Irishdiver
Contributor
I know that the second rule of diving is to wear black and look cool. But the first rule, unless I'm missing something, is to stay safe. So why the hell are so many of us diving in black, grey, blue, or green suits/hoods?
On a club trip to Baltimore in Cork last summer I bought a dayglo organge hood with a huge reflective strip on top. An experienced buddy who shares my excellent sense of judgement (but not my sense of colour coordination) bought a dayglo green hood. The rest of our club members, with one honourable exception, laughed. Privately they admitted they could see the sense of our purchases after one or two dives when they realised the difference it made. But to date none of them have invested in the same hoods.
This really gets my goat. Why the hell can't we forget the macho crap and just do what it takes to keep divers safe? Black/grey/blue/green are the most stupid colours imaginable for a dive suit. They're virtually impossible to see on the surface and in an emergency situation in high seas they make the chances of spotting a lost diver on the surface slim.
I don't look pretty when I get into the water, but at least I'm not going to get run over by some idiot practising figures of eight in his new toy speed boat and my buddy can locate me easier in the water if the viz is relatively poor (as it usually is here on the Irish coast). Plus, the cox in the boat can usually see me doing my three metre stop even without an SMB...again because of the 'uncool' day glo hood. I have not seen any other similar hoods at dive sites in Ireland.
Am I the only one who thinks that being seen and being safe is a damn sight more important than being cool? Or are things different in foreign parts? BTW, I still get the girls - I dive in a black Aquatek dry-suit and a grey O'Dare s-dry! :mean:
(Ignore - that's just my sexual insecurity coming through - I'm in therapy for that! :bonk: )
On a club trip to Baltimore in Cork last summer I bought a dayglo organge hood with a huge reflective strip on top. An experienced buddy who shares my excellent sense of judgement (but not my sense of colour coordination) bought a dayglo green hood. The rest of our club members, with one honourable exception, laughed. Privately they admitted they could see the sense of our purchases after one or two dives when they realised the difference it made. But to date none of them have invested in the same hoods.
This really gets my goat. Why the hell can't we forget the macho crap and just do what it takes to keep divers safe? Black/grey/blue/green are the most stupid colours imaginable for a dive suit. They're virtually impossible to see on the surface and in an emergency situation in high seas they make the chances of spotting a lost diver on the surface slim.
I don't look pretty when I get into the water, but at least I'm not going to get run over by some idiot practising figures of eight in his new toy speed boat and my buddy can locate me easier in the water if the viz is relatively poor (as it usually is here on the Irish coast). Plus, the cox in the boat can usually see me doing my three metre stop even without an SMB...again because of the 'uncool' day glo hood. I have not seen any other similar hoods at dive sites in Ireland.
Am I the only one who thinks that being seen and being safe is a damn sight more important than being cool? Or are things different in foreign parts? BTW, I still get the girls - I dive in a black Aquatek dry-suit and a grey O'Dare s-dry! :mean:
(Ignore - that's just my sexual insecurity coming through - I'm in therapy for that! :bonk: )
:upset: 
