How Many Dives Does It Take?

[Indian Valley Scuba]

Thank you for that clarification; although the actual application of the AAUS guidelines in practice vary, as noted in my earlier post.

 

[Thalassamania]

Sorry ... which post?

What are your science interests?

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

I noted that I spent five years with the NJ Academy for Aquatic Sciences, who were based at the NJ State Aquarium at Camden. Our diving was conducted in-house for husbandry and exhibit or facility maintenance activities, and off-shore for collection and monitoring purposes.

 

[Thalassamania]

And you guys did not have an AAUS model research diving safety program?

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

I speak historically as there was a lot going on behind the scenes, and things may have changed over the last couple of years, but at that time we did not employ the training standards you referred to in your post regarding number of dives, hours of training, number of supervised dives, etc.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Sounds like there are various "scientific diver" courses. The one I've heard about the most is in Texas, Aquarena thingy. Its a two day course for divers so they can help with research and rehabilitation of the Edwards Aquiffer.

Its hardly intense from what it looks like.

 

[aquaregia]

We have an AAUS course at my university that students call "SCUBA boot camp". It's super impacted so you have to compete to get into the class then the class itself is apparently intense as well. I don't know whether that's just an undergrad's version of intense or what, but I'm hoping to find out come September.

 

[Walter]

My question is simply.....if there is a quantitative number of dives which is generally makes a diver "experienced".....what is that number?

No. Everyone learns at different speeds. A fast learner will become better faster than a slower learner. There are great differences in training programs. A more comprehensive entry level course will give a diver a head start.

What are a particular diver's experiences? What are they worth? I'm very experienced in some environments, moderately experienced in others, a novice in others, and no experience at all in still others. Has the diver ever made a real rescue? Has the diver ever had to deal with a real personal emergency? Does the diver dive only in warm water? Does the diver dive only in cold quarries? Does the diver have experience in rough seas? in strong currents?

There is no magic number.

 

[TSandM]

Walter makes an excellent point. A diver can be highly experienced in one environment, and almost a complete newbie in another. Ask me to paddle around any of our local dive sites, and I look like I know what I'm doing; ask me to do a moderate surf entry, and I look like I ought to go back to OW.

I do think that, once you get a few hundred dives under your belt, you get less likely to view yourself as experienced. The ocean will never view you that way.

 

[Walter]

I do think that, once you get a few hundred dives under your belt, you get less likely to view yourself as experienced.

I'm not so sure. I think there's a danger area between 500 - 1000 dives when you're good and you know it. Some folks tend to get cocky and take short cuts. I know I nearly killed myself on dive 760 because I got cocky and took short cuts.