Diver image. Do you even think about it?

[RJP]

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".

There's also a big difference between "I don't care how I look" and "I want to look like I don't care."

Typically, the more vocal someone is about being in the former group... the more likely they are in the latter.

If you truly didn't care how you looked it would never occur to you comment on how you looked one way or the other... because you don't care. If you didn't care, you wouldn't spend a lot of time defending how much you don't care, telling everyone you "don't give a ****" and and making negative comments about people who do happen to care about how they look.

In the Audi forums there's a whole subset of people who remove all the badging, crome, etc from their cars, change out the wheels, smoke the sidelights, etc - often spending tens of thousands of dollars in the process - claiming they do this because they "care more about function than how it looks."

 

[dmoore19]

Pink weight belt and BCD. A man has to draw the line somewhere. Not gonna wear a pink weight belt and BCD.

 

[phlegm]

Hey man, the choice was that or not dive. better gear was in the mail. I chose diving!

 

[azmodan50]

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.

The two are not mutually exclusive. Do you buy clothing that looks good but doesn't fit? Do you buy ugly clothes because they fit? Most people like to get things that look good and fit.

As far as masks go, there are differences. If I want a mask with side windows, I buy one that fits. I don't go and buy one without side windows just because it fits. And, I don't buy one with side windows that doesn't fit.

 

[RJP]

Do you buy clothing that looks good but doesn't fit? Do you buy ugly clothes because they fit? Most people like to get things that look good and fit.

You've obviously never shopped at Marshalls or a factory outlet store; cheap>looks good>fits.

 

[azmodan50]

You've obviously never shopped at Marshalls or factory outlet store; cheap>looks good>fits.

I actually worked at Marshalls when I was a teenager. But no, I don't shop there. When I buy clothes, my order of consideration is looks good>fits>cheap. That's why I get all the funny looks from teens as my 40+ year old self shops at Hollister or Aeropostale.

 

[dberry]

This is an interesting conversation... relatively little to do with diving really, but I'm not surprised it hit a nerve with many of us.

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 n00b".

As a scuba-n00b, I can relate to the second part of Storker's quote. There's not much I can do about it besides diving more, but all things considered, I'd rather not advertise my n00bness more than I have to.

But it's the first part that hits home when I think about it. Along with age comes a little bit of self-awareness...

I think RJP is correct: we are all influenced by marketing and other factors (including the opinions of peers) more than we care to admit. But I don't have to like knowing I'm being manipulated all the time. In fact, I resent it.

Very few people are truly completely oblivious to the image they project, or prefer to project. If I'm honest about it, some of my "I don't care about appearances as long as it works great" attitude comes from wanting to explicitly reject the influence of "trendiness" and the "fashion industry" in scuba and society. Like it or not, "I don't want to look cool" is essentially a political statement, and it most certainly is an image.

It's a centuries old debate. Someone mentioned "fit vs. function"... "form vs. function" has been the basis of entire schools of design. It's fair to say that in scuba, function comes first (or at least should). Other things are meant to be primarily beautiful or "interesting" (art, for example.) But I'm thankful that functional objects in our lives (cars, a chair, a toaster in the kitchen) can also be built with some attention to "form". Ever seen an old East German apartment complex? <shudder>

But I really hate marketing that tries to convince us to spend more for gear just because it "looks cooler", when it doesn't perform the intended function as well as the plain or simpler version.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

The "brand" giveth... and the "brand" taketh away.

:shocked2:

I don't have an issue with the brands ... both are quality products. I have an issue with the owners ... and decided not to support them anymore, regardless of how good their brands are ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

---------- Post added March 19th, 2015 at 07:25 AM ----------

I don't wear pink or anything that 'looks girly' (I'm a guy, not gay, no offense to anybody). I like basic black & other 'conservative' colors. Some dark red is okay. But not pastels, Hello Kitty decals, 'foo foo,' etc...

Richard.

I once had a hot-pink harness ... mostly to annoy my dive buddies who were sporting the "H" gear. But nowadays the "H" makes a lot of pink gear ... so it lost its appeal ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[RJP]

I don't have an issue with the brands ... both are quality products. I have an issue with the owners ... and decided not to support them anymore, regardless of how good their brands are ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

To be clear: The "product" is what comes in the box = functional. The "brand" is the sum total of all your interactions with it = emotional.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

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

I'm a blue-jeans kinda guy ... and my gear often reflects that personality. My wing has over 1300 dives on it ... and it looks like it. My weightbelt needs new webbing ... as does my harness. The older of my two drysuits is covered with splotches of aquaseal ... which is what makes it a dry suit. My main vanity is my choice of red highlights on my suits ... both wet and dry ... because I have to choose a color, and I prefer red. Other than that, image doesn't mean much. Neither does brand. My regs are ScubaPro, Apeks, Hog, Hollis, and Dive Rite ... and I doubt I have one complete reg set that's all the same brand.

It works for me. And one of the best things about being an old dude is that ya don't much give a crap what other people think ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

---------- Post added March 19th, 2015 at 07:35 AM ----------

To be clear: The "product" is what comes in the box = functional. The "brand" is the sum total of all your interactions with it = emotional.

Ah ... got it. Let's just say then that the products were fine, but the "brand" lost its appeal ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)