Opinions: When DOES a new diver become advanced?

[clownfishsydney]

Better question, when is a diver an "experienced diver". Certainly my definition is a lot different to the media whenever there is an accident etc.

 

[James Sizemore]

I would say when control of their diving becomes second nature in a variety of environments. So that they are not only proficient in tropical waters but cold waters, not only clear water but murky water. Has an overall experience and practice to handle typical issues on the fly with out panic, and someone who can be relied on to handle issues in typical diving situations.

Certainly they’re are always people more advanced then others, but in relation to a new diver, those would be my criteria. Dive log numbers although not irrelevant, certainly need to be weighted with overall experience. The person with 100 tropical boat dives is not the same as someone with a mix or cold, tropical, boat, shore, clear and murky water dives.

 

[TMHeimer]

I would say when control of their diving becomes second nature in a variety of environments. So that they are not only proficient in tropical waters but cold waters, not only clear water but murky water. Has an overall experience and practice to handle typical issues on the fly with out panic, and someone who can be relied on to handle issues in typical diving situations.

Certainly they’re are always people more advanced then others, but in relation to a new diver, those would be my criteria. Dive log numbers although not irrelevant, certainly need to be weighted with overall experience. The person with 100 tropical boat dives is not the same as someone with a mix or cold, tropical, boat, shore, clear and murky water dives.

Good points, and I think I agree with all. I've often said I'd rather be OW trained by an instructor who has 100 or 1,000 dives in the area where I'll be trained. As opposed to one who has 25-50 but in varied areas/climates. Don't know which one I'd consider more advanced.

 

[Fastmarc]

So someone who is only interested in diving tropical and has no interest in diving cold should never be considered as advanced?
Interesting...

 

[scubadada]

So someone who is only interested in diving tropical and has no interest in diving cold should never be considered as advanced?
Interesting...

I do quite a bit of my diving in SE FL, solo drift diving, I can easily imagine someone here being an advanced diver. I have also dived Red Sea, Cocos, Galagpagos, and Revillagigedos. My diving in FL, as well as other experience, set me up perfectly well to be successful in these locations.

 

[GrafCanuck]

Pass on the advanced status. Enjoy the underwater journey. Dive for LiFe!!!!

 

[Manatee Diver]

I'm still doing discover scuba.

 

[TMHeimer]

So someone who is only interested in diving tropical and has no interest in diving cold should never be considered as advanced?
Interesting...

The opposite. If someone has 100-1,000 all tropical dives (and of course is a GOOD diver) I would probably consider him/her just as advanced as someone with that many in Antarctica. Either one would be a newbie in the other place. I'd probably consider either one more advanced than someone with 50 in 10 different climates.

 

[Chavodel8en]

The opposite. If someone has 100-1,000 all tropical dives (and of course is a GOOD diver) I would probably consider him/her just as advanced as someone with that many in Antarctica. Either one would be a newbie in the other place. I'd probably consider either one more advanced that someone with 50 in 10 different climates.

Great way of putting.

Myself as an example, I had been diving for 10+ years, 100+ dives in the cool waters of California. I had done a lot of diving that a tropical vacation diver hasn't experienced: thick suits, rough surf entries, navigating under thick kelp mats, etc., etc. I considered myself an "advanced" diver.

However, I had a vacation to Cancun/PdC planned, and I had never done any drift diving. I had never had to deal with any significant current before. Never had launched a DSMB. So, in terms of drift diving, I was not "advanced."

I practiced launching a DSMB at home in California -- and it was not pretty. Luckily I managed it well in Cancun. I had some hiccups w/ drift diving, but I survived. Maybe at some point I will become an "advanced" drift diver.