Old or incompetent -- Which would YOU prefer?

[James Bond boat entry]

Your postings on this board don't make you sound old or incompetent.

Practise makes perfect and I suspect if you practised the "lights out" scenarios, you would perfect them.

When the body get older, the cardiovascular and circulatory systems are not as efficient and off gassing could be a problem, well just set the conservatism in V-planner higher.

 

[wedivebc]

Well, honestly, I was completely willing to swallow his original evaluation. I'm NOT good in midwater, and given the number of dives I have and the training I've gotten, I should be way better. It may be that these problems aren't amenable to any kind of solution. I'd actually gotten kind of comfortable with that, the way you get comfortable with a roommate you don't actually like, but have to put up with.

The new verdict really stung. I am NOT old; I am active, ambitious and, per a number of people, amazingly capable for my age. My personal trainer was blown away . . .

I'd much rather be told that my talent is limited, rather than be soothed away with a sop to my age. Which is why I started the thread!

So why are you putting so much stock in this guy's comments? Why don't you just do what you love and continue to enjoy whatever diving you choose? Do you need approval to dive?

 

[Teamcasa]

I doubt there are any more than a few people that would like to be told they are not competent enough for any particular endeavor. A person’s age means very little today in terms of competency or fitness. We all know some exceptionally fit people in their age group and a number of youngsters not fit enough to walk more than a block without wheezing, huffing and puffing.

 

[Don Wray]

Hogwash! You and I are the same age and no one's going to tell me I'm too old to do anything. I'll turn around and do it just to prove them wrong. (Bet he can't ride a horse either and I don't trust anyone who can't ride horses ;P)

 

[dpbishop]

Remember, old age and treachery will beat youth & skill every time. And scuba diving is the one sport where incompetence doesn't matter.

Or was that incontinence doesn't matter. Unless you're in a drysuit. Dang, forgot to take the ginko biloba again.

 

[TSandM]

Well, on the incontinence side, that's why I just purchased a She-P!

Guys, the fact is that I'm not competent to do staged decompression diving in open water. The only question is whether I attribute it to incompetence or age. I'd rather be incompetent, personally

 

[garyfotodiver]

That you heard an interpretation of this guy's statement from a third party is suspect. Imagine speaking to one physician who tells you what another physician really meant when he/she gave his/her diagnosis.

Rather reminds me of that new testament statement, "let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Hey when I have a student who has a problem mastering a skill I realize I have to spend more time working out how I can adapt training to their needs. A skill can not be learned when the instructor has "given up" on the student. Just because the instructor gave up the student doesn't have to. I wouldn't accept anyone's judgement on age or incompetence.

"I can only fail if my determination to succeed is not strong enough" Og Mandino

If I want to quit I will do so based on my decision alone. I will take responsibility for the decision to limit myself. I have a right to make my decision based on my own reasons and no one has the right to know the whys unless I chose to tell them.

Honestly TSandY few people are as competent as you in soooo many ways! You probably are just to much of a perfectionist when you judge your skills. It is good to be honest about that too!

 

[Peter Guy]

I was one of the people sitting at the table when the individual announced that, at that time, neither of us should consider going on to Tech 1. What he also said was that we should stop doing "skills dives" and JUST GO DIVING! Lynne, as is her persuasion, heard what he said in the most negative light and has written it a number of times -- that she is "too incompetent" to go on.

Dive-a-holic wrote

Lynne. You're only as old as you feel.

Rob, that is a very unfortunate statement. You've seen her moments after she's gotten out of bed -- can you imagine how old she feels then before the Vitamin I has kicked in? Even without "the grape" she is fortunate for unlike people who don't ache in the morning, she knows she'll feel better later in the day.

 

[tedtim]

. . .

I'd much rather be told that my talent is limited, rather than be soothed away with a sop to my age. Which is why I started the thread!

Limited talent does not equal incompetence in my view. At some time we will all face the situation where we do not have the aptitude to do something. This is not the same as being incompetent, which I take as a pejorative remark.

I tried to learn to paint landscapes once. I now know that I don't have that kind of talent, even with paint by numbers.