Where is your "bar"?

[spectrum]

I subscribe to my advice of diving with a spirit of continuous improvement. In and out of the water I incorporate learnings from local buddies, books, online references like ScubaBoard and personal realizations.

While I am content with my current abilities I am consistently improving and expanding my skill base and that works for me.

As for a bar I think I only had one. To get significantly engaged in the sport and cement my basic skills. To get to that stage where things flowed smoothly before during and after the dive. That stage where I'd be be competently having fun the whole time. Ending my first season with 70 odd dives got me there. Since then it's been continuous improvement.

Pete

 

[kanonfodr]

My bar is kept right behind the front door, in case someone decides they like my stuff enough to take it.

Having said that, my Essentials class with Don C was eye-opening in terms of seeing how stable/efficient/knowledgeable a diver really could be, and how much I could improve in a few short (okay, LONG) days. Then going diving here with other divers either helps me improve by watching and learning from them, either what or what no to do.

Gombessa's recent visit showed me that it is entirely possible to have a good strong back kick (something that still eludes me from time to time), great trim, and all while managing video. I was humbled to be in the company of such a fine diver.

I guess my bar is pretty simple: to master the basics of scuba diving. But as I'm sure any knowledgeable diver will tell you, it's not that easy. And I am continually working towards that goal. But the other bar is to be a good buddy, who people can feel completely comfortable diving with. That is possibly even harder, as with the former I am only pleasing myself and the laws of physics; the latter I've got to make people happy.

Peace,
Greg

 

[highdesert]

Ascend from every dive relaxed, safe, and with a little gas in my tank. Coupla nice pictures helps too ...

 

[Rainer]

I can't say I have a role model of the sort described in the OP. Like Blackwood, I'm continuously interested in improving my diving, but my primary focus is always on having a good time. I don't expect to be perfect and I don't expect improvement to happen instantly. Pick a few short term goals and work on those. For me, right now, I'd like to improve my situational awareness while shooting video.

 

[Mattleycrue76]

Bar? Well 1 bar is definitely no good. Anything more than 1 bar and life is good

 

[ERP]

I was lucky enough to find a mentor shortly after I finished my OW qualification. He made a lot of things I found difficult seem effortless. For a long time I set my standard by him. I've seen better divers since, but to me the bar is the ideal.
I've seen a GUE instructors fail to do a basic drill because of unfamiliar task loading.
I've recently started diving again after a long hiatus, and it's astonishing how simple skills seem like heavy task loading.
My bar is higher than my current skill level, but I'm not going to stop having fun to reach it.

 

[Diver0001]

Where's your bar? Does somebody epitomize it?

If you mean do I have a roll model, then no. I'm sure there are lots of situations where I could learn something new and lots of sloppiness in my diving that could be cleaned up but on the whole I don't spend a lot of time worrying about what other people can do that I can't.

R..

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Bond, James Bond

 

[kathydee]

I recently took Fundies, throughout the class drysuit ascents in doubles were my greatest challenge. At the end of one day I was asked to drop down with the instructor while he cleaned up.

On the ascent it was just the two of us. I tried so hard to hold that 3' window at stops – glancing across, there was Beto Nava, (our incredible GUE instructor) casually holding 0 trim, while patiently watching my heroic efforts to slow the motion and hold my stops. He just hung there like a feather in the water, so relaxed, it almost looked like he was napping on a sofa. In comparison, I felt painfully spastic and clumsy.

That moment definitely set a bar. It’s been 21 dives since Fundies and I have yet to pull off Beto’s effortless stops-- but with practice the ascents are getting better and I know what to aim for-- thanks to Beto for showing me that bar ;-).

 

[Ed Palma]

The 5th-D YouTube videos just blow my mind.

Amen to that! The performance in those videos are something I aspire for.