Which Quick release tank bands?

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You asked for advice on tank straps and you received it
Yup! Quite satisfied. Honestly thought the discussion stopped at comment #34.

You then expanded the discussion with a vague indication of a disability.
...
I get it that disabilities are a private matter and we do not have any right to know that info, but you started the discussion and took it well beyond the original question you posed.
No I didn't. @Marie13 did. She asked me why I insisted I didn't want to lift the BC. Then I answered her it's because of my disabilities. What else should I have said instead when she asked?

You have yet to disclose what that disability actually is but expect people to continue to play guessing games with you as the discussion continues.
Nope I don't know why you guys keep going on and on about my disabilities. It's normal, guys, MANY divers, pro, tec, and rec, are disabled. There's no reason why you should be playing a guessing game here. I said I had bad wrists, bad enough to not enjoy picking up BCs even though I can still do it. Why do you think I expect you to guess why my wrists are bad? I've given you all the relevant information about my questions.

You reject the notion from dive professionals and others with experience that perhaps going pro is not compatible with your disability
Zef, many dive pros and non pros have discouraged me for years from taking the Rescue course.
And many dive pros and non pros have also encouraged me to do it.
I finally did RAID Master Rescue with the toughest, most prestigious RAID school in the region. And aced it (for the most part ^^).

It was my RAID Master Rescue Instructors who encouraged me to go down the DM route. My eco diving instructors strongly nudge me toward the same direction. Anyone diving with me within the last 50 dives and talked with me about this stuff, expresses zero doubt about me going pro. Strangely, now everyone in real life is all extremely enthusiastic about it (which is a problem on its own. perhaps that's why I'm here on SB for the much-needed criticism/reality check/different perspectives) and does everything to show me the rope.

I don't fully trust their judgment, of course. I must carefully consider my own limitations. I value my life! I have a soon-to-be-diving kid. I tend to be very conservative in planning.

You state that we (the community at large) should consider/trust that people with disabilities know their limits and we should respect that....
You have hinted/stated more than once that folks should phrase their questions differently or ask certain questions as if the onus is on us to flesh out what your limitations are....that is a bit disingenuous and frustrating.
That's just common courtesy and respect, not what I said.

Yes the onus is on you to be respectful. You've been a bit too nosy about my disabilities (I said I didn't want to lift BC or tank, you guys insisted to know why, i said I had bad wrists, you guys then insisted I should have mentioned my health issues from the first place, then you guys go on and on to ask very probing and disrespectful questions about my health issues).

I spelled out my limitation in the first place: no lifting anything! Hate lifting! And then who ignored that bit of information? And who should be frustrated here for having to repeat herself over and over again?

you perhaps are missing the point that we have put forth and that is that it is not your limits that are a concern it is the demands of the role...
1. You don't know that
2. I don't know that it's not true either
3. So why don't we keep asking questions to find out and help one another?
4. This is why I ask dive pros I dive with... and why I keep this conversation going with you all, to learn all different aspects and demands of the role to make sure as close to 100% as possible that I only do the DM course when I'm ready.
5. Like I've mentioned, the common opinion of those dive pros is I should go for it.
6. We're talking about pros from many non-PADI agencies, including RAID, NAUI, IANTD, and TDI. SSI too, but that doesn't count for you huh?

no one can really evaluate, in the context of this discussion thread, whether you fully understand the demands of the role of a dive pro in relationship to your disability because you keep talking around your disability.
well it's irrelevant to my questions mostly, so I *really* don't understand why you guys keep going on and on about my disabilities. You guys kept asking very personal question, most of them were rather ableist. I could choose to either ignore and focus on my questins about cambands. But since I do a lot of raising awareness work professionally, if people are curious about diving/being dive pros while disabled, perhaps I can explore it with them. Your comments are frankly very ableist and contain TONS of assumptions and prejudice against PWD. But then if disabled divers like me never speak up, you'll probably never go out of your way to find out about our experiences. So you asked, so I shared.

