Divers vs Underwater Tourists

[Louie]

My colleagues and I had an on-going joke about the typical macho diver who thought he was the real deal (and yes, there were real divers who more than lived up to the stereotype).

They sit in the pub and tell harrowing tales of their brave adventures where they were:

a) Diving solo

b) In strong current

c) In low visibility

d) Stuck in an overhead environment in 60 metres

I'll stay a tourist thank you

 

[gcbryan]

My colleagues and I had an on-going joke about the typical macho diver who thought he was the real deal (and yes, there were real divers who more than lived up to the stereotype).

They sit in the pub and tell harrowing tales of their brave adventures where they were:

a) Diving solo

b) In strong current

c) In low visibility

d) Stuck in an overhead environment in 60 metres

I'll stay a tourist thank you

The funny thing about diving for the most part...certainly any I've been around...is that it's all easy. It's just what you are used to. I wish I could say I was used to warm water. I think living in the tropics must be quite nice!

By my definition however as I've pointed out you would be a diver and not a tourist. You don't need a DM's help to safely dive do you?

 

[marinediva]

Dive tourism is an important part of the dive industry.
I dive with a DM most times, she is my buddy.
That would make me a dive tourist.
60 dives a year......blah some tourists I know can get that in a three weeks of holiday.
some instructors I know get 60 dives in two weeks.

 

[Kingpatzer]

gcbryan,

You may have a point, but aside from insulting those less experienced than you consider yourself, I'm not sure what it is. It is nice to know with what contempt you hold new divers who are responsibly trying to learn the sport by making sure they are diving with someone more experienced than themselves.

Every post you make has such a condescending tone, that what I get most out of this thread is the level of self-conceit you have.

I dove with only dive instructors and DM's for most of my first 50 some dives, predominately because I knew I wasn't an experienced diver . . . currently I'm just returning to diving after more than 18 months of not diving because of an accident. I've called on a very experienced DM budddy of mine to dive with me for the next dozen dives or so. Oh, how badly I must suck in your eyes.

 

[AquaExplorer]

My guess is what OP is trying to say that there are people who just want to get into water and possessing minimum techniques enough to dive particular vacation environment with minimum interest in advancing further in diving which he called "tourist" and those who want to advance , study and practice new techniques whom he called divers. I agree to the point that occasional practice of particular skill can be dangerous as the subject still have confidence from the previous times but w/o enough practice the skill is getting lost with times so when the subjects meets problems that he thought he could handle the reality shows that the skill is lost and he cannot handle the situation properly.

Excellent summation.

We have a similar saying in aviation. Anyone that passes the training is a pilot, but that does not make all pilots AVIATORS. Aviators go above and beyond the minimums, are always learning/studying/searching....looking to improve. Notice it says NOTHING about natural ability or time flying...it is about the drive and desires of the person, just as you so eloquently put it.

 

[beester]

This really is a polarising discussion... people feel 'attacked', 'what do you mean I'm a tourist?'... it reminds me a bit of typical DIR discussions (no I won't go there )

This is because you are calling names implying being inadequate ('tourist') and make broad general statements.

That being said... I do agree with you Brian. IMO selfreliance in a diver is:
- being able to plan a dive taking in consideration all factors and then stick to the plan.
- being able to use your equipment, know it intimately
- being able to calculate risk factors, and more importantly weigh them against your own experience (can I do this dive?, it's not because I have 1000 quary dives that I can do this wreckdive)
- being able to dive with anybody (not just your prefered buddy)
- being able to gauge your potential buddy, both above and below water
- Have the necessary techniques (byuancy, trim, finning, navigation, communication, descend and ascend, deploying SMB, OOG simulations, etc etc)
- etc etc etc

All of the above can be learned just by diving. Since diving is mostly a sport which you learn by doing! However I also know 'divers' with more then 500 dives under their belt who I don't trust, who are IMO not adequate and no self reliant divers... so it's not only number of dives but also MINDSET and good examples.

IMO you can have a vacation diver who did 50 dives in a quick row, and after that only once a year holiday dives who is perfectly self reliant because he had a good instructor and a good mindset. You can also have a macho 500+ wreckdiver who I won't trust below 60 feet because he's really only done trust me dives and not even realising this.

Lastly... the most important thing is knowing when you are out of your depth and when to call a dive. I may have experience in low vis, cold water, deepish, (wreck)dives, but this does not mean that I should go gun ho in the Mexican cenotes... I' ve got no cave(rn) certs and I'll be a bigtime tourist there.

Cheers and just dive

PS: I consider myself a diver since I have more dives then posts on this board ;-)

 

[ScubaSteve]

If you are a new diver and only dive in tropical locales on vacation you are an underwater tourist not a diver and you should hire a DM to be your buddy (and only your buddy) on every dive

........

This is taking personal responsibility for your own actions. You can't change the way the dive industry is operated. You can't change PADI or the practices of tropical operators. You can't learn to dive and be considered a diver if you only dive a few times a year on vacation.

If everyone either put in the time actually diving or simply hired a personal DM as buddy many of the needless accidents we hear about would be avoided without hoping that someone else will make up for your lack of personal responsibility.

Personally, I think it's silly for people to think of themselves as divers and to have an industry tout them as such when they are actually just underwater tourists. I got on a horses back once and rode around for a while. I don't consider that I'm a horse rider or that I know anything about riding horses. In the dive world...I'm a diver!

I'm all for DM's and Instructors and charters being professional but the way the industry is put together it's just amazing that every other underwater tourist makes it out alive.

If anyone disagrees or has additional comments I guess this post will turn into a thread.

HOLY CRAP BUCKETS Batman. WOW what an :mooner:

Starting this thread.......it is an example of when you really should have listened to the voice in your head that was telling you that it was a really dumb idea.

 

[SkipperJohn]

Hi. My name is John & I'm a dive toruist.

& I think that's OK.

 

[scubadude79]

I think this kind of goes against this thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...ering-diving/283566-who-responsible-what.html

You make a good point in that it is the responsibility for a person whom participates in scuba activities what ever you wish to call them to learn more, be comfortable, and excel as a diver.

 

[scubadude79]

STOP! Hold the presses! By george I think I've got it! Now I know what this thread is really all about.

You are going to lobby for a new PADI speciality!

Underwater Tourist!

That's absolutely brilliant! They already have Underwater Naturalist, Navigator, Photographer, and Videographer. Now add Tourist to the list and you're a "Master Scuba Diver".

Damn. Why didn't I think of it first!

CHA-CHING $$$