Diver image. Do you even think about it?

[Z Gear]

I was thinking about this one day as I saw some guys trying to get their gear on as beach on lookers giggled as one of them fell trying to walk backwards with the fins on and kept falling. He was probably a fairly new diver but he made himself look silly in front those with him as well as the on lookers.

I do think every sport or activity has with it an inherent degree of pride and style that goes with it. I believe some aren't really aware of that. For instance I like to surf. Style is everything when it comes to this sport. Surfers have learned to be mind full of their style as well what they wear and what board is used. If he looks like a kook he is probably a kook. Every thing is important from the way they paddle into the line up and catch the waves to how they perform on that wave. If they have a real goofy style they will easily lose respect in a crowd of surfers and will have to settle for surfing the scraps or just find a another spot to surf. This is just something that is natural to me since I have been used to seeing it for so long now.I'm sure there some who are skiers and they work their graceful style or are also some what fashion conscious.

I know we spend almost the entire time underwater but I think you take pride in your image. Example: How you carry your self, putting on your gear walking out to entry point. How is your gear is displayed is it all sloppy flopping all over the place,tank paint all peeling off, etc.. Or have you found ways to keeps it neater,streamlined and you look and act like you got it together.I am still learning to do this part but it is something I really want to do because I want that image versus the sloppy image.

I believe what gear we use is also important on the way it looks because it puts an image of oneself of how they are looked on. I particularly like the darker colored tanks, mask etc.. for myself because I like the tactical kind of look. Image in this activity is downplayed somewhat, but image is an important factor in the public eye. If we are all just slapping on gear with no real awareness on how the public views us, we are basically ignoring an important element in society.

Let me propose this question to you. Would you do anything to improve on your image?
Whether it is something that you do below or above the water to better your image, what would it be.

Is image even important to you.
Honesty is the best answer!

 

[SillyQuestions]

My gear looks knackered. I dive in tight, nasty caves.

I don't have a choice in the matter.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[krawlings]

I see it as I really am not in this sport for the fashion aspect .I like doing what a LOT of people do not do and see thing that most will not. I strive for the clean stream lined look . It is all about function, Diving is not always graceful . Some times you fall ,some times you look clumsy . and some time you have snot on your face . I even where cheap canvas tennis shoes with my dry suit .looks a little goofy but they are cheap and do a good job for what I need them to do . So it's not about looking cool its about looking like and knowing what you are doing

 

[Doc]

I have made a 2015 promise that before getting out of the water, I will blow all of the dripping goo out if my snot locker so that I don't have sea snakes dangling from my proboscis.

That, and I'm going all James Bond and going to wear a tuxedo under my 5 mil.

C'mon Zgear, just bop on over to Coronado and see how it's really done.

Chicks shall dig me.

Here's a natural look, right here...



Reality:

 

[Steve_C]

Out on the ocean among nature's grandeur and worried about trying to look cool. Letting others dictate your clothes, hair cut, and every little detail.

And as for the person who fell. They were trying. They were more interested in learning and trying to do it. That impresses me farmore than some body laying on the beach is trying nothing outside their comfort zone.

How sad. How junior high.

 

[divin'dog]

I could not care less what the beach crowd thinks of me. I try to satisfy my own standards to myself... gear streamlined, everything in place, mentally prepared, relaxed and not rushed. Underwater, I've had dives where I seem to constantly adjust one thing or another throughout most of the dive. Usually at the beginning of the season. Those dives are not relaxing as I'm not settled. I know that if I'm "quiet" underwater, hardly any movement except to move, then I feel good which is more important to me than looking good.

Of course the beach crowd has gotten a look at me coming out of the water, falling on some well placed rounded rocks, surf rolling me towards shore, lobster bag tripping me up, gear dragging behind me unknowingly, etc. Seems like it is "par for the course" every now and then.

 

[DiveMaven]

To me the only "image" and "style" I care about are my skills and abilities UNDER the water. I want to have good bouyancy control (not crashing into coral, other people, etc), have respect for the marine life, keep my dangling gear under control so it isn't dragging on fragile structures, be relaxed and calm, and be respectful of other divers. What I look like on land means nothing to me. I choose my gear for comfort and functionality, not because it is "cool" or "the right brand."