Back to the issue you raised, well, then list the demands of the role so I can see if there's a way to successfully achieve them. You guys have done so with a few, and I've responded with how I'd handle it. Then you guys ignored my responses.
 
The reality is the standards to obtain a professional level cert is not that high
...
if you plan to go PADI specifically and think there is some aspect of the course that tailored around you improving your dive skills you are mistaken…those skills [taught in the course] don's make you a good diver...they don't help you navigate under water, they don't help you respond to gear issues, panic, etc, they don't teach you how to pace yourself when leading others, they don't teach you how specifically to manage a dive.
Which is why I'm going with the highest recommended RAID school in Southern Europe. I need to make sure the standards are high and the training as rigorous as possible. I suggest that you take a look at RAID's standards and talk to other dive pros about the contents of their trainings. You'd be surprised.

In the end their are countless people who are out of shape or contending with one form of disability or another who hold professional level certifications....you can be one too.
What a lovely backhand encouragement.

It amazes me how many times I have run across posts discussing the requirements for certification and how difficult those posters believe they are particularly the swim requirements. My message to them is that if you can't swim well then perhaps you are not suited to professional status in an activity that takes place in and around bodies of water.
Agreed. I actually outswim the two most senior scuba and freediving instructors at my local dive shop. I can also hold my breath for longer than one of them and freedive farther - 3 mins 44 sec static apnea and 75m dynamic apnea.

While you may be able to demonstrate to an OW student or DSD candidate how to perfectly recover a regulator it does not teach you how to deal with someone who freaks out after getting slapped with a fin and has their 2nd stage knocked out...or that person that although certified decides to bolt to the surface because they sucked up through their nose the little bit of water leaking into their mask and they feel like they are somehow drowning. Or how to deal with that person who sucks down their tank like air is going out of style and doesn't tell you that they are near empty, and perhaps does not accurately indicated their air pressure remaining when asked to do a gauge check.
the course is what the student makes of it. I'm an educator myself, I know to ask good questions to get my time's worth from any course. I'll learn all those things and more. I'm already learning about those things. problem solving in emergency situations happens to be something I'm professionally trained in, which, if you're interested enough to make that comment, you could have asked and I could have told you. Here's the thing, Zef, when your body is ****, you put your brain into overdrive to compensate. i don't practice my body, so I do go through scenarios all the time and research best practices, lessons learned, etc.

More time underwater challenging yourself makes you a better diver, self-awareness makes you a better diver, emulating those who have better skills and developed competence makes you a better diver.
Agreed. Which is why I'm doing the DM course. I've done the math. If I want to dive A LOT without going bankrupt, the DM course is the cheapest way to get A LOT of diving on budget. Where I'm going has lots of good shore diving where I can easily jump in the water and practice skills all the time.

If all you want is information about cam straps, then keep the discussion focused on that and stop dropping hints about your life issues. This whole thing reminds me of one of my cousins that will sit down at a restaurant and pull out a pile of pills and sit them on the table in front of her plate with the expectation that someone at the table will ask what they are for....if no one asks she will eventually steer the discussion to her pills and tell everyone about them without really stating why she needs them. It is attention seeking behavior and when people give her the attention she feigns offense at the intrusion....that is where I believe this discussion currently stands.
Oy, now this is just sounding rather prejudiced, narrow-minded, and infinitely ableist. This sort of attitude is the reason why disabled people don't disclose their disabilities. It sounds like when straight people tell queer folks we're being too flamboyant, when all we do is simply existing.

The funny thing is I've just gone through this thread again to see when it started getting derailed, and while @Marie13 was indeed the first who questioned me about being disabled and said it was important i discussed it, you, @Zef, actually was the first to go into essays after essays about disabilities & dive pros. Why are you so obsessed? :p
 
The funny thing is I've just gone through this thread again to see when it started getting derailed, and while @Marie13 was indeed the first who questioned me about being disabled and said it was important i discussed it, you, @Zef, actually was the first to go into essays after essays about disabilities & dive pros. Why are you so obsessed? :p

I am not obsessed. I could give a rats petuty about your abilities or disabilities. I have been entertaining the discussion the same as you. You could have read and ignored Marie13's question/statement about your disability and just rolled on, but you didn't you left things vague while continuing to entertain the discussion.

