Spin Off.. Is modern scuba gear more efficient today than 20 years ago?

[Thalassamania]

I think it has far less to do with gear, and far more to do with the paradigm shift from local diving with a local buddy to vacation diving with a watchdog DM.

 

[Teamcasa]

I think it has far less to do with gear, and far more to do with the paradigm shift from local diving with a local buddy to vacation diving with a watchdog DM.

You say that like it is a bad thing.

I do most of my diving locally without a guide, I know where I’m going and what I’m doing. However, if I owned a resort in some exotic locale there is zero chance I would allow a bunch of tourist divers to stride into my little slice of paradise without mandating they say with a guide.

New gear does make diving more accessible and safer, but diving does have a certain level of risk that gear alone can not mitigate, new or old, only training and experience reduces that risk.

 

[Thalassamania]

You say that like it is a bad thing.

Good, bad or indifferent ... I will not dive under those conditions.

I do most of my diving locally without a guide, I know where I’m going and what I’m doing. However, if I owned a resort in some exotic locale there is zero chance I would allow a bunch of tourist divers to stride into my little slice of paradise without mandating they say with a guide.

Then I would not share your little slice of paradise.

New gear does make diving more accessible

I disagree, some gear does and other makes it worse.

and safer, but diving does have a certain level of risk that gear alone can not mitigate, new or old, only training and experience reduces that risk.

There we agree.

 

[Nemrod]

No need for "stink'n computers" for rectangular profiles, but try a nice reef dive on tables. Only advantage is you'll be the first one back on the boat and get first picks at the snacks....

You would be wrong, I am always first off and last to return, even on your little pretty fishy dives, lol.

N

 

[Nemrod]

I think it has far less to do with gear, and far more to do with the paradigm shift from local diving with a local buddy to vacation diving with a watchdog DM.

Amen to that brother, I don't enjoy at all being forced to play tag along and hand holdies with some DM. That sort of diving is just horrible. My wife is still upset with the forced upon us DM who sped around like Speed Racer. She was so disgusted with the dive she did not do the second dive. I asked her, whispering in her ear, if she minded me making the second dive and she said, go ahead. I did, I hit the water and the UDTs went into Warp Drive, there is at least one Carribean DM who got his own justly deserved guided tour handed to him. If there is going to be a race, I like to win.

I will pass on dive guides, no thanks. N

 

[Cacia]

You all should always at least consider just doing the dive how you like...they don't really spank you or anything.

As long as the boat doesn't have to wait for me, we don't really get chewed out and nobody ever comes looking for us.

Honestly, I think there is an unspoken rule that if you don't follow them, they are not really responsible for you anyway.

Most Dm's will let you do whatever you think you can do, in my experience.

 

[vladimir]

You all should try just doing the dive how you like...they don't really spank you or anything.

This is my strategy. I usually toe the line for a dive or two to give them a comfort level, then I just go my own way.

 

[Cacia]

..exactly

they key is not to ask permission, show them you are competent first, out of respect.

 

[Nemrod]

Having to tow an unwanted DM along is not very efficient. That is one piece of modern equipment that can be left behind, pun. N

 

[DennisW]

Teamcasa has still to define "efficient" per Nemrod's request. Unless the term is defined, the question and answers are all anecdotal and not related to facts.

So, for my humble opinion, today's SCUBA equipment is not more efficient than equipment made 20 years ago. Some of it may be better, some of it may even be worse.

I use the same regulator set I bought in 1988, a Mk200/G200 with an Air 2 as an octo/power inflator. When these regulators are tuned correctly, there is no reg that is better. There are a lot more expensive, but not better.

My BC (I had to buy a new one two years ago) is a Scubapro Classic Sport, it has two new ways to dump air now than then. I like that, but it doesn't make it more efficient. It doesn't trap air like the few back inflate BC's I have tried, and a Back Plate and Wing is just a back inflate BC, and I am not sure it is better. For my purposes it is worse for several reasons, two being that (1) an unconcious diver on the surface will float face down and (2) it traps air.

I could continue, but I still say in order for the argument to have meaning, the term "efficient" must be defined. Can you tell I'm an Engineer?