Never Become An Advanced Diver!

I am going to tell you something that NO scuba instructor in their right mind would ever say to you. NO dive shop will ever tell you what I am about to say. It goes against everything the entire scuba industry has been working towards for over the last 50 years.

Never become an Advanced Diver!

I know what you’re thinking. “But James, how do I get better? I need to take my advanced open water!”

Most divers receive an invitation for their advanced class at the same time they are getting the congratulatory handshake for completing their basic open water dives. All it takes to be an advanced diver is 9 dives. But does that card really give you the confidence of being an advanced diver. What really does that term, advanced, even mean?

I see divers of all different levels in the water and they all seem to struggle with the same few things. The Essentials of Buoyancy, Balance, Trim, and Propulsion. Which ultimately affects their confidence. These basic skills are the core to your foundation underwater and most certification card models are built around bypassing these foundational skills. Rather than building a strong base to build your confidence underwater, most divers are sold the idea that it is advanced specialty classes that will make them better divers.

So, why then do I teach the Essentials to scuba instructors? Divemasters? Advanced Divers? To divers who are already certified technical divers? What is it that they are missing?

It is not a high level secret skill. In fact, it is much simpler than that.

It is a mindset.

It is a commitment to keep the beginners mind.

The problem we fall into with scuba is that we are tricked into an idea that we need to keep giving and receiving positive reinforcement. Handshakes, and shiny gold certification cards, and elegant wall certificates; instead of a prescription of long-term foundational practice. Deep rooted instinct and rote memory from a drowning repetition of our core fundamentals is the way to become an advanced diver. Not by taking quick classes that teach a few new fancy tricks to try at night, or while deeper, or while identifying fish. That is the fools way of advancing your diving.

If you need training to dive a little deeper, you should get it. But keep your beginners mind.

If you want to learn how to dive at night, yes… take a class. But keep your beginners mind.

Never let your certifications let you think or feel that you’re better than you really are.

Your proof will be in the water.

When you don’t get anxious about a safety stop. When you don’t wonder if you’ve got enough air. When you never worry about where your buddy is. When you don’t have to hold on to something or kneel on something to stay still for a picture. When you don’t leave a trail of silt behind you. When you are truly ocean friendly.

This is when you know you are advancing yourself, but you won’t need a card to tell you that. Because it can’t. It’s how you present yourself to the underwater world that shows how advanced you are.

The True Advanced Diver will never let themselves admit to being advanced. They will never think that they don’t need to work on improving their fundamental skills. They know that it is not the advanced card that makes them advanced, but rather a calm and a comfort in the Essentials that makes them safe and confident.

And that, makes them Advanced.