I'd say it's more about skill. Enter tournaments and see if you win them, if your A game is really better then the others. Do you have what it takes to advance. People can spend all the time on the water, read all the books, follow what others do but if you can't mentally get it together for all the obstacles that get in the way than trying to be pro isn't an option. Sure all the knowledge and time out on the water helps, what really matters is how you interpret all the data and make the right choices.