SeaJay
Contributor
I was looking through the latest issue of Scuba Diving, which I received in the mail yesterday... You know, it's really hard to ignore the "oooooo" factor in a lot of this stuff. I still think hoseless guages are really cool, and I still think that computers have a place for the recreational diver who doesn't want to learn all of "that stuff." Besides, it's a redundant source of information. The problem is that they vary from really, really conservative to totally incorrect, and that's if they're working properly. Still, I can completely see why someone would want one.
Of course, the bottom line is that once you get in the water, however the "piece" looked in the magazine makes no difference. It's all about functionality.
Still, I'm a sucker for great marketing... And I don't see anything wrong with that... If that's what I like, so long as I end up with the best gear.
The other day I was walking to my car, when I reached into my pocket and hit my keyless remote. As it always does, my car unlocked itself and the lights flashed twice. It's a really nice little gizmo (that I had to add aftermarket) that makes life just a little bit simpler. It keeps me from having to fumble with my keys, and it keeps door scratches to a minimum. It's a great, simple device that works well and makes life just a little easier. I'm glad I bought it.
I can't help but to think about how GUE would see this... DIR has the flavor of simplicity, which is great... In their world, keyless remotes surely would be bad. In fact, they wouldn't even have doors or windows on their cars... They'd be made of either stainless or aluminum, have no windows or doors ("hinges are for wussies") and you'd just get in Bo and Luke Duke style. Their method of security would be The CLUB, no doubt. Why? Well... Becuase it's simple... Secure... Functional... Inexpensive... I could go on and on...
So it's killing me to say it, but in a way, I can see the mass market appeal of a lot of gear. Yes, we are certainly talking about scuba here, where ignorance and the unknowing newbie buys most of the gear... Thus, there are simply a lot of products out there that just aren't necessary, effective, or even desired. For example, there's this new snorkel out now that's made of a large diameter, thin-walled silicone tube... When not in use, you roll it up into this little donut-shaped housing, and place it in the pocket of your BC. It's too cool for words... You must see this little gizmo. Unfortunately, most of us prefer to go without a snorkel altogether, unless we're actually going SNORKELING, in which case we would appreciate the size and stiffness of a conventional snorkel. Not to mention that you need a POCKET in your BC, which is typically a problem, from a drag/streamling perspective. My point? Well... When in the world would you ever need this $40 snorkel? Divers know that at the surface, air consumption from a tank is nearly nothing, or they can float on their back and swim (more effective anyway), negating the need for a snorkel. On the other hand, this gizmo's "cool factor" is so high that I could entertain myself for hours putting it together and taking it apart. Forget snorkeling with it... Keep it on your desk at work as a stress reliever. LOL.
My point? I'm not above wanting something just because I want it. I still think that the Vytec hoseless, air integrated, wrist-mounted computer is one of the coolest things in underwater electronics. And I still enjoy my big, nearly freediving-style Mares Quattros. I think that the Atomic M1 is the coolest looking regulator on the market, and I applaud Mares for being so daring as to "think outside the box" and create something like the H.U.B system. I still think the Black Diamond is the kind of BC that makes me do the Tim Allen "argh-argh" whenever I see it, and I really enjoy my little PCa Ikelight as a cool little backup for when I need a really bright spot of light to tell me what color that eel really is in that hole.
The flip side of the coin is that I'm finding out that if you're really serious about diving, you're going to want the simplest gear in the world that always works... And there's no doubt that the best-functioning gear I've found is that which DIR preaches. Like a racing car, the gear is spartan, simplistic, rugged, and as fail-safe as it gets.
But I'm not above enjoying a leather interior, carpet, and a nice stereo system either, you know. My bet is that Richard Petty has a very comfortable seat in his daily driver... Not to mention a great stereo and maybe even some fuzzy dice.
Of course, the bottom line is that once you get in the water, however the "piece" looked in the magazine makes no difference. It's all about functionality.
Still, I'm a sucker for great marketing... And I don't see anything wrong with that... If that's what I like, so long as I end up with the best gear.
The other day I was walking to my car, when I reached into my pocket and hit my keyless remote. As it always does, my car unlocked itself and the lights flashed twice. It's a really nice little gizmo (that I had to add aftermarket) that makes life just a little bit simpler. It keeps me from having to fumble with my keys, and it keeps door scratches to a minimum. It's a great, simple device that works well and makes life just a little easier. I'm glad I bought it.
I can't help but to think about how GUE would see this... DIR has the flavor of simplicity, which is great... In their world, keyless remotes surely would be bad. In fact, they wouldn't even have doors or windows on their cars... They'd be made of either stainless or aluminum, have no windows or doors ("hinges are for wussies") and you'd just get in Bo and Luke Duke style. Their method of security would be The CLUB, no doubt. Why? Well... Becuase it's simple... Secure... Functional... Inexpensive... I could go on and on...
So it's killing me to say it, but in a way, I can see the mass market appeal of a lot of gear. Yes, we are certainly talking about scuba here, where ignorance and the unknowing newbie buys most of the gear... Thus, there are simply a lot of products out there that just aren't necessary, effective, or even desired. For example, there's this new snorkel out now that's made of a large diameter, thin-walled silicone tube... When not in use, you roll it up into this little donut-shaped housing, and place it in the pocket of your BC. It's too cool for words... You must see this little gizmo. Unfortunately, most of us prefer to go without a snorkel altogether, unless we're actually going SNORKELING, in which case we would appreciate the size and stiffness of a conventional snorkel. Not to mention that you need a POCKET in your BC, which is typically a problem, from a drag/streamling perspective. My point? Well... When in the world would you ever need this $40 snorkel? Divers know that at the surface, air consumption from a tank is nearly nothing, or they can float on their back and swim (more effective anyway), negating the need for a snorkel. On the other hand, this gizmo's "cool factor" is so high that I could entertain myself for hours putting it together and taking it apart. Forget snorkeling with it... Keep it on your desk at work as a stress reliever. LOL.
My point? I'm not above wanting something just because I want it. I still think that the Vytec hoseless, air integrated, wrist-mounted computer is one of the coolest things in underwater electronics. And I still enjoy my big, nearly freediving-style Mares Quattros. I think that the Atomic M1 is the coolest looking regulator on the market, and I applaud Mares for being so daring as to "think outside the box" and create something like the H.U.B system. I still think the Black Diamond is the kind of BC that makes me do the Tim Allen "argh-argh" whenever I see it, and I really enjoy my little PCa Ikelight as a cool little backup for when I need a really bright spot of light to tell me what color that eel really is in that hole.
The flip side of the coin is that I'm finding out that if you're really serious about diving, you're going to want the simplest gear in the world that always works... And there's no doubt that the best-functioning gear I've found is that which DIR preaches. Like a racing car, the gear is spartan, simplistic, rugged, and as fail-safe as it gets.
But I'm not above enjoying a leather interior, carpet, and a nice stereo system either, you know. My bet is that Richard Petty has a very comfortable seat in his daily driver... Not to mention a great stereo and maybe even some fuzzy dice.