Help Get BC Myths Tested On MythBusters!

[MauiScubaSteve]

I do not think much of any testing done on gear as to which is best. Split fins v paddles, BC v BP/W. Whatever, it's what you find comfortable yourself and this varies a lot between people.

We are not talking about what one finds comfortable; we are talking about claiming BP/W's are more streamlined than Vest BC's.

You typed this;

My experience has been that every BP/W has been superior to every vest BC that I have tried in both streamlining and venting.

You did not type "I am more comfortable with my streamlining and air venting in every BP/W I have used than in any Vest BC I have used."

You also asked me directly;

Do YOU have any proof that a well designed Vest is more streamlined and releases air easier?

Yet now that I am trying to come up with unbiased proof, one way or the other, you call me names.

 

[Sas]

You did not type "I am more comfortable with my streamlining and air venting in every BP/W I have used than in any Vest BC I have used."

I said 'my experience', which means exactly the same thing. I was not saying how other people should feel.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

If we were to take this volatile and colorful discussion over to the Discovery forums there is a chance we could get them to make some measurements. Considering how many SB members there are and how much time we regulars spend debating this subject on SB, why would only one SB member have enough interest in getting answers to these questions to join the thread on Discovery?

Best SCUBA BC - Topic Powered by Social Strata

There is the link to the Discovery forum thread again. This is not just a MythBusters forum so there may be other forum subjects like Shark Week that SB members might find interesting. Joining Discovery forums is at least as easy as joining SB, probably easier.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I said 'my experience', which means exactly the same thing. I was not saying how other people should feel.

I am pretty sure it only means "exactly the same thing" in your mind and not in anyone elses, due to the way you originally typed it.

If your "experience" is that every BP/W you have used is superior in streamlining than every Vest BC you have used, how did you come to that conclusion? Was it just a feeling?

Just a few days ago I had to surface swim my BI BC (SeaQuest Balance) over a mile to shore in 4-6' wind chop and current. I can tell you that "my experience" was that the bladder was like a big drag chute and I was seriously kicking myself for not bringing my Vest BC on that dive trip. :shocked2:

After that end to my 50th year I decided to get some verifyable data on the subject so "the feelings" of so many proponents of BP/W would not be considered "the facts" of BP/W's. :kiss2:

 

[irishsquid]

If you were to actually click on the link in my original post and if you were to actually read the thread on Discovery Forums that that link opens, you would see that one of my suggestions is to make it a Shark Week test of which BC style is best when fleeing sharks. :shocked2:

(EDIT) Nevermind.

 

[Sas]

I am pretty sure it only means "exactly the same thing" in your mind and not in anyone elses, due to the way you originally typed it.

Well I am the one that said it so I know what meaning it carried. Bit presumptuous of you to tell me what I meant don't you think?

If your "experience" is that every BP/W you have used is superior in streamlining than every Vest BC you have used, how did you come to that conclusion? Was it just a feeling?

Yep. Feel much better in every way, and also felt less drag as I was swimming around.

Just a few days ago I had to surface swim my BI BC (SeaQuest Balance) over a mile to shore in 4-6' wind chop and current. I can tell you that "my experience" was that the bladder was like a big drag chute and I was seriously kicking myself for not bringing my Vest BC on that dive trip. :shocked2:

Fair enough.

After that end to my 50th year I decided to get some verifyable data on the subject so "the feelings" of so many proponents of BP/W would not be considered "the facts" of BP/W's. :kiss2:

Sure, knock yourself out. They've done it with various other bits of gear but overall it does not affect what people like using themselves. That's really a personal preference and why I always recommend that people try out a bunch of gear before they purchase.

 

[pjones]

If we were to take this volatile and colorful discussion over to the Discovery forums there is a chance we could get them to make some measurements. Considering how many SB members there are and how much time we regulars spend debating this subject on SB, why would only one SB member have enough interest in getting answers to these questions to join the thread on Discovery?

Best SCUBA BC - Topic Powered by Social Strata

There is the link to the Discovery forum thread again. This is not just a MythBusters forum so there may be other forum subjects like Shark Week that SB members might find interesting. Joining Discovery forums is at least as easy as joining SB, probably easier.

I agree. I think you guys should move this discussion to the mythbusters board. I wouldn't take much any of what they conclude as being accurate because although they say they are, they really are not experts (they're professionals). I do however quite enjoy watching them screw up experiments and coming to wrongful conclusions on a fairly regular basis. I think this would be fun to see how they decide to test this. It would take some creativity but as seen in prior episodes they definitely have that! It really only takes a couple seconds to create an account.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Sas, as is usual when you join a discussion I am involved in you seem not to understand the very concise words I type while I am expected to assume correctly what you mean with your sloppy typing.

As I have typed in the Discovery thread, my use of the term "Best BC" is my attempt at marketing hype to get MythBusters to use this idea in their show. The real meat of my discussion is that streamlining, or coefficient of drag, is a measurable quantity. The amount of body movement necessary to release air is also something that can be measured, although perhaps not so definitively.

The fact that you have posted so many times in this thread without evidently reading the linked Discovery thread kind of makes my point that you are afraid the measurements might prove your "feelings" to be wrong.

When someone types stuff for other people to read, the onus is on the typist to make the meaning of the typist clear to the readers. It is not my fault that your typing "My experience has been that every BP/W has been superior to every vest BC that I have tried in both streamlining and venting" did not communicate to me what you were thinking when you typed it.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Wish you all had Direct TV with Encore HD; so you could be watching the underwater armies fight in Thunderball, right now!

 

[Sas]

The fact that you have posted so many times in this thread without evidently reading the linked Discovery thread kind of makes my point that you are afraid the measurements might prove your "feelings" to be wrong.

Not really, I don't have any particular idea which way it would go and don't particularly care beyond a cursory interest. Basically because if it works out that BCs are more streamlined it would not change my choice in gear because it would not agree with what I find comfortable. There are a number of other reasons why I like BP/W over BCs beyond streamlining.

When someone types stuff for other people to read, the onus is on the typist to make the meaning of the typist clear to the readers.

I have told you my meaning when you have asked. If you choose to believe I didn't mean what I am saying to mean, then that's your prerogative.

It is not my fault that your typing "My experience has been that every BP/W has been superior to every vest BC that I have tried in both streamlining and venting" did not communicate to me what you were thinking when you typed it.

It's not my fault either, there's no need to play a blame game here. We just communicate in different ways. I have clarified when you asked but what is the point because you disagree with what I say I meant?