scubamickey
I'm a GIRL!
Yellow Jetfins!...my kingdom for yellow Jetfins!
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
I dive similar and am an OW Instructor, so I can not be DIR.Some may, I suppose, but I find it completely irrelevant. (In fact, I find it a little annoying when the occasional assumption slips in that would seem to lump all non-rec-standard gear into classifications such as "DIR" or "tech" -- after all, *I* dive a drysuit, BP/W, and such. I don't let it bug me much, obviously. :biggrin
I've heard the " scare the students" line and don't buy it. I use rental jackets in the pool, with standard short hoses and console, so I can demonstrate with the same gear as students. Prior to OW, I break out my rig. It has one first stage, a primary second stage, a secondary second stage, a pressure gauge, a bladder with a power inflator and a lower dump, a plate to secure the tank to and straps to secure my body to. I also use a weight belt.... Not really so different from any other rig, is it? The students don't think so.Perhaps some of it may be that some divers are intimidated by non-rec-standard gear. As far as *my* gear goes, that's actually part of the reason I have all the pink (webbing, DSS bungee wrist mounts, etc). When we're out on checkout dives with fresh-from-the-pool students, if they saw a big divemasterly guy diving this strange metal plate with seatbelts on it or something, it might be intimidating to some (although most will be ambivalent at worst or even curious at best).
Liquid Epoxy, Tool Dip, Tool Kote and several other names for it. It should be easy to find in any hardware store. I clean the surface with MEK(Methyl Ethyl Ketone) and used a sponge type paint brush to apply. It works well with templates, as well and comes in a variety of colors. Of course, black is my favorite color. I use it to dip all those Dork Diver colors and render them all DIR black. In fact, the jets are pure yellow, but I dipped em black before adding the yellow.Oh, incidentally, 24940, what was used for the yellow on those Jets? I've been pondering how to decorate mine (other than the collection of various colorful zip ties currently adorning them).