![[Must-Read for Divers] Always Getting Turned Away When Joining Groups? How to Be a Self-Sufficient Diver](/_images/1cceb6208c0c-1440w.webp)
The Editor's note: A while back, we interviewed instructor Kyo Liu and published a well-received article, Kyo Liu Teaches You How Not to Be a Disgraceful Diver in Japan. It suddenly occurred to the Editor that Kyo Liu had previously shared a post about self-sufficient divers. We've included that post here in its entirety, hoping that every diver will take a moment to reflect — have you unknowingly become the kind of diver described below who can't take care of themselves?
At the beginning of August, I took a few friends to Shirahama in Izu to see Hammerhead Sharks — a route that relatively few Taiwanese instructors had led before. I'd like to share some thoughts for instructors and divers who are planning to go. Today I want to talk about diver competence, which — beyond the Hammerhead Sharks underwater — was the other thing that truly stunned me. I strongly feel that divers who come here should be fully "self-sufficient."
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Shirahama offers the chance to witness a Hammerhead Shark storm[/caption]
What Does "Self-Sufficient" Actually Mean?
- Not even knowing how many kilograms of weight you need and having to ask the instructor — then being reluctant to carry a little extra.
- Forgetting to gather your weights, fins, and camera before gearing up, then asking the instructor to "give me a hand" after you're already fully suited.
- Knowing your mask needs to be rinsed before use but not doing it before gearing up — then asking the instructor to "give me a hand" at the very last moment before entering the water.
- After assembling your gear for a boat dive, there's almost always a tank-securing strap on board — yet never thinking this is something you should handle yourself, always expecting the boat crew or instructor to "give me a hand."
- After gearing up, forgetting to loosen the tank strap first, leaving yourself strapped to your gear and unable to stand — then asking the dive guide to "give me a hand."
- The moment before jumping in, suddenly realising your tank valve isn't open — and at the very last second asking the dive guide to "give me a hand."
And underwater, here are things people commonly overlook:
- Being off by just 1–2 kg of weight causes panic, making it impossible to descend.
- Even after being signalled to stay close together, always drifting far behind.
- Your entire field of vision is the fins of the diver in front of you — you're not watching the dive guide ahead who's trying to signal you.
- Holding a camera as though it's a get-out-of-jail-free card that lets you stop and hover wherever you please.
- Habitually swimming at a greater depth than the guide instead of matching their shallower depth.
- Related to the above: when the dive guide signals it's time to ascend, flashing a sign indicating you still have 1 or 2 minutes of "safety stop" left — using it as an excuse to linger (greediness for bottom time).
- During the safety stop, reflexively grabbing the mooring line because you can't maintain the 3–6 m depth on your own.
Every single one of the points above is covered during the Open Water Diver (PADI/SSI cert) course. But Taiwanese divers have been spoiled — they always wait and expect someone to come and help them. Rest assured, when those "give me a hand" moments arise, Japanese dive guides will still smile and assist you; after all, the customer is a guest and service comes first. But... your skill level and experience will have been completely sized up by the dive guide at that point. And what does that lead to?
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Are you a "self-sufficient" diver in everyone's eyes?[/caption]
To use Green Island's Shilang as an analogy — it's still a boat dive at Shilang, but you might end up only diving Clownfish Island or the Postbox site. At Kenting, it might mean staying permanently in the fish-feeding area just to the left of the exit point — what we jokingly call the "beginner class spot."
Some readers might feel a little uncomfortable at this point, as if I'm saying Taiwanese divers are all at a low level. I'd ask you to honestly ask yourself: have you had any of those "give me a hand" moments mentioned above? And at the same time — have you already logged over 100 dives? If any of you have had the chance to observe local Japanese divers, you'll understand exactly what I'm getting at. Every single one of them is completely self-sufficient, and some even look more experienced than Taiwanese instructors — and I'm genuinely not exaggerating.
In Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries, dive guides are perhaps afraid of being called out online or worried that guests won't tip, so they operate with a guest-first mentality and arrange everything for you — which ends up producing many divers who simply cannot fend for themselves. On top of that, Taiwanese group leaders may very "thoughtfully" tell the local dive guide that a particular diver needs extra looking after (afraid of currents, high air consumption, gets cold easily, poor buoyancy control, unfamiliar with surface marker buoys, prone to anxiety... etc.), asking the guide to "just keep an eye on this one person" or "I'll personally watch over them" — and then in the same breath request to dive sites like Steel Reef or Chicken Reef that actually require experience, because not visiting those sites means they can't justify the trip to their clients... and so on and so forth.
In Japan, however, the approach is different: if the guide knows that someone isn't up to it, the entire group simply goes to Clownfish Island — the dive guide sees no need to take on a challenge. And honestly, that is the correct way to do things, isn't it? I'd also ask any diver who encounters a problem in Japan to first consult the Taiwanese group leader to see if it can be resolved — don't go bothering the local dive guide over minor issues, or you might end up sending the whole group to Clownfish Island. Japanese people's cautious nature far exceeds what most Taiwanese people imagine; in many cases, they simply will not compromise with you. If you've been lucky (or unlucky?) enough to have done a Fun Dive with me, you'll have felt first-hand how persistent I can be. 😊
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When diving with a group, safety is paramount — but having the right diving mindset is even more important, otherwise you'll quietly find yourself being left out[/caption]
A new group trip is planned for July 2020. If you've read through the "points to note" above and are still interested, feel free to get in touch with me. I'll do my best to immerse everyone in Japanese culture, rather than just passing through as tourists. If you're looking for something more like a Southeast Asia trip — purely for enjoyment and relaxation — then I'm probably not the right fit, because I tend to get too caught up in the details and turn into a grumpy-faced instructor. Just how grumpy? Ask anyone who was on this trip with me.
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