Is this the average diver?

Is this the average diver?

  • Yes

    Votes: 8 5.3%
  • No

    Votes: 143 94.7%

  • Total voters
    151

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It's pretty common for the SB divers who chose to answer those polls, and it's pretty common here around the Great Lakes and rivers, but it's not what can be seen as average around the world.

It probably depends what dive shops you go to, which dive boats you choose, which students/buddies you did courses with, who dives locally, and so on. Like chooses like.
 
I have mentioned, across multiple threads I think (so, pardon me for my perseveration if you have seen this before) that 'the gear doesn't make the diver, the diver makes the gear'.

Having said that:

1. I dive a backplate and wing. I have very specific, data-driven, reasons, based on physics and physiology, for doing that. The weight of the backplate is situated immediately adjacent to my physiologic center of lift (my torso). That 'encourages' horizontal trim. It moves weight 'up' on my torso, and minimizes the tendancy of lower-positioned weright to pull my legs and body down, to a 45 degree position. In that 45-degree head up / legs down position, my finning is inefficient, and part of the thrust vector is directed downward (NOT a good thing) and only part of the thrust vector is directed horizontally behind me (the desired 'good' thing'). I believe that horizontal trim is the most efficient posture in the water, for the majority (but not all) of the time. On the surface, my BP/W provides buoyancy sufficient to keep my head above water - I do not need to have buoyancy that leaves me 'chest-above-water'. And, because my weight is properly positoned / distributed, and the amount of weight is properly determined, my BP/wing - a back-inflate BCD, BTW - does NOT, ever, push me face-down in the water.

2. I dive a long hose (84") primary regulator, with a bungeed necklace alternate second stage. I have very specific reasons for doing that. I am completely persuaded, by both the logic and practicality, of the value of 'primary donate', as the best approach to assisting another diver in an OOA event. And, in the event that my regulator is inadvertently kicked from my mouth, my alternate air source is immediately accessible, as it is right below my chin. I never have to search for it in the Bermuda 'triangle'. As an aside, I always dive with either identical, or equivalently performing, second stages - no needlessly detuned, less functional (but, of course, cheaper) second stages trying to pass themselves off as an adequate alternatre air source. Yes, OOA emergencies are actually quite rare, even though 'interruption of the gas supply' is one of the primary causes of diver deaths, at least according to DAN. I have never needed to assist another diver in an out-of-air emergency. BUT, if I ever do, I am comfortable that I am as well-positioned as possible to do so.

3. I dive an AI computer. BUT, I only trust my SPG as the primary source of gas supply information.

4. And - maybe, I should say 'but' - my SAC is 0.7 cfm. It has been that for YEARS, and it isn't going to change. I am as good as I am going to be.

So, where does that put me? How do I respond to the survey?

In the context of this survey, I also admit that I do not consider myself to be an 'average' diver. I actually do not know what that ('average') means. I DO consider myself to be a competent, safe, capable diver. I am not perfect, I am not bullet-proof. There are better, 'smoother' divers out there, and I leartn from watching them when I encounter them. But, I trust that I am a diver that any other competent, safe, capable diver would be comfortable diving with.

I really am not concerned with what equipment configuration another diver may choose - UNLESS they are one of my students, in which case I will make every effort to persuade them to consider my particular configuration as a possible approach that they should choose. I am OK with whatever someone else dives. I know WHAT I do, and - more to the point - WHY I do it. You do what you want. If you have a good reason fo what you do, and it is different from what I do, great. Help me see a better way. Otherwise, I continue to do what I do, and 'Dive and let dive'.
 
I have mentioned, across multiple threads I think (so, pardon me for my perseveration if you have seen this before) that 'the gear doesn't make the diver, the diver makes the gear'.

Having said that:

1. I dive a backplate and wing. I have very specific, data-driven, reasons, based on physics and physiology, for doing that. The weight of the backplate is situated immediately adjacent to my physiologic center of lift (my torso). That 'encourages' horizontal trim. It moves weight 'up' on my torso, and minimizes the tendancy of lower-positioned weright to pull my legs and body down, to a 45 degree position. In that 45-degree headup/legs down position, my finning is inefficient, and part of the thrust vector directed dowenward (NOT a good thing) and only part of the thrust vector directed horizontally behind me (the desired 'good' thing').I believe that horizontal trim is the most efficient posture in the water, for the majority (but not all) of the time. On the suyrace, my BP/W provides buoyancy suffieint to keep me head above water - I do not need to have buoyancy that leaves me 'chest-above-water'. And, because my wieght is properly positoned/distributed, and the amount of weight is properly determined, my BP/wing - a back-inflate BCD, BTW - does NOT, ever, push me face-down in the water.

