Selfie sticks - for selfish selfholes?

[MXGratefulDiver]

They fall into the same category as split fins, stab jackets, and a bunch of other equipment that frequently gets disparaged on ScubaBoard ... if someone wouldn't personally choose it, then there must be something deficient with those who do.

I have only had one negative interaction with someone using one of these things, and it wasn't for selfies ... he followed me around letting me find the cool stuff, then kept sticking his damn GoPro between me and whatever it was I was trying to take a picture of. Not cool ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[jbomb001]

+1

And that goes either above or below the water. It's just a tool.

Is the person using it the tool? or is the stick the tool? I would say both. I do not do selfies I do not use twitter book face chat or whatever other social media bs is out there. Matter of fact the closest thing I come close to as far as social media is concerned is this right here. Scuba board. To be honest I don't know if scuba board counts ?? It's a Q and A forum not a social media site right ???

Sent from my galaxy S5 Active.

 

[TMHeimer]

Never heard of a selfie stick before this thread. Seems like a lot of hullaballoo about nothing. I have one picture of myself diving (taken by a buddy). Who cares? As far as using it to destroy a reef, I would guess divers have done this way before selfie sticks came about. Hope nobody here uses them to disturb the rocks and seaweed.

 

[PfcAJ]

Selfie? narcissistic ******* with no regard for others or the environment.

painted self portrait? Artist!

 

[Lorenzoid]

So long as they don't wave it anywhere in my path, I really don't care. (As far as harassing the marine life, I'm afraid I'm not the reef police.) But that's exactly what I have experienced just about every time somebody in the group has been using an extension pole, either for selfies or otherwise.

 

[Stoo]

I couldn't care less if someone uses a selfie-stick... underwater, or anyone else. It doesn't concern me, and certainly doesn't bother me.

I also tend to dive as far away from any other divers, with my buddy, as I can. I find a large percentage of vacation divers to me marginally competent in terms of fundamental skills like buoyancy control and maintaining trim. Since I'm trying to take photos, I don't want to be around others for many reasons... kicked up silt, random limbs showing up in pictures, avoiding the "take my picture" guy and many others.

 

[divad]

This, above.

The head spins at the ridiculous smug superiority and self-righteousness expressed here. I have never, ever, been able to record myself in a dive, and I have done some quite thrilling and scenic ones. Now, I can, if I choose, have a memory that I could not have created before and keep for a lifetime. And your problem is . . . . . ??????

Not keeping it to your precious, narcissistic self.

.

 

[tridacna]

Had to help. I have already made it known to my friends that if I take a selfie, they can put me out of my misery on the spot, and I would consider it a personal favor.


Bob

My father said the same thing to me only about sending an email. And I've told my kids something similar about Instagram. Just "maybe" it's an age thing.

 

[Altamira]

I don't own a GoPro but I try to stay away from all divers who have any kind of photographic gear in their hand, whether they are equipped with a GoPro stick or a fancy DSLR rig. I have seen really good and really bad divers using both ends of the photographic equipment spectrum. The bad divers I stay away from because I don't want to get smacked with the pole, and I stay away from the good divers so I don't interfer with their photography. One nice advantage of the GoPro pole is that it tends to keep the bad divers a little farther away from the reef. During a recent dive in Belize, a couple with hand held underwater cameras were climbing over, laying on, banging into, and knocking over coral and sponges trying to get their close up shots. Watching them I was thinking it was too bad they did not have a GoPro on a 6 foot stick. At least the coral would not have been so badly trampled.

 

[boat sju]

In Bonaire we use a GoPro on an extension pole all the time. The pole adds stability, better aim since there's no viewfinder, and sealife doesn't seem to be scared by a camera on a pole.