How long have gear arguments been going on?

[bkotheimer]

Cheng and I were wearing BP/W when we met you in Bonaire in 2008 ... the other two folks with us (Jim and Janet) were in vest BCDs. Funny that we've been diving together for years and we've yet to get into an argument about whose gear is better ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Make that three!

You mean with Eric Cheng at the 2008 Digital Shootout? Then make that four. I was there with a recently-acquired DSS BP/W. And yeah, one of the things I love about photographers is that they're not gear snobs at all. About their non-photo-related diving gear anyway

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I don't remember much arguing in the late 70's.

But then again, the shop was NASDS. We all had SP gear. We all dived the same places. We all trained using the same system. We had minimal contact with divers from other areas. So, not much to argue about.

Fast forward 30 years to SB. We are in constant contact with 1000's of divers from all over the world, different locations, dive conditions, different agencies. So of course, there is more to argue about.

I consider most of the arguments cross pollination which can enhance all of us. For the rest, there is always the ignore feature.

 

[pmenear]

There has been a huge change since the 60s in the type of people that dive. It used to be a minority sport. Those that dived were very competent in the water. Divers were born not made, you can still see that today, some people are naturals and stand out from the first time you get them into training and others you meet even after many years of diving are still a liability to themselves and everyone around them.
The gear we used was irrelevant. Just being a diver marked you out from the norm. There was no right or wrong way of doing anything, there was just your way of doing it and that was good enough for everyone because you were trusted.
It is my opinion that all the bickering over gear and training we see today is because we no longer trust all the people that dive now. If someone is doing it differently to you then they are mistrusted. Gone are the days when every diver was there by natural ability.

 

[RonFrank]

Kind of a silly question in that people have been discussing, arguing, and even killing one another over stupid topics of discussion for as long as we have been on the earth!

I believe one of the first disagreements was over which rock is best....

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I think some people just like to argue because it's fun.
The internet has given the arguers thousands more arguers to argue with.

 

[Akimbo]

It seems to me that gear arguments have gotten worse than ever lately.
I'd like to hear from someone who's been diving for a long time and see if there were these types of weird gear argument a long time ago….

What was it like back then?
Did people argue about which plastic pack was better or have duckfeet vs jetfin arguments?...

As I recall, it was more like bare tank harness versus plastic packs and duck feet versus Churchill versus fins with foot pockets. Jet Fins came long after duck feet had lost major market share outside of the Navy.

… Were their fist fights over double hoses vs single hose regs? ...

I don’t remember much passion about single versus double hose because they both had plenty of room for improvement. Compared to the regulators made in the last 20-30 years, they were all like breathing through a straw.

… What about before plastic packs, did people argue about which cotton harness was the best? ...

I never remember anyone favoring cotton. When Nylon came out there was some preference for softer versus stiffer Nylon, but cotton was a PIA in salt water.

… Or did people get along better and just go diving? ...

Human evolution takes much longer than that! People who are passionate about any endeavor get lathered up. It just sounds much more combative in a quick-response face-less exchange like Internet Forums than other forms of communication. The good side is really incorrect information seldom goes unchallenged, many different perspectives are presented, and ultimately thoughtful information is imbedded in these threads if you are patient and read objectively.

 

[Akimbo]

... I believe one of the first disagreements was over which rock is best....

That’s just silly, everyone knows my rock is best

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

That’s just silly, everyone knows my rock is best

No, mine is bigger than yours

 

[redacted]

I'd bet Adam and Eve got into an argument over their gear.

 

[scubafanatic]

Little known fact...

Cain killed Abel during an argument over Split-Fins.

....didn't we all used to agree on gear, until that little Tower of Babel incident, that is..... ?