2. I dive a long hose (84") primary regulator, with a bungeed necklace. I have very specific reasons for doing that. I am completely persuaded, by both the logic and value, of 'primary donate', as the best approach to assisting another diver in an OOA event. And, in the event that my regulator is inadvertently kicked from my mouth, my alternate air source is immediately accessible, as it is right below my chin. I never have to search for it in the Bermuda 'triangle'. As an aside, I always dive with either identical, or equivalently performing, second stages - no needlessly detuned, less functional (but, of course, cheaper) second stages trying to pass themselves off as an adequate alternatre air source. Yes, OOA emergencies are actually quite rare, even those 'interruption of the gas supply' is one of the primary causes of diver deaths, at least accodirng to DAN. I have never need to assist another diver in an out-of-air emergency. BUT, if I ever do, I am comfortable that I am as well-positioined as possibleto do so.

3. I dive an AI computer. BUT, I only trust my SPG as the primary sorce of gas supply.

4. And - maybe, I should say 'but' - my SAC is 0.7 cfm. It has been that for YEARS, and it isn't going to change. I am as good as I am going to be.

So, where does that put me? How do I respond to the survey?

In the context of this survey, I also admit that I do not consider myself to be an 'average' diver. I actually do not know what that ('average') means. I DO consider myself to be a competent, safe, capable diver. I am not perfect, I am not bullet-proof. But, I trust that i am a diver that any other competent, safe, capable diver would be comfortable diving with.

I really am not concerned with what equipment configuration another diver may choose - UNLESS they are one of my students, in which case I will make every effort to persuade them to consider my parti\cular configuration as a possible approach that they should choose. I am OK with whatever someone else dives. I know WHAT I do, and - more to the point - WHY I do it. You do what you want. If you have a good reason foir what you do, and it is different from what I do, great. Help me see a better way. Otherwise, I continue to do what I do, and 'Dive and let dive'.
Main purpose of this nearly year old thread was to stimulate discussion, it has done that:)
 
We can all enjoy stimulating discussion with regard to diving. It is nice to see that a number of us are actually out diving.

I am not sure what all will be involved for me to get back to the sweet sweet spot that I was in, prior to what will be a 2 year hiatus. Hopefully, it will not be longer than that.
 
That's too long an SI Chilly.

I'd be getting a drysuit and jumping in a lake long before now.

I'm going to get in the dive pool at some point. If that doesn't happen, then I guess I'll just do what I do when I do it ..the first year out of the water felt awful. This year I'm kind of getting used to it and also feeling fatalistic about everything.

So first, let me get moved out of my sold house.
 
A few hundred people even know ScubaBoard exists. Millions dive and every dive shop, boat or club is going to have its own dive culture. You can dive safely with most commercially available gear, so the typical diver in south Florida may never see a long hose and BP/W unless they wander up to dive in cave country. Great Lake divers probably look at the effort I put into rinsing and air drying my gear and think it looks like a total PIA. Scubaboard has a very tech heavy culture, so BP/W and long hose are much more common.

The “you’re gonna die” attitudes towards things like Air2, necklace secondaries or ditchable weights probably doesn’t really account for nearly as many deaths as we assume when discussing gear configurations. Most of the time it comes down to experience, general health and training.
 
A few hundred people even know ScubaBoard exists. Millions dive and every dive shop, boat or club is going to have its own dive culture. You can dive safely with most commercially available gear, so the typical diver in south Florida may never see a long hose and BP/W unless they wander up to dive in cave country. Great Lake divers probably look at the effort I put into rinsing and air drying my gear and think it looks like a total PIA. Scubaboard has a very tech heavy culture, so BP/W and long hose are much more common.

The “you’re gonna die” attitudes towards things like Air2, necklace secondaries or ditchable weights probably doesn’t really account for nearly as many deaths as we assume when discussing gear configurations. Most of the time it comes down to experience, general health and training.
HI @CT-Rich

I've been diving in SE FL for 12 years now, you'd be surprised at how configurations have evolved. I mainly dive off 5 operators in Boynton Beach, West Palm, and Jupiter. BP/W, a version of long hose, computers running Buhlmann...have all become increasingly common on every charter I'm on. Of course, you still see a lot of more "typical" gear.
 
I'd be getting a drysuit and jumping in a lake long before now.
I've got a drysuit. I'm not jumping in a lake unless I've been dry for at least another year. Freshwater generally is pretty dull.
 
HI @CT-Rich

...BP/W, a version of long hose, computers running Buhlmann...have all become increasingly common on every charter I'm on. Of course, you still see a lot of more "typical" gear.

Even in the Caribbean, I've seen it more. On the last liveaboard I was on 2 years ago (Belize Aggressor III), I was surprised that 11 out of 18 of us (all Canadian) had a bp/w, some with long hose, some not. In Grenada, there were quite a few (European and Canadian) on our boat. Elsewhere I've mostly seen a traditional setup.

In upstate NY, it's mostly bp/w and long hose, and it's getting more common here as well.

And of course, our Canadian Shearwater seems to be seen all over. :D
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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