I have not labeled you disabled, you have. And you dare to color me as ableist or any other label....perhaps the problem is that you choose to put labels on people. I don't look at people as able/disabled, straight/queer, black/white, etc....I look at people as people...I evaluate them based on what and how they present to the world.

You brought up that you get exhausted and suffer discomfort manipulating an IP hose QD fitting...it would not be out of line for one to infer that you have a serious problem...perhaps you have MS or MD , or CP, or XYZ....all ailments that might not be best coupled with being a dive professional. But no body knows what your facing and based on what you have shared up until your last post had us all guessing.

About folks out of shape or disabled who hold certain certs: When I first joined the US Navy I was a Hospital Corpsman (medic) with a specialization in Aero-Space Medicine. The standard to be accepted as a student Naval Aviator (pilot) is higher than the standards once one is qualified as a pilot....the dive industry does not check up on their "professionals" - you pay your annual dues and keep chugging along. I hold professional accreditations as a ski instructor (PSIA certified), and as a swim coach (ASCA certified) For both I have to show evidence of continuing education on a periodic bases or I lose my accreditation...not so for my DM credential.

No body on SB is going to stand in your way of taking a training course and working on a cert, professional or not. The only folk it matters to is you and the instructor that accepts you as their student.

Go take your RAID course or whatever course you desire, it makes no difference to me. I am just here to share my experience and knowledge....consider it worth as much as you have paid for it.

Realize that the only person in this thread that has labeled you as disabled is you. The rest of us, proverbially - because I can't really speak for anyone but me, only "cared" about your "disablity" from the standpoint of providing recommendations....I think QD cam straps kind of suck but if one has severe arthritis in their hands then dealing with the suckiness of the QD cam strap might be better than the suckiness of having to pull the strap through a standard cam strap, that info would affect my thought pattern and what I would share. But through your binary lens set of abelist vs whatever, that fails to present as being relevant to you.

-Z
 
You could have read and ignored Marie13's question/statement about your disability and just rolled on, but you didn't you left things vague while continuing to entertain the discussion.
Huh? So did I respond to @Marie13 or not? She wanted things clarified so I answered her. But it seemed I upset you by both answering and somehow not answering adequately to your satisfaction? What did I leave "vague?" It's really funny, do you realize how entitled you sound? You seem to have a very clear idea about how people should behave online. I haven't been around as long as you have, still fresh and green and trying to figure things out...

I have not labeled you disabled, you have.
...Realize that the only person in this thread that has labeled you as disabled is you.
And what's wrong with that? I'm Asian, disabled, queer, a diver, a skier, camper, hiker, mother, crazy cat lady... I'm all of those things. I don't make a big deal out of being disabled, why do you?

I don't look at people as able/disabled, straight/queer, black/white, etc....I look at people as people...I evaluate them based on what and how they present to the world.
...
I am just here to share my experience and knowledge....
Teehee you must be one of those "woke" people who would say bs like "I don't see color!" Well, what you're saying is you're gonna ignore people's diversity and differences in their backgrounds, that you shall disregard any systemic intersectional issues facing them.

I'm not sure but in my limited experience here, you didn't evaluate me based on the totality of what I've presented here. You pick and choose then come up with your own judgmental opinion based on assumptions and prejudice. I wonder if the experience and knowledge you're sharing is meant to inform and help me work out my situation, or to show off your toughness and acting like a gatekeeper.

I think QD cam straps kind of suck but if one has severe arthritis in their hands then dealing with the suckiness of the QD cam strap might be better than the suckiness of having to pull the strap through a standard cam strap,
Honey, that was precisely MY POINT the whole time. You said QD didn't work for you and explained your detailed situation. I reflected on it, reflected on what's applied and what might not apply to my situation. Then I said I'll test it out. Have you been having a back and forth conversation with me and listening to my responses, or were you just here to show off?
 
