Is Side Mount the new DIR??? Building resentment towards us as a group...

[TONY CHANEY]

Thanks Johnny, fat fingers.

 

[Razorista]

Doesn't a question like that become 'valid' if answered like that?
It is obvious many sidemount divers think they have to explain themselves at least.
The reasons seem less obvious to me.

 

[Razorista]

I could give a current example:
Just a few minutes ago a buddy of mine changed his facebook profile picture to a current pic I made.
Test dive with new gloves, complained afterwards that he could not find his D-rings by feel alone.

First backmounter comment: 'Want to try too'.
Second one: 'Your second stage is dangling'. (correct, it was not clipped in)

Sidemount beginners ARE criticized and provoked constantly (most of the time good natured provocations by personal friends).

And the obvious reason is singularly their sudden unexpected success.

Every diver, even a very experienced diver sometimes, at least secretly wants to have that one picture of himself to show everybody 'I can dive'.
Sidemounters (beginners in particular) get those on a 'one from each dive' basis.
And there is a lot of jealousy in every second comment they receive.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Of all the fads in this sport, which is yours?

Digital photography ... I might go all-out and get me a GoPro on a stick ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[The Chairman]

It is not a stupid point but rather a stupid thread.

Yet you post in it.

Minimal to who?

You should go back and read it. It was minimal to the people who reacted. These are dear, dear friends. They both apologized for their reaction and explained it pretty thoroughly to me. It's not the first time I have seen this. Just look at how some of the BMers responded in here. Denial: not just another river in Egypt.

I never said that I am perfect.

But you deny that this problem exists... rather vehemently at that. One has to wonder at the necessity to call the discussion "stupid" and still embroil themselves within it. A bit too close to home? Next, you'll probably suggest that you never tease people you like.

Do the Mods ever mod you?

All the time. All the time. If you feel that this thread, or portions of it violate the ToS, please report it. However, don't waste their time if you disagree with either the content or premise of the thread. It's a big board and there's plenty for you to discuss elsewhere. No need to get your panties in a wad over this thread.

 

[nakatomi]

But you deny that this problem exists... rather vehemently at that.

I'd have to agree with Tony. This problem does not exist. Lets face it, diving backmount is fine for most people, it certainly has advantages in OW and with boat diving scenarios. All that makes backmount the preferred configuration for most people. That's a simple fact.
While I for example choose to dive SM exclusively, simply because I enjoy how it feels and prefer it over BM doubles, I wouldn't school anyone for feeling differently.
Now when it comes to caves, and caves only in my opinion, side mount is much more versatile and to me the perfect cave diving solution.
When the subject comes up, I may explain how I feel about it, but belittling people for choosing another configuration makes little sense at all.
Now assuming your buddies were upset because you made a petty joke as "hey, is that a new thing carrying the tanks on the back?" or "bringing out the vintage diving equipment again?", I've done the same thing and it's funny as hell.
However only online where jokes are in pretty much a given. I'd never pull something like that at a dive site or in a shop as it might not be perceived as being very rude, simply because statement is not made online and thus lacking a huge smiley ending the sentence.

Having said that, I still feel this thread has merit, but in a very different context. Everyone on Facebook will be aware of how people with a less than ideal SM gear configuration, bad trim in SM, wonky fin kick etc. have been called out.
Tons of videos had to be pulled off youtube because the people featured were diving side mount and looked horrible.
So there definitely are DIR people out there who are very vigilant in trying to show how side mount should be done (or how it shouldn't be done).

 

[The Chairman]

So there definitely are DIR people out there who are very vigilant in trying to show how side mount should be done (or how it shouldn't be done).

Just as tragic. Just as wrong. Elitism is alive and well and more than willing to disparage those who do things differently than they do. It's all about the FIGJAM for them. Of course, they deny that too.

 

[DevonDiver]

Just trying to get this straight, so forgive me if I misunderstand the current tangent discussion...

An individual sidemount diver received criticism/perceives resentment from backmount divers in their locale. The blame must lie with other sidemount divers, not in that locale, who are "elitist" and causing resentment amongst those backmount divers.

At the same time, most sidemount divers engaged in the thread seem oblivious to any issue and have never encountered any resentment or criticism.

Sounds like an individual issue, not a community problem, to me...?

 

[nakatomi]

Just as tragic. Just as wrong. Elitism is alive and well and more than willing to disparage those who do things differently than they do. It's all about the FIGJAM for them. Of course, they deny that too.

Well if these divers are either instructors or happen to dive inside a cave (or wreck) with their crappy configuration, they should be called out.
There's neither sense in having people spread the crappy SM diver virus by being bad instructors, nor having idiots mess up the cave with their dangly knees, dangly gear and messed up tanks, scisssor/flutter kicks and what not.

 

[The Chairman]

they should be called out.

Too often, it does little to rectify the situation. Some people look for an excuse to be an a-hole online and while brave on the internet, often say nothing to the person's face at the dive site. I've seen all sorts of configurations for both side and back mount. Unless they are silting out the place, I really don't care how they configure it.