I have found diving to be very similar with my years of paintball. Not to compare the very different sports, but growth in them is very similar. I am just getting back into diving after moving from a land lock state and its been a small struggle to regain a lot of the skills i had learned. It seems all to often that people are willing to criticize and mock those with less experience instead of offering advice in a non threatening way. Once i started going pro with paintball, i took the advice of the people that trained me and took in some new players to teach skills and tactics too. This helped them out immensely but also helped keep my skills on my mind instead of just second nature.
With that said, i think you hit the nail on the head with your comments and also taught me something. Although i have not encountered a puffer fish, i never knew about the stress involved in their ballooning. I thought it was natural. I would be very interested in a thread or site dedicated to further education and etiquette. Good luck with this and thank you for the post.
Also, lets keep this awesome sport of ours growing in a positive manner and offer to help or guide other divers who need it. We never know the comfort level or nervousness of others around us until we ask. I know there have been several divers in my life that have helped make my dives more enjoyable just by offering tips and advice from their experience.
Cheers,
L