Diver image. Do you even think about it?

[azmodan50]

Do you want to look "cool"? Or do you want to look "sharp". Different concepts.

I overheard an interesting conversation on my last dive trip. Several divers were arguing about "the best" gear. The trip leader of that group (dive shop owner) interjected with "I can only speak about the gear I sell". He commented that it was good quality for the price. He was willing to stand behind it and risk his business on it. Very good gear. But he also said he had no first hand knowledge of some of the gear others were boasting about. He was happy to admit several things:
- there was gear that he had no first hand knowledge of
- he considered his gear good quality, more than adequate (but not necessarily the BEST ever)
- there might be other gear that was better

I found his attitude refreshing. I would not hesitate to seek his opinion on future gear selections.

I don't want to look anything. It's kind of like when I buy a t-shirt. I buy it because I like the graphic on it. Not because I think it makes me look cool or sharp.

Same with dive gear. I'll buy a new mask if I like the way it looks.

As far as the best gear, there may be better and if there is, I would love to try it. But it's like car choices. Some people are Ford people, some are Chevy, and some are Mercedes or Toyota.

 

[KeithG]

I don't want to look anything. It's kind of like when I buy a t-shirt. I buy it because I like the graphic on it. Not because I think it makes me look cool or sharp.

Same with dive gear. I'll buy a new mask if I like the way it looks.

As far as the best gear, there may be better and if there is, I would love to try it. But it's like car choices. Some people are Ford people, some are Chevy, and some are Mercedes or Toyota.

I claim you have mixed up some concepts: fit and function.

t-shirts are all about look. (1 size fits everyone, who actually buys a tshirt with letters on it?) universal fit, who cares about function.
scuba masks are all about fit. (this size only fits some of you fat head people out there). function is useless without proper fit.

And I am the first to admit I am the "anti poster-child" of any popular marketing campaign (they hate me! i hope?).

I am about fit, then function.

 

[Z Gear]

I claim you have mixed up some concepts: fit and function.

t-shirts are all about look. (1 size fits everyone, who actually buys a tshirt with letters on it?) universal fit, who cares about function.
scuba masks are all about fit. (this size only fits some of you fat head people out there). function is useless without proper fit.

And I am the first to admit I am the "anti poster-child" of any popular marketing campaign (they hate me! i hope?).

I am about fit, then function.

I am also about fit also about function. But there are some who also feel good about presenting a good image as well.

Frank G
Z GEAR - Z Gear

 

[Storker]

Where did you find a 65-cent replacement for smurf gloves?

Where do you find smurf gloves at $6.50? Around here they sell for about ten times that price (500NOK): Fue.no Nordic Blue - tørrhansker - Drakttilbehør - Shop Stort utvalg og raske leveringer!
The alternative, 50NOK: Vinylhansker 620 PVC 8


--
Sent from my Android phone
Typos are a feature, not a bug

 

[Z Gear]

To me the only "image" and "style" I care about are my skills and abilities UNDER the water. I want to have good bouyancy control (not crashing into coral, other people, etc), have respect for the marine life, keep my dangling gear under control so it isn't dragging on fragile structures, be relaxed and calm, and be respectful of other divers. What I look like on land means nothing to me. I choose my gear for comfort and functionality, not because it is "cool" or "the right brand."

I have noticed something very interesting on a lot of the comments which many may not be aware of. While most tried there best to say they did not care about their image or the way they looked, they actually do. Let me explain why.

First off all I'm sure most of you have color preferences and for that reason, if you had a choice of colors you would choose the color that you like.
I like the color black I think I look good in it. Perhaps you like black or also some blues. Perhaps if you were to have gear that had colors you didn't like you would not feel as good as when you had the colored gear of your choice.. I'm just saying that there is an inherent degree of image, I just don't think many are aware or even think of it in that way.

Equally important is how one attaches their loose gear, and carries themselves. This also presents a good image. It shows that you are sharp and not sloppy.

I also want to add that when one contemplates what to choose based on a particular color it demonstrates that they have a preference when it comes to style or color. This is a component of an image. It has nothing to do with function.
All manufactures know that, and take into consideration when the final look of the product is done. Again this has nothing to do with function. Packaging is another way of form of image portrayal,and is key for the success of attracting potential buyers. Function and price still remains the ideal reason for the purchase but the underlying divider between two similar product will always be the image. The way the product looks as well as the packaging it is in, attracts and sends a message that appeals to the buyer.

