"Correct Weighting" Identified as #1 Needed Improvement in SCUBA Diving

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I agree with Pete that having a BC makes it easier to be more neutral (though of course I haven't tried without one).
I agree with Dave that there is no such thing as perfectly neutral because you are always breathing. Even if you hold your breath it can't happen because you'd have to define exactly no movement and I don't think that's possible. Now that's splitting hairs.
 
Technically, there is no such thing as a curved line. A line segment is a distance between two points. If you have two points next to each other, then technically they form a line segment. that means a circle is formed by an infinite series of line segments.

But it would be downright silly to make that argument, wouldn't it? The fraction of a second between rising 1/32 of an inch and falling 1/32 of an inch is not worth talking about, either.
 
Neither. Fear is counterproductive. There is no need for it.
Fear is what makes us cautious and helps keep us out of trouble. The ocean is a dangerous place for humans. If you don't respect it, the ocean will find a way to kill you. The dodo bird didn't have any fear. That worked for a while, until something unexpected happened. Don't be a dodo diver.
Do or do not: there is no try! Neither my students or I need to 'get close'. We get perfectly neutral.
More unsupported crap. Not one training agency agrees with you. They require 100% of all training dives to use a BCD. You keep beating this drum and wonder why the actual INSTRUCTORS say you're wrong.
I'm not an instructor and I don't really care about pleasing the training agencies or the insurance companies. I'm a diver and I care about diving. I've dove from tech, to rec, to free, cold water to warm water, dry to skin, and have had a lot of experiences in the past 30 years that many others have not. That has given me a fairly well rounded perspective that someone diving the same way for 30 years won't get. There are others here on SB that dive no BC, and it is interesting that many of them share similar perspectives to me on this subject. Then there are those who have never tried or who have tried and failed to successfully and comfortably dive no BC. Those divers tend to side with you. Some people just dive in cold water environments where diving no BC probably isn't the best choice even if you have the skills. However, diving tends to be more popular where the water is warm and clear. Diving without a BC could be an option for divers there if they had the skills. Those skills would likely make them better divers in a BC when they choose to use it, regardless whether they are diving in warm or cold water.

I have been called stupid and ignorant here on SB for my perspective on the pros and cons of BCDs in different diving environments. The definition of ignorant is "lacking knowledge, information, or awareness about something in particular". I have done many, many successful dives with a BC and many, many successful dives without a BC. It is interesting how the ones accusing me of ignorance are the ones who have not done many, many successful dives without a BC. The accusers seem to fit the definition of ignorance on this subject much better than the accused.

I get that you are a dive instructor and are vested in the dogma of the training agencies. Your hook to attract students to you is "snobbish amounts of trim", and if someone wanted to learn to dive no BC, you would not be able to train them or get paid. We all know that you can't dive successfully without a BC. You have tried it long ago and it went so badly you nearly quit diving until you were rescued by the BCD. Maybe that means you aren't actually the expert on this subject as you only have one skill set on which to base your opinions. You keep beating your drum and wonder why the divers who can do it say that you are wrong. You seem to forget that diving without a BC was the origin of scuba diving. Maybe trim isn't the only thing you are being "snobbish" about.
 
I get that you are a dive instructor and are vested in the dogma of the training agencies.
That's the best laugh I've had today.:rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3:
 
We all know that you can't dive successfully without a BC.
The definition of ignorant is "lacking knowledge, information, or awareness about something in particular".
Do you go out of your way to be ignorant? I've posted this before, but here goes again. My first 20+ of almost fifty years of diving was without a BCD. I might have more dives without a BC than you have dives. Deep dives. Cave dives. Hunting dives. Wreck dives. Just because I reject your foolishness doesn't mean I don't know how to dive without a BC. Rather, it means I choose not to. I learned to drive on a standard transmission when I was 14. I choose to drive with an automatic transmission today. When I drive a standard, most people think they are in a car with an automatic, it's that second nature to me. It's not that I am incompetent, but the last two vehicles I wanted to drive did not come in standard. I'm finding that I prefer automatic. Unlike diving without BC, there is no danger associated with driving a standard.

I have lost a lot of friends to drowning while on Scuba. Far too many. When I was first introduced to the BCD, I immediately recognized it as a wonderful new safety device. People still drown, but it doesn't seem to be near as often.

That's the best laugh I've had today.:rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3:
And he wonders why we think he's ignorant.

Fear is what makes us cautious and helps keep us out of trouble.
Too many divers are never in control of their dive. They dive with white knuckles in constant fear of what's going to happen next because of that lack of control. Fear causes divers to do the irrational. Fear is baaaaaaaad. Knowledge and skill overcome fear so I can see why you're so fearful. I don't ever want my students to dive like you. Safe diving is no accident and it's not driven by mindless fear.
 
I like the standard vs. automatic gear shift analogy. I drove a standard from age 17 to age 40. Got married and she had an automatic. Though she could drive stick too, we continued with automatics. Then I think back to all that arm movement at a stop light. I've never dived without a BC. They are good.
 
I like the standard vs. automatic gear shift analogy. I drove a standard from age 17 to age 40. Got married and she had an automatic. Though she could drive stick too, we continued with automatics. Then I think back to all that arm movement at a stop light. I've never dived without a BC. They are good.
Agreed - the analogy is a pretty good one. I have driven manual (standard) since I passed my test but the current cars we both drive are now automatic. I could go back to manual in an instant but chose not to. Does that make me a worse driver? Easier does not equal worse.

If I was diving warm water, with little or no exposure protection, I might be able to dive without a BCD. Does that make it a good idea? IMHO no because I am making the dive harder than it needs to be and should I have any issues on the surface (such as on a couple of reef dives last year off a liveaboard with waves about 3-4 feet - sha'b Abu Nuhas if anyone is interested), I can inflate the BCD and immediately make my life easier and safer than having to tread water while waiting for the rib to pick me up. I would rather weight myself correctly for the gas to be used and be able to easily maintain a safety stop (with virtually no effort).
 
My mother always said not to fear the ocean but always respect it. I keep in mind that it doesn't care one way or another about me.
 
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