I am a recreational diver. I dive with a gigantic jacket BC. I even have an octo-inflator. But I am seriously contemplating going to a backplate and wing. Since I tend to be an all or nothing kind of guy if I do so, I am likely to go whole hog pun intended.
I have been reading this forum, and the DIR forum trying to understand exactly what going all the way would entail. I have been somewhat startled by the passion that various questions cause. I have come to understand that DIR stands for Do It Right, and that the philosophy is for consistency, reliability, and purpose for equipment. That makes perfect sense to me except for one thing.
I know that I have read that it is ok to wear colors other than black. But if the standard is to Do It Right, it just seems to me that visibility in the form of bright orange or yellow gear (perhaps with reflective strips) ought to be as mandatory as, to cite one example, a goodman handle on a light head (did I get that right?).
I do not know much about diving, yet, so there is probably something I do not understand, but it seems to me that making yourself as visible as is possible ought to be a mandatory standard. The closest I have come to an emergency while scuba diving, was spending 45 minutes searching for a diver that got separated from the group in the currents off of Cancun.
I have to confess, this is the one issue that casts some doubt in my mind on the total merits of the dark side philosophy.
Dont get me wrong, I fully appreciate the fashion sense of all black, it just seems to me that if we are all about doing it right, fashion should be cast aside by the leadership in favor of the safety of visibility.
I really am not trying to be a troll. I am seriously asking if this is a gap in the evolution of safer diving.
I have been reading this forum, and the DIR forum trying to understand exactly what going all the way would entail. I have been somewhat startled by the passion that various questions cause. I have come to understand that DIR stands for Do It Right, and that the philosophy is for consistency, reliability, and purpose for equipment. That makes perfect sense to me except for one thing.
I know that I have read that it is ok to wear colors other than black. But if the standard is to Do It Right, it just seems to me that visibility in the form of bright orange or yellow gear (perhaps with reflective strips) ought to be as mandatory as, to cite one example, a goodman handle on a light head (did I get that right?).
I do not know much about diving, yet, so there is probably something I do not understand, but it seems to me that making yourself as visible as is possible ought to be a mandatory standard. The closest I have come to an emergency while scuba diving, was spending 45 minutes searching for a diver that got separated from the group in the currents off of Cancun.
I have to confess, this is the one issue that casts some doubt in my mind on the total merits of the dark side philosophy.
Dont get me wrong, I fully appreciate the fashion sense of all black, it just seems to me that if we are all about doing it right, fashion should be cast aside by the leadership in favor of the safety of visibility.
I really am not trying to be a troll. I am seriously asking if this is a gap in the evolution of safer diving.