I have noticed almost a prejudice against travelling divers in some online dive boards..and in people I've spoken two who have thousands of dives..yeh, but they're all at the same spot getting crayfish year after year..and Pierre's quote about dive less often so let's make it special got me thinking.
I'd rather dive somewhere there isn't a car park full of divers in droves that everyone goes to..like tulumben...somewhere that takes a bit of time and effort getting to, encountering different conditions each trip..so anyone else noticed this locals v travel divers especially those of us who commit the cardinal sin of not diving in cold water. Don't have thousands of dives, but have coupe hundred in pretty awesome places..and a lot more to come
Reply to this Totally agree -- a diver with with hundreds of shallow warm dives is going to be a liability when first dry-suit diving in the Arctic!
It's the same with any skill worth having, it's not the repetition of easy actions that improves skill, but repetition of things that challenge us until they become easy, and then finding a new challenge to master.
I hope to be able to do this for the rest of my life in every area.
I'm looking forward to putting on that dry-suit and being a liability 😊
Reply to this Good point Ali...
On my 498th dive...last monday....got my reg starting stupid free-flowing...easy to deal with....than 15 minutes later found out I couldn't inlfate my bcd with a little too much weights on....trust me, it does help to know what you are doing down there....whatever, dive 498th was boring, so it kept me busy....and 499th dive...no technical issue...but great shark interaction....just an hour after 498th!
Now Ali....I've got more than one friend who are going to tell you...no way cold water with low visibility...You may want to drive north to Seattle to give it a try!
Cindy...not sure if 500th will be on Protea Bank...or Rangiroa!
Reply to this Cant wait to see where you celebrate your 500th - either is good 😊
I cannot believe the amount of typos and grammatical errors in my post, i should read them before posting or at the very least get some sleep!
Reply to this Well...booked yesterday....JNB-Durban return 70usd, rental car...25 usd per day...gorgeous usual luxury B&B...65usd per night...as I dive early...the great breakfast turn into a proper lunch....diving....with the low rand, 95usd for 2 dives...top golf course...average 25usd per round...top seafood dinner...on average 17usd...I even go to the point of leaving my 7mm in Shelly Beach! Why bother taking it on planes...less 7mm wetsuit...means more wine travelling with me!
Where they have sharks...and great value...you'll find me...so now...don't ask to be served food at 9pm...at that time, I'm on my terrace with a great red blend, a good cuban cigar...and an hour from sleep...
Now 500++ to around 520 will be....you guess where Cindy...more sharks...
Reply to this Quality vs. Quantity
Cindy you pose an interesting question. Dave and I are totally recreational divers with less than 200 dives. We LOVE diving but have only been taking one dive trip per year the past seven or eight years. Before that time period when we lived in Florida we did more frequent diving.
For us the important thing is to be honest with yourself about your skill level. Dave and I have had discussions about that fact that our diving skills and comfort have decreased in recent years because we are not diving as frequently.
If you are a diver used to shallow warm water divers don't expect to go to the Galapagos and feel comfortable or be safe. In that situation you should make arrangements with a dive master to provide you additional support so as not to endanger yourself or others.
Egos can get in the way. I've listened to many of divers yapping on the boat about this and that. How great they are...I've done this and I've done that....I've been here, I've been there... blah, blah, blah. Almost without fail this is the clown who gets chewed out on return by the diver master for not following the dive plan-- going too deep or wrecking some coral.
We freely admit we like warm water diving for the most part. We lived in Seattle for 7 years and didn't get wet once. I've lived along the California coast and only went diving in Catalina once.....that was enough for me.
Reply to this I guess I have committed the cardinal sin! I haven't really dived in cold water - 16 degrees C minimum, I am a fair weather diver (I get terribly seasick!) and I have very few dives under my belt compared to all of you! Yet I have dived in quite a few places/countries before. I admit I would struggle in icy waters as I don't have the experience and don't know if I would every attempt an extreme cold water dive, but who knows!
Some of our best dives have been in secluded places, not just for what we saw under water, but also not having so many divers around wanting to see the same shrimp hidden in the coral! One can become blasé about what you see under water no matter where you are but when you have done many dives you start looking at things in a different way and look for smaller detail, not necessarily for the biggest meanest shark.
I agree with Dave and Merry - know your limitations when diving - it can become a dangerous sport very quickly. We have been witness to quite a few situations that could have turned nasty, because people were not honest about their qualifications/fear/abilities.
Naturally when I am most comfortable in the water I enjoy my dives the most, but there are some stunning dives that make you forget your unease or discomfort and I am glad to say I have experienced a few of those.
I guess I will always remain a fair weather diver and as we get older we dive less and less so it takes a bit longer to get used to it each time. So to answer your question, Cindy, the more you dive the more you can practise your diving skills and be better at it, but does not necessarily mean you have had the best dives!
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