Dangerous gear?

[elmer fudd]

JYC had a lot of short comings-LOTS of short comings

This became very apparent to me as I learned about the history of diving. He was definitely a very important figure, but he was apparently quite lacking when it came to loyalty, honesty and honor and the way he treated his family was especially bad.

 

[DaleC]

I've always been able to separate the public person from the private. None of us are saints. I don't admire JYC for his family values or his interpersonal relationships; I do appreciate the contribution he made to opening the public's eye to the UW world and the innovative way he and his companions met the challenges that entailed.

Lot's of us dream about doing something big but don't so are we really in a position to judge what someone would do in those circumstances. Ever tried to raise a few million for something knowing the deal hinged on your reputation as being the leader in that field. An ego awash in a sea of egos, all of whom would be just as willing to pull you down if it meant they could secure what little funding there was for their project.

I'm not making excuses, I'm just saying I am not qualified to judge because I have never been put, or have put myself, in such a position. I do know I have moments when I imagine a different life where I don't have the never ending commitment of a family so I could buy the equipment I want, travel and pursue my underwater dreams. My moral compass stops me from totally abandoning the family ship but at the expense of mostly abandoning the dream ship. As a result I"m a half assed father, a half assed husband and a half assed diver. Sometimes I bitch about my fate but I know that people who achieve their dreams MAKE it happen and sometimes it's not "pretty" personally. I like to think I'm a good guy but perhaps I'm just too afraid of being thought a bad guy.

JYC's family life was his business, not mine.

 

[dhaas]

Dale, Sam and others,

Well stated Dale

I read Matsen's book a year or more ago and was fully aware of Cousteau's personal versus professional legacy. Not excusing anything, just being realistic.......

For anyone who's been diving longer than 20-30 years to imply Cousteau didn't inspire many through his films and TV shows to take up scuba as a life long pursuit would be totally false.......

This year I'll be diving 43 years and have opinions like everyone else what is right and wrong in today's Sport Diving world......

I myself long for those simple gear days versus a lot of what I see in hosting my trips and helping UW photographers. I think we've lost a lot of simply enjoying being under the sea

But that discussion is for another time if at all!!!!!!!

As far as Cousteau, love him or hate him he inspired a critical mass of underwater explorers................

David Haas
www.haasimages.com

 

[danvolker]

While in the later years it became evident that Cousteu was a sort of "Profiteer" that was in this for self promotion and glory/money....this was not his legacy...

With his book the Silent World, he forever changed the lives of tens or hundreds of millions of people... I still remember being fascinated with the book back in the 60's, while in 5th or 6th grade in the Library.....The book opened up a new universe for me, and a desire to be an explorer in this new realm. I would completely ignore the negatives of his later PR escapades, for the huge gift he gave to all of us...while he may not have been first to really "scuba" , he was the first to "Bring Scuba" to the masses in a meaningful way.

 

[Paladin]

If Cousteau had not developed the Aqua-Lung, there wouldn't have been a "Sea Hunt" and most of us who were inspired by the Mike Nelson character wouldn't be divers now.

 

[DaleC]

Oh... Mike would have figured something out.

 

[Paladin]

Mike Nelson was the underwater counterpart to Chuck Norris.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Mike Nelson was the underwater counterpart to Chuck Norris.

Actually, Chuck Norris was more the real fighter than Lloyd Bridges was the diver. Chuck actually had his own dojo, I believe, taught and competed in martial arts, whereas Lloyd Bridges had to learn diving as he progressed in Sea Hunt. JYC, in contrast, invented the sport that he participated in, invented many of the devices in addition to the AquaLung, and did his own filming. Chuck Norris came closer than Lloyd Bridges to mimicking JYC, but did not quite get there.

SeaRat

 

[elmer fudd]

I've always been able to separate the public person from the private. None of us are saints. I don't admire JYC for his family values or his interpersonal relationships; I do appreciate the contribution he made to opening the public's eye to the UW world and the innovative way he and his companions met the challenges that entailed.

Lot's of us dream about doing something big but don't so are we really in a position to judge what someone would do in those circumstances. Ever tried to raise a few million for something knowing the deal hinged on your reputation as being the leader in that field. An ego awash in a sea of egos, all of whom would be just as willing to pull you down if it meant they could secure what little funding there was for their project.

I'm not making excuses, I'm just saying I am not qualified to judge because I have never been put, or have put myself, in such a position. I do know I have moments when I imagine a different life where I don't have the never ending commitment of a family so I could buy the equipment I want, travel and pursue my underwater dreams. My moral compass stops me from totally abandoning the family ship but at the expense of mostly abandoning the dream ship. As a result I"m a half assed father, a half assed husband and a half assed diver. Sometimes I bitch about my fate but I know that people who achieve their dreams MAKE it happen and sometimes it's not "pretty" personally. I like to think I'm a good guy but perhaps I'm just too afraid of being thought a bad guy.

JYC's family life was his business, not mine.

JYC's family life was but one flaw. He also liked to cast himself as a war hero and resistance fighter, but was in reality much, much closer to having been a collaborator. His brother was without a doubt and was condemned to death for treason, (later commuted). He portrayed himself as an environmentalist, but was likely responsible for introducing one of the worst invasive species ever into the Mediterranean. In the Silent World he also injures and then euthanizes a sperm whale calf and then shoots the sharks that come to feed on it, (in fairness to him, he was later very active in opposing commercial whaling).

Yes, he was a key figure in the development of the demand regulator, a gifted cinematographer and was probably more important than anyone else in popularizing diving, but he was also a very flawed individual.

 

[The Chairman]

I'd mention the CO2 power inflator that was part of the BC's in the 70's and 80's.....

Now that's dangerous, unless a spent CO2 cartridge has been installed!

As for the HUB, Aqua Lung came out with the I3 which is similar. I dive one and have no problems with it at all.