Alec Pierce Scuba - Long Hose Good or Bad

[Divectionist]

I just saw the second video and wondered where the first was - shame that it's deleted.

 

[StefinSB]

Made it through the first couple minutes and couldn’t take it anymore.

 

[loosenit2]

Made it through the first couple minutes and couldn’t take it anymore. If you have nothing to say just ****.

Little harsh. He did have something to say and tried to do it respectfully.

 

[shoredivr]

I didn't see the video, so I can't comment on that, however, if a (commercial) video later gets made private, do you still get the ad revenue it generated? How about all the clicks on all of Alec's other videos by people originally drawn to the controversial video?

Alec has seen many long hose setups and used to make jokes about a long hose being wrapped around the neck. In fact, in a GUE seminar held at Alec's shop Scuba 2000 in 2013, the first public invitation read something to the effect of "Why do tech divers wrap their long hose around their neck?" I inquired with him and the person who organized it, who actually wrote the ad, and it wasn't meant to be taken seriously. The invitation was later changed to remove any references to the long hose.

When I first contemplated going to a long hose, Alec said that he spent all these decades training people to have the octopus donated to them, and not go for the reg in the mouth, and divers who weren't familiar might have their reg taken/demanded from their mouth. Of course, many of us practice Primary Donate, not Primary Take.
His main concern with donating the primary was that both divers would have their regs out of their mouth at the same time.

Having known Alec for about 19 years and having been embroiled in contentious threads on his long gone The Diving Board forum, he is willing to push the envelope as far as possible to generate interest and publicity. When he gets carried away and pushes it too far, he will make amends.

I agree with this. Had a discussion years ago about his “misconceptions” on the long hose. Generating interest and publicity indeed.

 

[MichaelMc]

I agree with this. Had a discussion years ago about his “misconceptions” on the long hose. Generating interest and publicity indeed.

That he is trolling is a discouraging, but possible view. I don't know him. It does explain more of how factually wrong the first video was. Plus, beyond the neck wrapping, most of this video is not really about long hose, it's about primary donate. But maybe that is not as attention grabbing.

Not sure if people read the comments. If they do, he didn't come out very informed on this. Beyond a few 'you da man' comments. That doesn't seem good for his brand. Unless this video vanishes as well.

 

[RayfromTX]

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[Jcp2]

I think Alec has a point. Primary donate has risk of removing regulator from donor mouth, and is unfamiliar to many. I suppose he is not a fan of Air2 or similar clones. I can also appreciate having a longer hose for a partner to use when sharing air. I’m just spitballing, but surely the best and the brightest can propose a setup for secondary donate with a long hose on the secondary for single tank recreational diving? Then both sides are happy, or at least equally unhappy. Isn’t that a sign of an equitable solution? /jk

 

[shoredivr]

For me the point is be factual. The video was not factual.

 

[Scuba-74]

I admit, I'm a bit of a fan of Alec. I find his videos informative, funny, and strangely calming. I am not a technical diver, and don't have any practical experience with the long hose setup, although understand the reasoning behind it and the mechanics of application.

Alec makes a few very simple points in this video: 1) donating long hose primary has more steps to it; 2) it requires actions by both divers in all cases, when the regular octo can in theory be deployed by the recipient with no action from the donor; 3) it is known to and practiced by a very small fraction of total diver population.

I don't think any of these points are just his opinions. They are pretty much hard facts. Sure, he didn't spend too much time highlighting the benefits of the long hose, such as simplifying the single-file exit from a cave, but he very clearly stated that if one is likely to find oneself in that situation - one should get proper training and the long hose may very well be one's best option. What is wrong with that?

I'm puzzled (yet entertained!) by the critique of this second video, as it is not nearly as controversial as the first one.

 

[pauldw]

That he is trolling is a discouraging, but possible view.

I don’t think he’s trolling at all. In fact, the video is about as far from trolling as is possible. He has a simple point to make, about safety, and it’s a point he strongly believes in. It’s so obvious a point to him, that he’s gritting his teeth and belaboring the point as he repeatedly and slowly spells it out. That’s not trolling The trolls are the people who keep misconstruing and misstating what he’s saying, and that clearly annoys him because they’re making the world a more dangerous place. Calling him a troll is just a way of insulting him by devaluing his point by suggesting he doesn’t believe it. That’s childish. The video speaks for itself, to anyone with the integrity to actually watch it, and since most of the SCUBA world is what it is, and will never rise to the level of the tec gods we all so revere for diving so pristinely and perfectly and safely, he’s correct about what’s safest for the average diver.