Dive and let dive... dealing with different styles of diving.

[aquacat8]

I love hearing these stories. Breathing underwater is amazing any way you do it, it’s magic, and I especially love hearing about people inventing things and figuring it out as they go... safely of course; some old stories are really crazy! Now people think they need so much money and gear and travel and so forth, it can be daunting, it’s good to be reminded you could dive in socks or with a rope in a local lake!

 

[The Chairman]

What’s an AT pack?

It was a piece of molded plastic with a hose clamp device that held your tank and had 1" wide straps for your shoulders. No bladder for buoyancy control, but it was far better than a rope to hold your tank.

 

[aquacat8]

Nothing like that first time you blow bubbles!

 

[АлександрД]

There's a lot of negativity on this forum. Like A LOT! Which is weird because whenever I talk to divers on the beach before/after a dive or anchored over a dive site, they're always the friendliest people I've ever met. Everyone seems to be in a euphoric state, especially after diving. Which just shows how amazing the hobby is. I feel like people on this site look down on noobs. Which is weird, diving is one of those hobbies where it doesn't matter if a lot of people do it. It isn't like snowboarding/skiing, fishing, surfing, etc. where more people means less fun for you.

I do like this forum a lot though, I've learned a bunch and I like discussing things with people who do one of my hobbies.

I've noticed the negativity is in regards to:
1. BPW BCDs. "If you use anything else, you're an idiot." I have been convinced to get one though, since I'm 6'5" and skinny so it will fit me better. But there is a reason pretty much most of the world uses jackets. They're simple, convenient, and work great. Don't hate on people for that.
2. Current scuba classes. If I had a dollar for how many times people have complained that classes have been watered down or aren't sufficient, I'd be a millionaire. The fact of the matter is, you don't need 200 hours in a classroom and 40 checkout dives to go underwater and breathe through a tube, it's not that hard (joking, but you get my point).... Classes do just fine teaching you the basics, you can learn other skills like breathing control, navigating, etc. just by being underwater and enjoying the hobby.
3. Dive boats. Just yesterday there was complaints about dive boats targeting the masses not having long enough bottom times. I see people complaining about dive charters a ton. There's a pretty simple solution really, BUY A BOAT. If you can't afford it, shore dive or deal with the boat's rules.
4. Noob divers. Obviously people who go online to talk about diving really enjoy the hobby and either have lots of experience or try to go really often. So people on this forum are generally more experienced and knowledgeable than most people. But it's okay that vacation dives/occasional divers exist! They're the ones that really keep the travel industry alive and spur innovation making it cheap enough for us to do it. People on here always complain about someone on a dive charter doing something they don't approve of. Bro, you don't need to talk noobs down to feel like a more skilled diver. Just because someone doesn't do 300 feet dives in a quarry on a regular basis, doesn't mean he isn't having a fun time on that boat and doesn't deserve to be diving.

Anyways, I still enjoy this forum, even with the negativity associated with it. A lot of you sure are grumpy, but you are very experienced and I appreciate all the info I've received. So thanks for that.

How this looks to Russian forums
We have a joke - how to find russian diver in the international team? (because they read too much russian diving forums)
"He will use backplate and wing (Halcyon probably), he will have long hose regulator. He will use only Jetfins. All his wear will black."
once I understood, that it is not joke. Once I meet in Egypt, far south hotel in ElQuseir, man, who was weared so. He speaks english, and I think - wow, I meet true foreighn DIR diver... but later he starts speak with me in russian!!!! he was from ex Ugoslavia

So, SB looks like gentlemen opposit to most russian diving forums. Here your most discussion like noble talks, opposit to our forum battles...

Me also use alluminium carabines from big construction supermarkets. also use inflated pillow against BCD. Use chineese Convers from my school times as diving boots. Before I had electric nips (for squeezing wire tips) to crimp hoses tips, I used cooper wire
I use sencond stages equal to my age, and also contraflow ones.
And I using long fins to dive with scuba! also for back kick

BCD (putting it under wetsuit, in front)

my first sidemount harness

breathing from demand valve without membrane (part of survival training couse from my instructor Valery Mukhin)

selfmade hose clamp (IT WORKS!) but please, do not use this way. see nextone, much better:

this way is much better!

and in the end: BA109 balansed - is the best reg in the world!

 

[Marie13]

Welcome, Russian diver! With your kit, it looks like you would fit right in with the DIY subform (Do It Yourself)!

