BCs and Photography

[roakey]

SubMariner once bubbled...

roakey

Many new divers benefit from learning how to fine-tune their buoyancy, to estimate weighting, and learn proper trim through PPB . As with any course, finding a proper Instructor is the key to a positive learning experience. Peak Performance Buoyancy is no exception.

I covered that. There's maybe 5% of mainstream instructors that know how to correctly teach trim. As a student, you can't tell who can and who can't, and once you get to the point where you CAN tell if an instructor knows how to REALLY teach the class, you don't need the class anymore.

References from other students don't help either, because over 95% of the students out there are taught by the 95% of the instructors that don't know the finer points of diving.

This is why at this point in time (note the conditional there) the ONLY sure thing out there is the DIRF class.

Roak

 

[blacknet]

Hello,

There is no proof that either a diver who becomes a photographer or a photographer who becomes a diver destroys reefs more so than the other one. The scuba industry as a whole does more ecological damage than all the photographers put together. Any diver, new or experienced, can do photography and having 100 dives will make no difference. It is suggested that fledglings start with macro work, which involves parking it in one spot and focusing on very small areas. Someone please tell me where proper buoyancy comes into play when you park it on the bottom somewhere.

The single most effective piece of gear that directly relates to the ease of underwater photography is by far the fins. A good pair of fins in the right hands will work wonders. The difference between the BC types can be argued until hell freezes over and there will never be a clear definite answer.

Furthermore there is nothing in dirf, gue, padi, naui, SSI or the like that even come close to being true photography. Until you study the works of masters you will not have a clue what you are doing. These agencies may teach you take snapshots but keep in mind they are taught by scuba instructors who makes their living teach and selling scuba, they mostly do not have that much exposure to photography. If you want true photography then take lessons from professionals who does this for a living and who knows photography, sadly 9/10's, if that, of the u/w photography community fails miserably in the arena of photography. Yes many will take great photos but not a single one is listed among the masters.

Ed

 

[MikeFerrara]

roakey once bubbled...

I covered that. There's maybe 5% of mainstream instructors that know how to correctly teach trim. As a student, you can't tell who can and who can't, and once you get to the point where you CAN tell if an instructor knows how to REALLY teach the class, you don't need the class anymore.

References from other students don't help either, because over 95% of the students out there are taught by the 95% of the instructors that don't know the finer points of diving.

This is why at this point in time (note the conditional there) the ONLY sure thing out there is the DIRF class.

Roak

Sad, but often true.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Etched in my brain permenantly is the picture of a diver...vertical in the water, negatively buoyant, kicking like crazy to keep from sinking with her feet in the bottom while shy tries to get a picture of her not smiling buddy as a disgusting cloud of silt rises around her blocking out the whole wreck.

One should learn to dive before trying to dive with a cammera.

 

[roakey]

blacknet once bubbled...
Furthermore there is nothing in dirf, gue, padi, naui, SSI or the like that even come close to being true photography.

I'm talking diving skills, Ed. This guy has nine, count 'em 9 dives and he's looking at cameras! Talk about a reef wrecking ball! The DIRF will teach him to hover over/in front of his subjects unlike the typical lie-on-the-reef photographer.

Proof? What are you going to do, poll the pylops? Proportionally photogaphers do more damage to the reef than non-photographers. This is just simple observation. You're right, normal divers do more absolute damage because there's more of them. This doesn't mean it's OK for photographers to lie on the reef.

But ask any photographer and you'll find out they're perfect. A recent discussion I had on a boat with a photographer went like this:

Me: Dude, do you ralize that you busted off three pieces of coral getting a shot of that white tip under the ledge?

Photographer: I did not!

This is why the DIRF videos the students; you can't argue with the camera...

As for fins being the most important piece of equipment for photography, is that a troll, or are you serious? Wait, don't answer that, I'm deathly afraid that you're serious, but I can simply write it off as joke if you don't respond...

Roak

 

[roakey]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...
Sad, but often true.

But if I knew anyone out in Indiana I'd know where to send them!

Roak

 

[Big-t-2538]

blacknet once bubbled...
It is suggested that fledglings start with macro work, which involves parking it in one spot and focusing on very small areas. Someone please tell me where proper buoyancy comes into play when you park it on the bottom somewhere.

Dude...be serious....parked on the bottom....why? Give me 1 good reason to be 'parked'...BTW, what is your buddy doing while you're parked?

 

[blacknet]

roakey once bubbled...

Proof? What are you going to do, poll the pylops? Proportionally photogaphers do more damage to the reef than non-photographers. This is just simple observation. You're right, normal divers do more absolute damage because there's more of them. This doesn't mean it's OK for photographers to lie on the reef.

But ask any photorapher and you'll find out they're perfect. A recent discussion I had on a boat with a photographer went like this:

As for fins being the most important piece of equipment for photography, is that a troll, or are you serious. Wait, don't answer that, I'm deathly afraid that you're serious, but I can simply write it off as joke if you don't respond...
Roak

Roakey,

I'm sorry that you have yet to work with real underwater photographers, otherwise you would not be making statements like this.

There is nothing wrong with a diver having 9 dives wanting to do photography. Besides it's not like the scuba police is going to give him/her a ticket ya know. Proper photographic techniques teaches one not to destroy your subject. This is not rocket science here people.

Am I to assume you want all divers to use just any type of fins they come across and that fins makes no difference when you are doing tight moves? To a photographer agility is critical and a must. Much more important than what style bc he/she is using.

Ed

 

[jwnca]

At the risk of sounding rude....I was afraid of this when I placed the original post.

All I was looking for was some pros and cons to BP vs Jacket. I gave a little info about myself and indicated that I would appreciate any input in terms of bc styles. I have an interest in uw photography and that is a skill that I do plan to develop. As to when that will happen, I haven't made any plans yet. I don't even have the housing for the camera I own.

My major goal here was researching equipment that will grow with me as my skills develop and I was focusing on bcs here and asked about photography because a post indicated that jacket was better for ease of movement with a camera.

When I've read threads asking about bc from newbies, it seems like the discussion turns into a discussion between 2-3 models.

 

[Big-t-2538]

jwnca -

What is going to help you most with movement is being comfortable in the water, being streamlined, and having good bouyancy control.

The best equipment for you is ultimately up to you. There are a zillion brand of BCs & BPs. The most stable configuration in the water is a BP/W set-up from a physics standpoint....A back inflate BC is good, and the most unstable is a jacket style BCD.

A BP/W and harness is a set-up that will grow with you over time, even if you gain or lose 50 pounds, it is very adjustable, since you set your own length of webbing. Getting used to new equipment is probably the hardest thing to do...that's why you practice practice practice before that trip to the caymans.