I'm not sure but in my limited experience here, you didn't evaluate me based on the totality of what I've presented here. You pick and choose then come up with your own judgmental opinion based on assumptions and prejudice. I wonder if the experience and knowledge you're sharing is meant to inform and help me work out my situation, or to show off your toughness and acting like a gatekeeper.

The only way one can inform and help you work out your situation is if one knows what your situation is, not by guessing at the puzzle created by bits and pieces of information and hints that you drop about yourself. That's the point.

The only one being judgemental is you. The only one placing labels on folks in this thread is you. The only one being contentious is you. The rest of us are here to help...definitely not to flex and/or show off.

Thanks for the name calling and the bashing.

Good luck with your cam straps and your future diving adventures.

-Z
 
No I wouldn't be a firefighter because I don't WANT to handle the physical DISCOMFORTS. But I'm telling you, yes I CAN *eventually* do almost everything anyone can do, just with an ocean of pains, which I must then clench my teeth and just.do.it and wait for it to be over. It's not a way I'd rather live, even if I technically can. I don't wanna!

That's what the Rescue (and I assume DM) prepares me to do! In my Master Rescue course with RAID, we explored my strengths and weaknesses, hone in on my strengths (situational awareness! calmness when responding to emergencies! super quick to react correctly! perfect Cpr/1staid!) and learn to manage my weaknesses (connect and disconnect those stuck LPIs until my fingers give out and I was ready to scream the heads off at anyone passing by! bring good knives/shears/trilobites to cut anyone out of any entanglement quick! figure out a physically smart way to tow unconscious divers up the boat! long swims are easy for me (despite how much I hate them) just as breath-holding). Work with your abilities, not against them.

In my opinion, there is a big difference between passing a Rescue course as a recreational diver, and having a professional responsibility - a legal duty of care - to provide adequate rescue services, if you will.

If you are a recreational diver with Rescue certification, and you are diving with a buddy who becomes in distress, and you are not physically able to do what is needed to save that diver, you have no legal liability for that and, in my opinion, you have no ethical failing, either. You can only do what you can do and you are not responsible for doing any more than what you can do while still keeping yourself safe. And there is no standard that defines some level for what you SHOULD be able to do.

All that changes when you step into the role of scuba professional. Now, there are higher standards for what you should be able to do in regards to assisting a diver in distress, as defined by each agency. Further, in my opinion, there are higher standards for what I think any professional SHOULD be able to do in regards to assisting a diver in distress. So, passing a Rescue class is great (really!). But, aceing it does not at all say to me that any given person has what is needed to step up to the role of a professional.

Anybody (more or less) can learn to drive a car. That does not mean that anyone is really suited to being a professional driver. And especially not to driving as a pro at the highest levels (i.e. professional race car driver). Yes, I just compared being directly responsible for the safety of other divers to being a race car driver. When other people's safety is in your hands, you need to be able to not just perform, but perform at a high level.

Having your Rescue cert is like saying you can even drive in New York City. But, it does not mean you have what it takes to get out on the track and race at the Nurburgring.

I'm 5'2", 110lbs. 29lbs is more than 1/4 my body weight.
I used to backpack with 40-44lbs, almost 1/2 my body weight. Can't do that anymore. Can still pick up the backpack and walk and all, but the EXCRUCIATING PAINS and then I have no energy to enjoy anything anymore.

If a bigger diver gets in trouble, I will definitely help and participate in the rescue. The Rescue course also taught me different things needed to be done during a rescue that I can prioritize for myself (calling help! managing first responders! instructing rescue team what to do!) while assigning other rescuers for the tasks I'm less good at.

"I'm 5'2" and 110lbs" is not an acceptable excuse (in my mind) for "that's why I couldn't get that non-responsive diver out of the water." If your stature, strength, or stamina means you are not physically up to the (potential) requirements of the job, stepping into the role means you are endangering your customers. Just like a fireman who can't carry an unconscious person out of a building. Note: I am not judging whether you can meet the requirements. That is for you and a DM instructor to decide.