 

[divad]

Grainger.

 

[shoredivr]

I dive mostly in cold, dark water. I want my gear to have colour so at the surface or on a dive boat it stands out. So crew, or other divers will notice that I'm back on the boat, not left behind. Black just makes me disappear. It also makes my gear look like all the other black gear on the boat. Plus who the heck would steal a BP with neon pink webbing?

 

[Storker]

I have noticed something very interesting on a lot of the comments which many may not be aware of. While most tried there best to say they did not care about their image or the way they looked, they actually do.

It's very common. "I don't care about looking cool" very often means "I care about NOT looking cool", or "I care about not looking like a n00b".

• In martial arts, a frayed and bleached belt is "cool". It signals "my black belt is OLD, I'm bada$$". I've seen competitors been sent of the mat to get a newer an less frayed belt by the ref before he would start the match.
• In some mountain hiking subcultures, the old-fashioned cotton anorak is strongly preferred over modern neon-colored membrane jackets as long as that's a suitable attire for the weather (typically, below-freezing temps). That anorak should preferably be sun-bleached and a little frayed at the edges. A patch or two helps, as well.
• Some of the freestyle skiers I knew back when freestyle skiing was still a bit avant garde, made a point of wearing clothes that looked like crap. It set them apart from the fashion crowd. "Look like crap, ski like a god"
• I know flyfishers who deliberately wear an old windbreaker and a felt hat instead of the newest flyfishing jacket from Sierra or G. Loomis, and use a splitcane rod.

In every one of these examples, the stated "I don't care about looking great" claim really means "I care about not looking like a n00b". Don't tell me there aren't similar attitudes among divers. What sends the signal "I've been doing this for many years, and I've got my sh!t together"? A bleached harness, somewhat frayed at the edges, or a brand new and still stiff one? Old and scratched tank(s), or shiny new with all the paint and original decals in place? A same-brand gear package from the local LDS, or a mashup of stuff of different brands and different vintages?

First off all I'm sure most of you have color preferences and for that reason, if you had a choice of colors you would choose the color that you like.

Of course. When I and my son were taking our certs, we went shopping for gear. When I could get my stuff (mask, snorkel, fins) in the same color, I chose yellow. My son chose blue. That way, we can easily see what gear belongs to whom, and it does look nice to have an all-black-and-yellow or an all-black-and-blue outfit. As I said in my previous post, my color scheme went down the drain when I started to switch some of my gear for stuff that fitted me and my diving better. From yellow-accented splits to black Jets. Those are a pain in the back, though, because about a third of my clubmates use Jets. "Are those my fins?" "No, they're mine." Then I lost my (yellow) snorkel for the 2nd time, and since I was switching to a LH/BO config, I went for a roll-up snorkel carried in my thigh pocket. Second yellow accent gone. I still have my yellow mask, though, and since my yellow hoses were on sale when I was switching out my short (black) ones, I still have a bit of yellow on my outfit. Paired with orange accents on my trilam suit, and orange drygloves. Oh well. I have (female, of course ) clubmates who ordered pink accents on their custom DS, just for the sheer heck of it, and then they deliberately chose pink hoses and pink fins. Looks good. I know tec divers who by drygloves more or less by the dozen, and to save a bit of money, they buy them in a store selling gear to commercial fishermen and fish industries. Those gloves are pink. So, one of the guys got himself pink reg hoses as a sort of a joke. He's straight as an arrow, and definitely not homophobic...

Equally important is how one attaches their loose gear, and carries themselves. This also presents a good image. It shows that you are sharp and not sloppy.

Not "equally" important. "Most" important.

---------- Post added March 19th, 2015 at 08:50 AM ----------

who the heck would steal a BP with neon pink webbing?

I know one or two who would at least covet it a bit

 

[crabbyfiddler]

I laughingly tell people we look like seals (or walrus, depending on the size of the person) on land, but a mermaid under the water.


And there's nothing quite so elegant as exiting the water with a large string of human lubricant hanging from your mask. Oh well.

 

[phlegm]

Who gives a crap what you look like while diving? When I started out all I had access to was some old gear from the 80s, so I was getting around in a lurid pink BCD and a pink weight belt. Screw it dude, it was fun and I honestly couldn't care less if I looked ridiculous to everyone around me.