How to categorize beginner, intermediate, advance diver?

[scububa]

yeah, they dive with a big S on the front of their drysuit..

Hmmm, I thought that was the new Scubapro logo

I thought I was getting to be a pretty good diver until I dove with a couple of good divers. I am getting to the point now where I am learning enough to begin to appreciate how much I have to learn.

 

[mossym]

Hmmm, I thought that was the new Scubapro logo
.

just after i posted i thought of that

 

[Tom Smedley]

Read this

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=85624

TT

How do we categorize beginner, intermediate and advance diver?

 

[Diversion]

Read this

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=85624

TT

Tom,

That is Great!. I missed it the first time. Thanks for bringing it up.

 

[blueeyes_austin]

100 dives in less than 50 ft of crystal blue water, no weights, shorty, 200ft of viz..

50 dives in 40F water, less than 10ft of viz, thick wetsuit or drysuit, 30lbs of weight,

who's the better diver?

Ah, but now you're bringing more information into the situation! What if the blue water diver has significant experience with surge and current and half of her dives were exploratory first-dive-by-humans in East Timor? While the brown water diver has been peering at catfish in the same still quarry?

All I was trying to point out is that diving skills are correlated with experience...and the most significant variable in that correlation has to be the number of dives undertaken.

 

[mossym]

Ah, but now you're bringing more information into the situation! What if the blue water diver has significant experience with surge and current and half of her dives were exploratory first-dive-by-humans in East Timor? While the brown water diver has been peering at catfish in the same still quarry?

exactly my point..number of dives doesn't tell you anything, there are way too many variables!!

 

[Uncle Pug]

As anticipated by the original question skill level is site/dive specific. The poster is interested in going to Bunaken and wondering if she has the skill level for those dives. Having posted in the thread about Bunaken she has also posted here in General Scuba Discussions.

The answer still depends upon the site/dive but now the discussion can be more general.

I've noticed that a lot of the *discussions* here on SB really boil down to differing frames of reference. Whether it be equipment choices, training regimens or even skill levels. The venue makes a huge difference.

What can be considered a sufficient or even proficient skill-set in one venue would be woefully lacking in another.

Which brings me to the pertinent question: "Why Categorize in the first place?" I think that the most *legitimate* reason from classifying divers is to ascertain if their skill set is sufficient for a particular dive. That also necessitates classifying the dives as well.

 

[blueeyes_austin]

exactly my point..number of dives doesn't tell you anything, there are way too many variables!!

Um, no. Number of dives DOES tell you something. The variable describes a necessary but not sufficient condition in determing experience. It an environment of limited information, number of logged dives is a good first-cut constraint.

 

[mossym]

Um, no. Number of dives DOES tell you something. The variable describes a necessary but not sufficient condition in determing experience. It an environment of limited information, number of logged dives is a good first-cut constraint.

alright i see your point, and i'll meet you half way, i think there's arguements to both sides, but i think a qualifying statement to number of dives goes a long long way..

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Um, no. Number of dives DOES tell you something. The variable describes a necessary but not sufficient condition in determing experience. It an environment of limited information, number of logged dives is a good first-cut constraint.

Generally, perhaps ... but it's not an accurate constraint.

For example ... let's examine two divers I know ...

Diver A is an instructor. He's logged over 6,000 dives. The vast majority of those dives have been teaching OW students at a specific locale. He hasn't taken a class in years, and sees no reason why he should. He feels like he knows everything he needs to know ... and has known it since the '70's.

Diver B has been diving for five years and has logged about 800 dives. He spends considerable time, money, and effort learning everything he can about diving from any source that can offer it. He's certified to dive wrecks and caves, knows decompression theory inside and out, and practices his skills regularly with his dive buddies. And he still feels like there's way more out there to learn than he knows already.

Who's the better diver? I contend that it depends entirely on how you define the term.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)