POLL: How many dives per year do you consider a minimum necessary for skills not to degrade?

[diverintheflesh]

While the numbers would probably vary between recreational and and technical divers, consider recreational for this survey.


Consider:

4 dives as 2 dives per day on a dive trip away from home over two days of diving;

8 dives as 2 dives on one day every 90 days;

12 dives as 2 dives on one day every other month;

24 dives as 2 dives on one day every month;

36 dives as 2 dives on one day per month and one "Liveaboard" trip per year;

48 dives as six weekends (4 dives per weekend) throughout the year and two "Liveaboard" trips per year or other combination like diving almost every other weekend throughout the year.


...the previous descriptions are to help one make it easier to conceptualize the regularity of available dive days with the schedule you currently have (i.e. work, vacation, family obligations, lifestyle, etc)


If you are not sure how to answer this and have ever had a hiatus between dives, consider how you felt when you returned to diving. How many dives would have rectified that feeling or did it take to get back to pre-hiatus comfort level...




Thank you.


#scuba
#scubadiving
#scubasurvey
#divesperyear
#skillretention

 

[AfterDark]

What skills are you referring to? Clearing a mask is different from shooting a SMB from depth. Clearing a mask is like riding a bike. Shooting a SMB from depth is something not done often even by active divers. I know every time I do it it's like the 1st time. Certain skills become part of muscle memory and are never lost, others not so much.

Last year I didn't get to make more than 6 dives the last one being before the Fall of 2018. This year I couldn't dive until June that's more than 6 months dry. My 1st dive this year was a solo dive with a couple of minor issues that had nothing to do with skills, nor did I feel lacking the ability to execute whatever skill would be required.

I like to think if this was baseball I'd be a natural. I can't really answer your survey, I just don't know how to answer.

 

[Johnoly]

What skills are you referring to? ... I can't really answer your survey, I just don't know how to answer.

I agree with @AfterDark ....Diving isn't just jumping in the water.
Each of us performs different "Tasks" underwater. A video person may have to go thru tons of settings checks on his equipment just so his dive isn't blacked out. As a spearo, I have to look at many weather and underwater report conditions to determine my best plan just so I don't jump on an empty rock. What's easy for one diver is task-loading for another divers. Maybe the OP's real question should be how do divers handle task-loading?

 

[Saniflush]

I think it depends on what skills you are referring to? All skills like breathing without a mask or navigation will diminish over time if they are not practiced no matter how many dives you make. Mrs Flush and I decide in our dive planning what skill if any we are going to practice during/at the end of the dive.
In general terms I would think getting 12 dives in a year would keep your skills relatively fresh but that is all predicated on when those dives happen, how they are spaced, and if skills are practiced.

 

[Jcp2]

A person’s comfort level with their own skills is not necessarily a good indication of their objective skill level. Having said that, I voted for 12, or the equivalent of two vacations spaced 6 months apart with 3 days of two tank diving each. Day 1 is refresher, day 2 is familiar, day 3 is to try something new.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I couldn't vote. I think it depends on when in your dive "career". If you have dived regularly... say 50 to 100 dives a year in various sites for years and established your comfort /skill level a couple dives a year may be enough. If you only ever dive 4 dives a year you will probably never get there.

 

[jlcnuke]

As someone who took a 9 year break from diving, I think I was back "up to speed" on all the basic skills of diving after ~2 dives. That's not the same as being "back to fully comfortable in the water again", which probably didn't happen for another 10-15 dives. I think diving at least every other month (preferably monthly) is needed for me to avoid having overall comfort in the water deteriorate. My air consumption, for instance, has gone up when I took 4 months off of diving for the first dive or two before I get back in the swing of things. Diving every month, on the other hand, keeps it pretty constant for the same relative conditions.

 

[arew+4]

For warm clear water, 1 or 2 dives after a break of even 2-4 years seems to be enough for me to regain comfort in the water, and confidence in my gear. The first dozen or so dives after such a break I am definitely border line hyper vigilant. The more taxing the conditions the more dives it would take to regainconfidence/comfort.

 

[diverintheflesh]

What skills are you referring to? Clearing a mask is different from shooting a SMB from depth. Clearing a mask is like riding a bike. Shooting a SMB from depth is something not done often even by active divers. I know every time I do it it's like the 1st time. Certain skills become part of muscle memory and are never lost, others not so much.

Last year I didn't get to make more than 6 dives the last one being before the Fall of 2018. This year I couldn't dive until June that's more than 6 months dry. My 1st dive this year was a solo dive with a couple of minor issues that had nothing to do with skills, nor did I feel lacking the ability to execute whatever skill would be required.

I like to think if this was baseball I'd be a natural. I can't really answer your survey, I just don't know how to answer.

Thank you for the questions... That really is the conundrum, isn't it? Skills that are used more often during dives do seem easier to retain however, ditching weights and doing an emergency buoyant ascent could likely be a fail in a true emergency. Even so, sloppy mask clearing doesn't have the same consequences that a sloppy emergency ascent do... Having difficulty answering the question illustrates the need for regular and consistent practice, utilization, and application of skills.

I hope that helps...

 

[diverintheflesh]

I agree with @AfterDark ....Diving isn't just jumping in the water.
Each of us performs different "Tasks" underwater. A video person may have to go thru tons of settings checks on his equipment just so his dive isn't blacked out. As a spearo, I have to look at many weather and underwater report conditions to determine my best plan just so I don't jump on an empty rock. What's easy for one diver is task-loading for another divers. Maybe the OP's real question should be how do divers handle task-loading?

Thank you for your reply... Your thoughts about task loading is incredibly insightful. There are many perspectives on this but the one I love the most is, "Practice makes permanence." A slight change in perspective really can be worlds apart.