the origins of the term "poodle jacket"

[deepstops]

First of all, it has NOTHING to do with a BC.

Contrary to popularly held belief a poodle jacket is a recreational BC, it is not.

The term "poodle jacket" was coined on the Tech Diver list serv in the late 1990s and it refers to "a color-coded tank sleeve or regulator bag". The fault of the poodle jacket was it that depended on putting the sleeve on the right tank before you got in the water and the ability to differentiate colors at depth or in darkness. Poodle jackets quickly fell by the wayside and were replaced by today's generally accepted tank marking systems of MOD on the side of the tank.

References:
Aquanaut Mailing List Archive Service
Aquanaut Mailing List Archive Service

Defining a poodle jacket as a BC is simply revising history in the tech diving community

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Whatever its origins, today it's used as a derisive term toward a particular piece of equipment. Since that equipment is completely inappropriate anyway for tech diving, I don't see that it serves any purpose other than to create an "us vs them" atmosphere in the dive community.

Such descriptive terms are only useful for sending one particular message ... "I'm better than you" ... and are almost always used by arrogant young men with something to prove. Personally, I'd like to see terms like that disappear from the Internet altogether, since these same young men never have the balls to use them to people face-to-face ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[deepstops]

Perhaps rather than dwelling on the current negative usage, we could help people with the true meaning of the term.

That was the intent of my post.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Perhaps rather than dwelling on the current negative usage, we could help people with the true meaning of the term.

That was the intent of my post.

I understand that ... many words in our language started out with innocuous meanings, and later became commonly used as offensive terms. Knowing their history rarely makes them any less offensive, however.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[rjack321]

Thanks for posting Deep Stops, glad to see you in here.

Agree that the Rec BC use of the term is just trying to sling mud when there's no place else to fling it.

 

[deepstops]

Thanks for posting Deep Stops, glad to see you in here.

Agree that the Rec BC use of the term is just trying to sling mud when there's no place else to fling it.

Thanks.

I used to laugh when I saw it but to Bob's point, it's become such a derogatory term, it's started to annoy me a lot

 

[Rhone Man]

I understand that ... many words in our language started out with innocuous meanings, and later became commonly used as offensive terms. Knowing their history rarely makes them any less offensive, however.

I tend to agree with Bob. Modern usage is more informative than historical legacy. After all, Fornicating Under Command of the King used to have a different feel to it before it became used in its common abbreviated form (I assume - I wasn't there). As did the word "Gay".

The modern use of the term annoys me too. I make a point of wearing my old "poodle jacket" every so often, just because good divers should be able to use any gear.

 

[rjack321]

Dive Rite. Now for whatever reason nobody every moans about their name... But anywhooz they made poodle jackets but called them "stage tank marking bands" or something like that until quite recently.

 

[rjack321]

Dive Rite. Now for whatever reason nobody every moans about their name... But anywhooz they made poodle jackets but called them "stage tank marking bands" or something like that until quite recently.

 

[ucfdiver]

Dive Rite. Now for whatever reason nobody every moans about their name... But anywhooz they made poodle jackets but called them "stage tank marking bands" or something like that until quite recently.

As someone who doesn't have much dive rite gear, this really offends me, it implies I'm using the wrong gear. If that's "rite", everyone else must be "wrong".