Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

[Interceptor121]

At the dive shop where I work we use 5 bands A,B,C,D,E

E is a guy that is in essence a harm
D is someone out of the OW class
C is the norm, is a person that still needs a dive master and you would not send with a buddy alone even from the beach
B better than C, he can now go on the house reef without guide
A this is a guy that can dive anywhere in a buddy team

What is interesting that sometimes we have instructors being rated as C hahaha!

 

[dwhthediver]

Aphorisms need be pithy

gotcha, just wish pithy was sometimes more clear

 

[Seaduced]

A novice diver is someone who is just starting to dive and is just starting to learn about diving
An intermediate diver is someone who has been diving for a while and has learned quite a lot about diving.
An advanced diver is someone who has been diving for a while and is just starting to learn about diving.

Succinct... May I quote you?

 

[Kingpatzer]

Succinct... May I quote you?

I could say 'no,' but I'm not sure that's enforceable, so go for it

 

[SailNaked]

several people have answered what those terms mean applied to divers however the OP was about dive sites, I have seen sites classified as more than novice if they typically have current, depth (over 80), surge or are in the open sea, anyplace there is something other than jump in and swim about usually gets at least an intermediate rating.
I have seen some "advanced" dives in the book that are listed that way simply because they are on a rock out in a channel and some thought needs to go into making sure you do not end up in the next country or island down the line.

 

[Doc]

several people have answered what those terms mean applied to divers however the OP was about dive sites, I have seen sites classified as.....

That's the crux of the biscuit. Advanced Diver ≠ Advanced Diving

It isn't like skiing where the steepness of terrain combined with condition management (grooming) equals green•circles, blue∏squares, or black◊diamonds.

To some extent, the characterizing of dive sites in this manner helps sell dive guides and maps. (After all, there are no pine trees to post trail signs on at the top)

Advanced diving is any set of new circumstances or stimuli that the diver has not yet encountered or mastered.

Advanced Diving may also occur if multiple new or difficult stimulus are encountered, resulting in task loading.

In a classic example: the Galapagos. Everyone hears it means "advanced diving" will be encountered. What does that mean?

For many, it is their first experience in a live aboard dive vacation. Beyond that:

Pre-dive dive equipment manipulation in a small boat

Back roll entries are usually the only easy method.

Advisable to make "negative entries" because of frequent surface current

Very rapid descents because of current. If you can't clear your ears you may well miss the dive- the group will be quickly "blown downstream"

Drift diving- not the most challenging or fastest in the world, but likely the most extreme that most divers visiting have ever been into

Picking up quickly on how to hide from current behind rocks

This isn't Coral, it's lava rock- be ready to use leather gloves to hand-over-hand past the wild spots.

Seeing how current moves you depending upon where you are to the lava walls so you can stay apace with the group

Communicating with the DM your air supply whenever he glances at you

It is colder than most any "clear water / pretty fish" environment that most are used to- that means extra rubber!

Doing a safety stop at 15' after inflating your SMB from depth, waiting patiently for the pick-up boat.

Passing your gear up to the boatsman expeditiously and after making re-entry, making yourself very small where you are directed to do so.

Anything new is "advanced". Many people go to Bonaire and shore dive, surviving only because God smiles down on them. Otherwise- there are a lot of banged up knees... and some divers never "advance' to mastering that skill- merely surviving it.

Most "guides" rate dive sites as advanced if there is depth, wrecks, current, etc.

In reality- there are many factors that combine together, some changing on an hourly basis, or others remain constant- dependent upon which dive-op and boat you hook up with.

 

[RonFrank]

Here is my take.

Novice - Someone who has not done much diving. Most divers fall into this category.

Intermediate - Someone who has dove in a few different types of conditions, and has some experience diving in more difficult conditions. Different conditions include but are not limited to low vis, drysuit/cold, current (not generally drift), night diving, and deep.

Advanced - Someone who has the experience to handle any recreational condition, and has training in rescue procedures. Someone who can multi-task at depth, and keep their head.

Tech - An advanced diver with the technical training and experience to back it up. Not all Tech divers are IMO advanced. I've seen some tech divers who either don't have the experience, or ability to really fall into the tech category, but they are taking the training.

As for sites, they can rate them all day long, but I've seen 25' dives in the Keys that six out of eight divers could not handle (six out of eight had issues, and four could not make it back to the boat!). I've been on the Grove with great vis and no current and just about anyone could do that. I've dove it on days where advanced "trained" divers immediately blew off the wreck, and required a platoon of support including Helicopters to find them drifting at sea.

If you are in the ocean, all bets are off, and just because a site is labeled novice does not make it so on a given day.

 

[sabbath999]

several people have answered what those terms mean applied to divers however the OP was about dive sites, I have seen sites classified as more than novice if they typically have current, depth (over 80), surge or are in the open sea, anyplace there is something other than jump in and swim about usually gets at least an intermediate rating.
I have seen some "advanced" dives in the book that are listed that way simply because they are on a rock out in a channel and some thought needs to go into making sure you do not end up in the next country or island down the line.

One of the "advanced" sites on my list to do when I get a bit more experience is kind of like that... south point on Kona.

It's actually not that trick, except if you actually go around the point you end up in the current with the next stop Antarctica...

I find this an interesting topic. Some of the holes we have been to around here (quarries) in I think personally are beginner sites... but in reality they can be much more than that. Take Oronogo in Joplin... it's cold, even colder under the top 'cline, can have extremely low vis, you can go deep into overhead environments and down to 200 feet in depth in some very cold and dark water. Or you can stay shallow and there's no current or surge to mess with you, so it's rather like a swimming pool... the site is as easy or difficult as you want to make it.

 

[Pearldiver07]

It all depends on the diver. I did the Speigle Grove in three to four-footers and a stiff current with only 10 ocean dives under my belt with no problems and had a hell of a good time. Next person might need 50 to do the same thing or may never be able to do it at all. It's all subjective.

Garrabo has a great point - simply making it through a number of dives doesn't make you a novice, int. or advanced diver.

Conditions, difficulties you've faced and overcome, and your personal ability to extract learning experience from them are major factors, and you can't quantify them so easily.

My personal view of this?

Beginner - Someone who feels they need assistance in basic gear set up, or to be guided through dives to feel safe, or has a very narrow range of experience in a single, or nearly single, environment.

Intermediate - A diver who is comfortable with their gear, diving without a guide in environments they are comfortable with, and who, with a buddy, can conduct their own dives per their plan. Can handle "normal" problems during a dive without undue panic, stress, or increased hazard to themselves or their buddies (i.e. mask flood, addressing equipment issues, unexpected changes in the current, tide, etc.).

Advanced - A diver who is comfortable in all fundamentals of diving and related knowledge (i.e. can formulate their own dive plan, gas consumption, NDL information, equipment) and has experience in managing stress situations while diving. Can accurately evaluate the potential hazards of diving in unfamiliar environments and locations. Has all skills of diving down to an intuitive or muscle-memory level. They can be counted on to self rescue in most any situation and address serious changes in the environment while diving with their buddy.

These aren't all inclusive, but when I look at a dive site or potential dive buddy this is how I look at it.

 

[Pearldiver07]

takes most divers a little experience to realize that they do not know everything.

Great point!

It's those things that you're not aware of that will bite you in the behind when you least expect it.

I love it when someone says that they've got their OW and don't need any more training. What little they know. This is like thinking that as you finish your driver's test you're a fully competent driver. You're just beginning.

Do they need a pocket of cards? Lord, no. But to be a competent diver takes a lot more than a few dives and a couple of weekends of class.