How long have gear arguments been going on?

[Eric Sedletzky]

It seems to me that gear arguments have gotten worse than ever lately.
I'd like to hear from someone who's been diving for a long time and see if there were these types of weird gear argument a long time ago.
Now it seems like BP/W vs jackets is the big hot topic. Then their's split fins, ankle weights, snorkels, retractors, wetsuits, drysuits, and on and on. It seems anything is fair game for an assault. And that's without even getting into training and agencies.

What was it like back then?
Did people argue about which plastic pack was better or have duckfeet vs jetfin arguments?
Were their fist fights over double hoses vs single hose regs?
What about before plastic packs, did people argue about which cotton harness was the best?

Or did people get along better and just go diving?

I'm just wondering what we've become as a group that are all supposed to be friends and have fun sharing a great sport.

 

[Paladin]

The "My gear is better than your gear" argument has been going on since other companies besides Aqua-Lung started making gear.

 

[merxlin]

I believe when a guy first used a goat skin that was inflated and used for breathing underwater, one of the guys buddies commented that cow was a much better choice.

 

[Sas]

I believe when a guy first used a goat skin that was inflated and used for breathing underwater, one of the guys buddies commented that cow was a much better choice.

It is though, cow print stuff is more amusing.

 

[Downing]

In my experience, gear arguments happen only on ScubaBoard. I have yet to go on a dive where anybody argues about gear, even when there are lots of different brands, setups and configurations.

I love gear as much as the next guy, but I don't ever criticize someone elses choices. There's a lot of scuba gear out there, most of it quite good and some of it even great, imho.

 

[Sas]

In my experience, gear arguments happen only on ScubaBoard. I have yet to go on a dive where anybody argues about gear, even when there are lots of different brands, setups and configurations.

Amongst my buddy group, no, but I have had people criticise my regulator set up and choice of BC on dive boats as well as my rescue instructor.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

It seems to me that gear arguments have gotten worse than ever lately.

I haven't been diving that long (just a little over 12 years), but I may have an explanation for you.

For the most part, I think what you are observing is an Internet phenomenon...and it applies to more than just gear discussions. Participation on Internet forums is voluntary, so it shouldn't be surprising that the people "moved" to write posts allow those same strong feelings to color their posts. Consequently, the opinions represented in the thread take on a polarized appearance. That polarization probably doesn't exist in real-life. It's definitely a skewed representation of what the scuba diving public really thinks.

When I'm not on ScubaBoard, I don't spend any time at all arguing about which BCD is the best or which dive light is the brightest. I don't hear anyone else arguing about such things at local dive sites, either.

 

[knowone]

If you could afford the gear, it was like State school V Private school
Jokingly, with humor and respect

SP and AL and then the rest, but when it came to diving, and you could
no one gave a rats arse.

There was an aura and an air especially from not yet divers and even
the never to be's.

People were proud of what they could scratch together
and others were proud with them and we worked together
to dive.

The spineless feckless es come from society's supposed progress.

Of course there were dickheads then too but the degree has changed.

The internet, where some come to learn and leave knowing less.

An apology is a gesture through which an individual splits into two parts:
the part that is guilty of the offence, and the part that dissociates itself
from the delict and affirms a belief in the offended rule......[someone]

So really nothing has changed.

Even selective memory having consulted life's logbook remains the same.

Oh yeah, in 1976 during the sort of transitional period, we learnt with
single hose however also used the double hose as a progress indicator.
I don't remember diving with anyone that had a DH reg, because I don't
remember and most were busy updating to SH and throwing them out.

PROGRESS?

Gear criticism replaces functional discussion of flawed dive practices.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

The internet, where some come to learn and leave knowing less.

Absolutely perfect!

 

[knowone]

This just popped onto the screen.

<img src="http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/data/526/3_piece_body.jpg" />

Should this person own or use this regulator?