 

[RJP]

I see it as I really am not in this sport for the fashion aspect .I like doing what a LOT of people do not do and see thing that most will not. I strive for the clean stream lined look . It is all about function, Diving is not always graceful . Some times you fall ,some times you look clumsy . and some time you have snot on your face . I even where cheap canvas tennis shoes with my dry suit .looks a little goofy but they are cheap and do a good job for what I need them to do . So it's not about looking cool its about looking like and knowing what you are doing

I hope the irony is not lost:

In a post of 121 words wherein you try to convince us (and yourself) that you believe that "it's all about function" for you... the very first thing you mention is "the look" you strive for.



---------- Post added March 18th, 2015 at 07:55 AM ----------

I choose my gear for comfort and functionality, not because it is "cool" or "the right brand."

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that the gear you dive just so happens to also be "cool" and/or one of "the right brands."


EDIT:

Interesting... a quick click on your profile reveals that brands are actually fairly important to you. You even mention one of them three times for emphasis. And I suppose we can assume by the plural "wetsuits" that you are also a Pinnacle brand-loyalist as well?

GEAR: "Zeagle, Zeagle, Zeagle...oh, and an Oceanic VT3 computer, and Pinnacle wetsuits."

PS - Do note that here on ScubaBoard Zeagle is definitely considered "cool" and is one of "the right brands" to say that you dive.

 

[Mustard Dave]

This is written by a DIR diver:

[h=3]Rule 6 – Always look cool/fabulous
[/h]That seems a bit silly doesn’t it? Everything I’ve written above is designed to help safety, so what’s this bollocks about looking cool? Just a joke? Maybe. But think about it a bit and all of a sudden you start to see something in it. Let’s just assume for a moment that the rule does not mean “only wear black”. Let’s also assume that it doesn’t mean “only buy Halcyon”. On a side note, I don’t know of a single DIR diver that only uses Halcyon equipment. Anyway, I digress. DIR and non-DIR divers that make the assumption that this is what the rule actually means are missing the point.

Let’s imagine you are on a boat. Your potential buddy’s equipment looks messy, or poorly maintained. Maybe the hose routing looks all untidy. They are clearly in breach of rule 6. What’s important is not that their configuration is not neat, or their equipment knackered. What’s important is that they have rushed their setup, or have been failing to keep up to date with maintenance. Refer to rule 1. Let’s assume your buddy’s cylinders have 15 different stickers on them. Bong. Rule 6 violation. But again the important thing is that you might not be able to identify a current gas test sticker or, god forbid, misread the maximum operating depth. Refer to Rule 1. Now you’re in the water. Your buddy is dropping in and out of trim. They are waving their arms about. Bong. Rule 6 violation. They are not looking cool. Equally, if you have your head switched on, you now know that they are uncomfortable for some reason. Don’t ignore it. Find out why.

Rule 6 is not about looking cool for the sake of cool. It’s about looking in control, prepared, calm. In short, it’s about demonstrating you are a safe diver.

DIR rules explained

 

[tbone1004]

the above is what I was thinking of as soon as I saw the title of this thread. We teach our students that "looking good" is about 80% of diving skills. IF you look good while you're doing it, odds are you are probably doing it properly. You can look good and be a bad diver, that's in your head and mentality, but if you look good in the water, the odds are that your in water skills are where they need to be. That doesn't mean you can't have a shark fin hood, or Tigger patterned drysuit, Santa Clause beard and hat for Christmas time etc. Doesn't mean you can't have tanks that used to be colored but have seen thousands of dives and are beat to hell, or a bc that is sun faded because it is 10 years old with 800 dives on it, but once you're in the water and even while you're on land and prepping to get into the water, you have to look good.

So often you hear the comment in sports, "he makes it look so easy", that is EXACTLY what diving is supposed to be. You should make it look as natural and as easy as possible, so yes, I am conscious of the way I look 100% of the time in the water and on land while getting to and from the water because if something seems hard or awkward, I'm probably not doing it right and I have to fix it.