Your last paragraph is what I find most concerning. The entirety of that paragraph translates as "I can't do it by myself, but I can help others get the job done."

The litmus test for me as an SDI Open Water Instructor is "is this person I've just trained someone that I would feel comfortable letting a loved one dive with?" I feel similarly about this. Would I let a loved one dive in the care of a divemaster who was not competent and able to accomplish a rescue completely on their own? I would not.

I would not put a loved one in the care of a divemaster for whom the simple, yet fundamentally important task of being able to disconnect a low pressure inflator is excruciatingly painful. Every person has a point where pain will prevent them from completing a task. Being able to complete it while experiencing excruciating pain is good, but you are VASTLY closer to that limit of failing to complete it than other people. In a diving emergency, can you really say that nothing else will be happening that would result in you getting pushed just past that limit - where you are unable to complete a vital task - where most any "able" scuba professional would have no problem completing the same task?

And, to be clear, this is not about whether you are "disabled" or not. The same thing goes for some of the scuba professionals I have seen that are not labeled as "disabled", but are grossly overweight, grossly out of shape, and/or, essentially, do not have nearly the physical strength that they should. Any of those reasons could mean they are not the "able" scuba professional that I referred to. If a loved one is diving with a divemaster, no matter what else happens, I want to know that my loved one is not going to drown just because the DM was too weak or out of shape to save them - where any DM that had decent strength and stamina could have saved them.

In my opinion, if you can't do it by yourself, you should leave the role to someone who can. But, as I said earlier, it is up to you and instructor to decide. If you think you can do it and an instructor (and I hold RAID in high regard) thinks you can do it, and you want to take on that responsibility, then (again) more power to you.
 

Careful you....you are treading awefuly close to being considered a homophobic, cat hating, mysogonistic, ableist.


Oh wait...that's me apparently.

-Z
 
This thread went in a complete opposite direction, but whatever. 3 dives down so far; to 105 feet, thru a ship, running a line etc and the straps are still tight.
 
This thread went in a complete opposite direction, but whatever. 3 dives down so far; to 105 feet, thru a ship, running a line etc and the straps are still tight.

That's good to know. I believe you have the Aqualung set...I'm not sure it was like 10 pages ago, lol. I would hope they were made slightly better for the premium price.

I think mine are set now, I can't imagine them loosening more unless I switched to different size tanks. All my personal tanks are 7.25", so I shouldn't have to for the foreseeable future.
 
Careful you....you are treading awefuly close to being considered a homophobic, cat hating, mysogonistic, ableist.


Oh wait...that's me apparently.

-Z

Hey! I have 2 cats and I love them! Had them since they were kittens and they snuggle down on top of me every night. :)

And, you may not know this, but I am actually disabled also. Yep, a handicap placard-toting, official, permanent disability-having ... uh... person. I don't think I have ever mentioned that here on ScubaBoard because it does not actually impact my ability to function as a diver or a scuba professional. And if it does not affect my ability to function as a diver or a scuba professional, why WOULD I ever mention it?

That's good to know. I believe you have the Aqualung set...I'm not sure it was like 10 pages ago, lol. I would hope they were made slightly better for the premium price.

I think mine are set now, I can't imagine them loosening more unless I switched to different size tanks. All my personal tanks are 7.25", so I shouldn't have to for the foreseeable future.

I do think that might be a difference between my DGX ones and, for example, the actual ScubaPro QR tank band on my ScubaPro Hydros Pro BCD. I think the webbing used on the DGX straps may stretch a bit more when it gets wet. When they are thoroughly soaked and I adjust them to be tight on my tanks, the next time I try to put them on dry, they are usually too tight for me to fasten the buckle. I have to soak them for a minute first and let them relax a bit. Or, adjust them a little looser and then possibly adjust them a little tighter again after the first dive. It WOULD be nice if they were exactly the same amount stretchy wet or dry.
 

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