 

[АлександрД]

slowly starts to publishing in DIY some threads. One already done OMS Slipstream - overshoe rework

 

[markmud]

We divers are passionate about our diving and almost to a fault. We tend to like what we like and abhor most everything else. We divide ourselves into cults without even realizing it. Shortly upon reading the threads and posts here on ScubaBoard, you soon learn that a Back Plate and Wing is the ONLY BCD to consider, that PDCs will rot your brain and that if you dive with split fins, you will surely die. For the record, I don't believe any of those things but you would think that these are immutable truths by the sheer volume of postings to that effect. For the record #2, it's way OK if you do believe any or all of those things.

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The good book tells us that "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another". Think about that for a moment. That means we're not all going to agree and as we discuss those differences, we can expect a few sparks. The only way to improve is to evaluate and possibly adopt new ideas and strategies. As I approach the 49th anniversary of my first dive in June, I can tell you that my diving has changed for the better in so many ways. Yay! Some of those changes took a lot of time to evolve while others happened overnight. I am definitely a better, safer and more environmentally sensitive diver compared to that first plunge in Lake Underhill so many years ago. Just ask me!

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The point is that I've developed a unique approach to my diving and even my teaching. I'm proud of that approach too, but I've also learned to bite my tongue when I see people diving differently than I do. Dive and let dive. Why? Mostly it's because I'm not the Scuba Police. While I like the way I dive there are no laws suggesting that this is the only way to dive. Moreover, since a lot of what I have learned has been through trial, error and watching others do it right, I expect a lot of other divers are the same way. They would rather see a sermon any day than to hear one. Examples are huge and much of my teaching is summed up by telling my students to imitate me as much as they can. I set the example every second I'm in the water, especially when I'm with students. I can't tell you how many times people come up to me to ask how I look so effortless in the water. That's cool and you can bet I don't mind speaking at that point. On the other hand, unless I see them hurt the environment, I won't try to shame other divers into doing things my way. I'll gladly show you how I dive, but I'm not going to lambast you for diving differently than I do, even if you are wearing split fins! Dive and let dive.

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The same goes for teaching. I see instructors make their classes kneel all the time. I gave that up over a dozen years ago. Sure, it makes me shake my head and I will point it out to my class that they aren't allowed to kneel like that. But I'm not going to stick my nose into the other instructor's business and tell them how to run their class. No, indeed. I will set the example. I will talk to them about if they ask and many have. My OW class simply does not resemble other OW classes and often they'll simply ask me what class I'm teaching. I still won't mock or shame another instructor. I'm not the Scuba Police. Teach and let teach. I have and will approach an instructor to the side if I see an unsafe practice or if their students are standing, sitting or kneeling on the reef. Yes, I have a line that I don't want to see crossed, but for the most part, I dive and let dive.

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The same goes here on ScubaBoard. Post and let post. How many times have we seen a person ask about a particular BCD and get hit with 25 posts about how superior BP&Wings are. It's funny. But it's not. Are you right? To you, sure. But in a thread about a specific BCD, you're way off topic. How many times have we read people condemning a particular BCD and it turns out they've never dove one. Tell us what you do know, instead. It's not a bad BCD just because you didn't pick it. Recently we had a thread about a coming IDC and inviting others to join in on the fun. The first post was a hijack about how that poster didn't like that particular agency. Rly? If you don't have something good to say: sit on your hands! The OP didn't ask if anyone liked or disliked their agency, but they were looking for like-minded people to become an instructor with them. Dive and let dive. Post and let post. Don't let your need to grind an ax be a wet blanket for everyone else. Stay on topic. Read the OP (original post) to see that you are. If you have something that you want to say find a thread about that topic or start your own! Post and let post. Also, if a person doesn't agree with you: THAT'S OK. It would be a boring place if we all posted the same thing. Don't call them a name. Don't impugn their ancestors. Tell us what & why you believe what you believe and refrain from telling us what & why they believe differently. They can tell us if they so choose. Post and let post.

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Let's face it. We all love to dive. Most of the differences between us are mere nuances. Let's not blow them up into being something more than they are. Since this is Basic Etiquette for a dive boat or even a forum, I decided to put it in our Basic Scuba Forum. Dive and let dive. Teach and let teach. Post and let post.

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Hi Pete,

This is a timeless thread. It needs to be resuscitated often. Here is a little O2 for it.

markm