Diving in the new Millennium ???

[Coldwater_Canuck]

Kind of WAY off topic, but what's wrong with Air2? Not trying to start a debate, just a quick answer would be good for my own general knowledge. LDS I am with has all BCs with Air2 in them.

If you search I'm sure there's many topics on it, the main problem I believe is trying to vent and breathe of it at the same time is problematic (to vent you normally want inflator hose above head, to breathe off it you want it in your mouth). I almost bought one because it seems like a great idea, but Scubaboards convinced me it was a bad "advancement".

Like anything else, some advancements in Scuba will be like the invention of the internet, others will be like New Coke.

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

Oh, who cares if your yellow-striped farmer john makes you look like a pimp?! Some of the new gear looks pretty pimpish, too. Three words: Scubapro A700 regulator. I rest my case...

Rocket fins are awesome. I see them around all the time, and I assume it's because the design WORKS. Always has, always will. You can't say that about many things.

Please don't be put off by the changes you've observed. Look upon them as an opportunity to morph into a thoughtful sage, who prefaces every statement on the dive boat with, 'You know, in MY day..."! Worst case scenario, you'll annoy someone to the degree that they put Nair hair remover in your wetsuit. Best case scenario, you'll give the inevitable diveboat know-it-all (yes, there's still one of those on every boat - some things don't change) an ulcer, and everyone else on the boat will buy you beer.

 

[Paladin]

I am 55 and still using the gear I used in the '70s. I learned diving in the '60s with a two-hose reg and used that until I bought a US Divers Aquarius in 1978. I am still using that regulator and recently bought another one, along with a US Divers Conshelf XI. These are simple, bulletproof regulators and are easy for me to service myself.

I rented a BC for the first time a couple of weeks ago because the quarry where I was diving required it. In my opinion, it was more trouble than it was worth. I ended up emptying it completely and diving as if it didn't exist.

My personal style is: Old fashioned full foot fins; classic oval, black rubber mask; J-tube snorkel; weight belt; my tank on a backpack; watch; capillary depth gauge and a US Divers Aquarius with an SPG (no octopus). No BC and, usually, no wetsuit. I like the feel of the water flowing across my skin. I rented a 5mm wetsuit the same day I rented the BC and it took some time to reconfigure my weight belt to give satisfactory results.

I have two tanks: A Catalina AL80 that I bought in 1991 and a Healthways steel 72 with a Sherwood J valve that I bought in 1976.

In the near future, I plan to pick up a RAM to return to my roots. I regret having sold my old one. It was fantastic reg.

I may pick up a horse collar BC to wear as a decoration for quarries and charters where a BC is required. It might even come in handy for surface flotation.

So, 8dust, if you want to dive "the old way" like some of us old style divers, there's plenty of room on the bottom!