Freshly certified with your OW, you excitedly join a diving group, only to find the veterans' conversation leaves you bewildered:

"Where to this year?" "Liveaboard." 

"How was it?" "Amazing drift dives, just too many 'fryers'."

You quietly close the group chat, thinking: What are they talking about? Why don't I understand a single word?

Don't panic. This "Guide to the Diving Hierarchy Code Words" will decrypt the "status

· Subtext: "I'm here on vacation; diving is just one activity."

· Profile: Typically at the hierarchy's base. Depart daily from luxury resorts by speedboat to nearby sites, returning for hot showers and massages. They discuss resort food, not tech.

· Subtext: "I'm here on vacation; diving is just one activity."

· Profile: The mainstream. Three dives a day via dive shop speedboats, prioritizing efficiency and value. The backbone of the diving community, they occasionally pity "resort divers."

· Subtext: "I'm either diving or on my way to the next dive."

· Profile: The symbol of the seasoned diver. Living and eating on the boat, 4-5 dives a day—dive, eat, sleep, repeat. Conversations revolve around "how many dives logged." Mention "last year's Palau liveaboard," and an aura appears.

Technical Style Code — Your Preferences Reveal Your Level

"Drift Diving"

· Subtext: "True skill is maintaining control while going with the flow."

· Profile: The "techies" of the hierarchy. Unsatisfied with calm waters, they seek the thrill of "underwater flight" carried by currents. They view those in still waters as "soakers."

· Subtext: (Slightly derogatory) "Those newbies churning the water."

· Profile: From the nickname "fries" for fins (脚蹼). Describes divers with poor buoyancy and messy finning, stirring up sediment like fries in a fryer—ruining visibility. Everyone avoids them; everyone was once one.

· Macro Eyes: Can lie still on sand for half an hour to photograph a tiny seahorse. They scorn the impatience of "Big Animal Hunters." 

· Big Animal Hunters: Seek the thrill of framing whale sharks and mantas. They don't get the appeal of "photographing rocks."

Ultimate Mastery Code — When Skill Becomes Instinct

"Drinking Water"

· Subtext: "A flooded mask? That's nothing."

· Profile: Describes mastering mask clearing—emptying a fully flooded mask as easily as "drinking water." Signifies excellent buoyancy control.

"Ghost Diver"

· Subtext: "I was here, but the ocean doesn't remember." 

· Profile: The perfect blend of eco-awareness and skill. Their buoyancy is so perfect they never touch coral, leaving zero disturbance. The ultimate goal all divers should aspire to—they stand at the hierarchy's peak but have forgotten its existence.

Letting Go of Judgment, Embracing the Blue