well as how much time one spend below the surface...also how one passes that time. For instance, if you were to spend all your time diving in a quarry and never used a DSMB, you may have a difficult time shooting one to the surface on a drift dive even in clear tropical waters.

You can be a great diver in the conditions you normally dive, and some things will transfer to other environments such good buoyancy and trim, proper ascent rates, good gas management, etc. The better your skills are in one environment and the more time (experience) you have underwater, the easier it is, typically, to transition to other environments.

Some things are environment dependent, such as surf entries and exits. If all your diving is on calm lakes and quarries, or from the deck of a boat, you may find surf entries challenging at first....but the time spent handling and knowing your gear should help with the learning curve.

In theory it is better to have 100 different dives but if your local conditions only allow for 1 dives 100 times then that is what you go with until you can change that. In the interim, make sure each dive has a training objective and try to learn something different every time you are in the water no matter how familiar the dive environment.

-Z

 

[islanddream]

By diving in different conditions, locations, weather, etc., you also determine what you like and what you don't like.

• I don't like cold water and don't want to train in a drysuit. OK, I'll go kayaking or biking.
• I don't enjoy shore diving due to a shattered ankle years ago and osteoporosis. If I can shore dive by jumping off a dock or walking out in the sand, OK, I'll do it.
• I don't like to dive if the seas are greater than 4ft. and there are short wave intervals. I get seasick, and even though I take medication, I don't like angry seas. So I read the marine forecast before booking dives. If I can't dive, I can always find something else to do.
• I don't like to dive in low viz situations. I call the dive shop and get information about viz and bottom temp before I book dives.
• Night dives on over-dived tourist reefs aren't my favorite unless there's something spectacular to see. I've done a number of night dives and enjoy seeing creatures that come out at night that don't come out in the day. However, on several night dives where multiple boats drop divers, I've become disoriented looking for my buddy who looks pretty much like everyone else at night in a black wetsuit. However, getting the light that we can attach to the back of our BCDs has helped.
• I would rather not dive with a DM who makes the group follow him/her the whole dive (unless it's in a place I've never been before). However, I've been in situations where after a few dives with the DM, he/she sees the ability of the divers and let's them do their own thing.
• Cattle boats are not my favorite. However, when we were in St. Lucia, the boats were big with a capacity of probably 30 people. The dive shop had several DMs on the boat and we were matched up with a DM according to our ability. This worked very well and didn't make the dive seem like a cattle boat dive.

I could probably come up with other examples of what I like or don't like, however, my point is: If I'd only dived in one place, in one type of weather, in one type of sea conditions, etc. I don't feel like I would be much of an experienced diver.

OK....I can afford to be a wussie diver....that's why I moved to SE Florida where I can dive any day I want if the conditions are what I'm looking for. I don't feel guilty not diving like I used to when I was landlocked and only did vacation diving. Yep, I'm getting old and set in my ways but I sure am having fun!

 

[TMHeimer]

Depends on what you mean by skills. The 24 (?) skills you learn in OW like reg retrieval, unit doff & don, or basic dive skills like good buoyancy, finning,etc. For the former of course you want calm water. The latter as well, but you have to then adapt to other conditions (surge, etc.).
Experience means for what you do. If all you ever do is dive the same type area 10,000 times you are very experienced. If you go to a different place with new conditions you have the basic skills but are new at it. Just logical.
I'd rather be trained by an instructor with 10,000 dives at the training site than one with 100 dives all around the world. That's just me.

 

[60plus]

I count myself as very fortunate having dived in a good range of conditions and locations despite not having done that many dives. I also count myself lucky to have had instructors who are real diving enthusiasts who want to teach you to dive rather than just get a qualification. I think is best to get into the sea with a bit of swell ASAP even if its only a few meters deep.
Recently on holiday I did quite a few dives with the same groups of divers. One group were girls in their mid / late 20s who only did a bit of diving on holidays, did not even have their own gear. Others had all their own gear (loads of it) and a lot of dive experience but nearly all in UK freshwater. The girls did everything so much easier than many of the experienced divers. Perhaps in cold murky UK lakes it would have been the other way round?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I have almost 2400 dives. Most have been ocean dives from boats or shore. The shore dives range from sandy beach entries to several hundred from rocky entries after hiking down cliffs. Boat dives were from inflatables to a liveaboard. I've also made high altitude lake dives. My ocean dives are mostly in the 60-80' range but I have a few hundred that were well beyond recreational depths. 98% of my dives have been in cold water.

I consider myself well experienced in the type of diving I do, but I would feel like a newbie during some dives. I despise drift diving and have zero interest in cave diving.

 

[Foothills]

I am completely in agreement with the hypothesis that a wide range of experience trumps a narrow range of experience, all else being equal, and support plans to gain that broader experience.

That said, I'd suggest that the first step is to just get out and dive. Focus on racking up bottom time and getting comfortable with your gear, skills, and especially buoyancy. If possible, it's getting used to your "local" conditions (where you expect to do most of your diving). And just have fun.

As you get increasingly comfortable, then start branching out and go deeper, darker, colder, current, etc. Training/practicing with increased task loading and trying to dive a wide variety of conditions is a great idea, but I will re-emphasize don't overlook just having fun.

Also, don't discount the value of continuing ed or specialty classes as a way of getting that wider range of experience. Or getting a "guided tour". Yes, it comes at a cost, but my experience is that it tends to make first exposure to a new environment more enjoyable.