Qualifications vs. Experience

I once knew a fellow student diver in my Ocean Diver (first grade) and Sports Diver (second grade) training group who did not want to do any dives without getting a skill signed off. He was adamant that there was no point in diving unless he was undergoing training, not interested in diving recreationally at all. He was always rushing about, and had little patience for other students not learning as quickly as him. We nicknamed him (any diver who is infamous within their club is usually given a nickname) 'Scout', due to the fact he always wanted to "collect badges".

He got through his training quickly, and once passed as an assistant instructor was very keen to start training new members, pass on his wisdom and do his Dive Leader (grade 3) training at the same time. While this was going on we had another member, Taff, who had been with the club several years already. He had long ago stopped at Sports Diver grade. He had logged 200 odd dives and enjoyed the technical side of diving so was always 'fiddling with his equipment'! He did not feel the need to instruct or worry about training to be a Dive Leader. Instead, he buddied up with anyone who had a full cylinder (or better, a full twinset) as long as he got to do at least three dives per day!

There are many types of diver personalities in a club, someone specialising in social studies should do some research on the types of people who like to spend time underwater, especially in the cold waters of the UK! These two divers I feel display the polar opposite ends of training attitude. Scout was enthusiastic and couldn't wait to take trainees out in their first trip to Stoney Cove. Taff went off diving with another instructor to poke around the helicopter. At the time I thought that Taff, the more experienced diver, would have been better suited to taking new people on their first trip, as Scout was so new to the process. 

Thinking about it now I realise there is another side to this. Taff may be an experienced diver, but was he more suitable as a guide and mentor than Scout, who had fresh training in his head? Whereas Taff was more interested in penetrating wrecks and looking for toys to play with underwater than looking after trainees having buoyancy issues, masks flooding, weightbelts slipping off, all of that. Scout liked to be able to pass on his own knowledge of the sport which is what club life is all about - giving back what you have learnt and sharing the enthusiasm.

Although I personally feel safer diving with Taff than Scout (as the latter does rather tend to focus on his own image), it has made me aware that even though everyone's diving attitude is different we all share the same love of the sport, and as long as everyone dives safe and respects each others limits, then we have a great club. After all, scuba diving is more than just a sport. It is a way of life.