What is Advanced Diving?

[Jax]

I thought I was an advanced diver every time I finished a new course - then realised, with hindsight, that I wasn't every time I started on the next course. After a few repetitions of that, I gave up on defining myself as a worthless cause.

I think this is just about the perfect definition.

Basic folk think they are advanced once they get AOW and Nitrox.

The more people train, the more they find out what they do not know.

Once into Tech diving, it seems everyone (? too broad ?) realizes that 'advanced' is situation- and environment- dependent.

I submit, you are advanced when you know what you don't know, and can make the proper decision when a dive is beyond one's training and experience.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

At 100 dives I thought I was an advanced diver.

By 500 dives I realized I had been kidding myself.

By 1000 dives I had decided the term is basically meaningless, except in the context of whatever dive I was doing at the time.

Since then I don't think in terms of what "type" of diver I am ... preferring to think in terms of how competent I am to do the dives I want to do. In that respect, I consider myself expert at doing certain types of dives, very experienced at others, and barely competent at still others ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Colliam7]

I thought I was an advanced diver every time I finished a new course - then realised, with hindsight, that I wasn't every time I started on the next course.

Well said! And, I think that is the kind of insight that the OP was asking divers to share in these (3) threads) - self-perception, and how it changed over time. I suspect a lot of SB'ers agree with you; I certainly do. Vitually every time I reach / pass what I consider to be some milestone of experience, or skill, or activity, (or survival), I feel that I have somehow advanced in my diving. And, then when I pursue a new course, or dive in a new environment, or strap on a new gearset, I not infrequently feel that I am starting over. Maybe, the 'advance' being made is simply the ability to realize that such a process is going on.

After a few repetitions of that, I gave up on defining myself as a worthless cause.

Which is a privilege that we all can enjoy.