Do you consider yourself an 'Advanced' diver?

[matt_unique]

Those who are truly advanced would not say they are "advanced". Advanced is also relative to your company. Those I know who are by any definition advanced, i.e. 8000 dives with 30+ years experience and practicing deep deco for pleasure, consider themselves always learning. I often hear them refer to themselves as having a "fair bit of experience" when they could say a lot more than that.

--Matt

 

[DandyDon]

Put me down for Fumbling Advanced Beginnger Cowboy Diver.

 

[friscuba]

I consider myself to be an intermediate level diver. I'm pushing 2000 dives and have been instructing recreational diving for 6-7 years, but it's mostly been in one location with good conditions.

If I ever get technical training and a bunch of legitimate technical dives in in various conditions I might consider my self to be "advanced".

The AOW class that most agencies teach is little more than an experience course. I know I very well may have never done a night dive if I didn't take that course, as I had preconceived notions about night dives that made me uncomfortable. I took the course, did the dive, and found that night diving is one of my favorite things. It didn't make me an advanced diver though.

Any additoinal training is good, but being "advanced" requires a lot of experience in my mind.

later,

 

[fishb0y]

I consider myself to be an intermediate level diver. I'm pushing 2000 dives and have been instructing recreational diving for 6-7 years, but it's mostly been in one location with good conditions.

If I ever get technical training and a bunch of legitimate technical dives in in various conditions I might consider my self to be "advanced".

My feelings exactly... I just started advanced nitrox & deco procedures, and I feel like a new diver while I'm bumbling around with doubles and stage bottles.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Call yourself whatever you want but you've done what you've done. I have about every certification that exists and I've done some fairly advanced dives but I know divers with a thousand times the experience I have so...what does it mean to be "advanced"? Campared to what? You can be very experienced in one environment or activity but a complete newb in another.

What's the goal here? Are we trying to qualify for a title or are we trying to get good at something we like doing for the sake of safety and enjoyment?

 

[tjmills]

I think you bring up a good point here. I have made it all the way to rescue diver in my short stint as a diver. Personally, I was disappointed with the AOW that I received from PADI (Put Another Dollar In) and wish it would have been much more than it was. To me, you don't even begin diving unless you are at least a rescue level or above.

So based upon that I feel as though I am a competent beginning diver. Advanced is such a relative term. I am comfortable but by no means Advanced.

 

[miketsp]

It's all relative.
Here on SB, obviously we're among an elite of a lot of experienced divers and I still feel quite humble when I compare my experience level & number of dives.
However when I go on dive trips I now regularly find I have a more varied experience than many DMs & Instructors. Often they have many more dives but they're the same ones often repeated.
As for general diving knowledge, unfortunately anybody that regularly reads SB over a couple of years will pick up more equipment knowledge than most professionals working in the profession.

 

[Scubakevdm]

When I had 1000 dives, I thought I knew what was going on. When I hit 2000 I chuckled at my 1000 dive having self for that attitude because of how much I had learned and how much my diving had improved. These days I know better. I can only hope that in the future I will be surprised at how little I know today.

 

[ththooft]

I think the term "relative" has been well used. I feel like I'm just scrathing that surface of diving. Yes, I have an AOW card so I guess I'm "advanced" compared to someone who's never breathed off a reg, but there are many other "advanced" divers that I can learn a ton from. I think it's risky to start thinking of yourself as advanced, because that's when you start to get careless.

 

[Leadking]

What is advanced? I've been diving since 1967 and activly since 1976. I am now into tri-mix rebreathers at 58. I'm a newbie at what I'm now doing and still have mentors teaching me, and they are 10-20 years younger than me.