never said what you do is inferior, all I said is that the only justifiable argument for that gear is "because I want it". There is nothing wrong with not using the best of the best, life is all about compromises, the difference is the only argument for any of the above that makes any sense is "because I want to". I don't understand why people have an issue with decisions on gear that are actually superior, whether it is in function, or quality, or usually both. It's a fact, it is what it is. AI isn't one of them; split fins, stab jackets, and safe seconds are. I won't talk down on anyone that already owns them or chose to purchase them, but I will do my best to steer people away from that when there are better and usually cheaper options available.
Lets leave that out of the discussion, but saying that we are totally inflexible is not true. The fact is that through either trial and error on our own, or through the trial and error of those before us, they settled on gear configurations that are superior and they did it for a reason. I have tried repeatedly to get people who disagree with that to come out and give an actual benefit to a stab jacket, safe second, split fins. No one has done it. I have tried to emphasize that there is no real "unsafe" gear on the market, but why settle for mediocrity? Why do we have to listen to the propaganda from the dive shops and equipment manufacturers pushing gear they make higher margins on when we can save money, get better gear, and buy locally? I'm done discussion this in this thread, AI is perfectly acceptable, if you want to spend the money on it go for it, I don't care. I think Pete's setup is perfectly fine and if they weren't so bloody expensive and big I would likely do the same, but that isn't the case. This is an entirely different argument that is based purely on cost/convenience, there is no functional advantage or disadvantage to AI or SPG's, just cost/convenience in my mind. The other categories actually have a functionality disadvantage.