Is Side Mount the new DIR??? Building resentment towards us as a group...

[canadianoid]

Hey Canadianoid, what's the attitude like in your lds's and dive op's?
It will be months before I get out to Nanimo but could use a recommendation on a sidemount friendly boat. I can't bring a buddy and don't have a solo card yet so I probably should hire a dive op.
.

The Shepherd run by Nanaimo Dive Outfitters is a sidemount friendly boat. The owners dive backmount, sidemount, OC or CCR themselves, so friendliness abounds. They also offer sidemount and solo-diver courses.

Dive and Snorkel Charter's in Nanaimo | Nanaimo Dive Outfitters

Cheers.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Maybe because I'm not a professional diver like most of you who've posted on this thread but... I've never personally witnessed anyone express negativity towards sidemount. The only place I've ever seen it is on scubaboard.com. There's a lot of super opinionated and outspoken folks on here... and you have to take into consideration that the primary purposes of the internet are porn and trolling.

I have seen it in real life ... got it from the owner and crew of a popular dive boat in the Channel Islands that I used to go on every year. Loved the boat and op before that one time I showed up with my sidemount rig. After that, decided I didn't need their sh!t anymore and haven't been back ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Jack Hammer]

More drama = more posters = more views = more traffic = happier advertisers. ☺

 

[undrwater]

More drama = more posters = more views = more traffic = happier advertisers. ☺

How much do they pay you?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

OK, Pete I'll play. You may not like me or my post but you really have to read them to understand where I am coming from. If you are able to show me several post where BM divers are badmouthing SM divers then I will retract and apologize for my situational blindness.

#6 Bennno - DIR has more substance as an actual system... a SM diver is just someone that bought a rig and in some cases is super excited about it.
#29 Wookie - I'll name names.... Some of the folks I respect the most on SB, and no longer interact with are here in this thread, and it's all because of sidemount.
#31 kensuf - I think you're right that yes, SM has become the new religion of technical diving, but I think it's misguided.
#100 BDSC - They all agreed the biggest reason that SM was being pushed to OW divers was to simply sell more gear.
#244 Tassi Devil Diver - But hey side mount is the latest fad and let’s face it for many people diving is more about the gear than the experience of actually diving and side mount probably appeals to those types.
#254 Tassi Devil Diver - It's probably the attitude of people like Bob above who build the resentment to SM, how dare people point out any floors in this latest fad
#334 Trace Malinowski - In shots from below when a diver is in silhouette sidemount looks ugly!

There were some others, but they were phrased more along the lines of why people disliked SM ... which is legitimate. We're all entitled to our preferences.

All you have is a Capt of a boat saying that SM divers take up more room and the dive does not even warrant doubles or SM rigs. That is his choice by being the Capt. of the boat.

That was just one guy ... and yeah, his boat - his rules ... legitimate.

Heck, the SM divers on here are talking about dropping a redundant tank and relying on team members in an overhead environment,

That was also just one guy ... and a dumb idea, to my concern. That's how Agnes lost her life.

others are talking about watching your gauges, not watching your gauges, hanging SPG's, double reg bungees, trim, SM cavers Vs non cavers, long hoses on each tank, etc, etc.

That part of the discussion was more about the tendency of people to compare experienced BM divers to inexperienced, or poorly trained, SM divers. It's fair to say that any of us can find examples of poor technique among any of the major configurations out there if we're inclined to look for them.

I have said loud and clear before, but just for you I'll say it again," I am not perfect!" I just do not see the problem that you think exist. Please point it out to me. I am not the only one saying this. You have several fellow SM divers saying the same as me. OBTW, just in case that you missed it the first time, I also dive both SM and BM.

Yeah, pretty much ... as I said at the outset of this discussion, we just don't get that kind of behavior up my way. I think a lot of what goes on down in north Florida boils down to ego and shop politics ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[The Chairman]

First, @NWGratefulDiver, Thanks for the recap. I wasn't looking forward to wading through all of the thread over again to find ther references. Some of it had to be deleted as well, so we can't reference it anymore.

I think a lot of what goes on down in north Florida boils down to ego and shop politics ...

You have no idea. The philosophy that if "I don't sell it, dive it or teach it, then it must be crap" takes on a whole new dimension.

I find it perplexing how the same person who snidely dismissed the 'bicker battle'

That thread supports the premise of this thread. Even then, many of the comments had to be deleted or edited to make them clean enough for that forum. Most people read the sanitized form of ScubaBoard, after the mods have removed all the hate and intolerance. You guys would make it like the Pub if we left it alone. But again, that you don't like your bickering labeled as such is just more, wait for it... denial.

 

[JohnnyC]

I think the only real problem I have had with SM divers has been in Mexico. Some cenote access isn't very large, and I've noticed on more than one occasion a team will take all of their tanks down for a double stage and leave them, then go stand in the parking lot chatting, eating lunch, etc. Now I think that's a personal type of douchebaggery, not specific to SM, however I think because they are SM divers it enables that type of behavior. I don't know any BM diver that goes and lays their twinsets down at the waters edge and then eff's off for half an hour.

Again, I think SM just facilitates that sort of behavior, I don't think it's something endemic to SM'ers. I don't think that it's a lack of respect inherent to SM'ers, I just think that sort of disrespectful behavior happens less with BM divers simply because the opportunity doesn't present itself.

I think SM is a fantastic tool for several things and for several reasons, it's just a tool that I really don't use sort of SM'ing stages, deco bottles, or bailout bottles because that tangling tank stuff pisses me off.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

You mean like this?

Yes, that's my stuff ... 3 AL80's and a camera. No sure how that's interfering with your access to the water ... or why it bothers you so much ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[JohnnyC]

You mean like this?

View attachment 368874
Yes, that's my stuff ... 3 AL80's and a camera. No sure how that's interfering with your access to the water ... or why it bothers you so much ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

No no, that's not a problem at all. Picture Taj with every piece of available water access covered in tanks. Notice I said "some cenote access isn't very large...." and "...a team will take all of their tanks down for a double stage and leave them..." A VERY clear set of circumstances that you chose to ignore just to be a dick. Seriously, cut that passive aggressive **** out.

What I do have a problem with, and it's about people in general, is trying to pick and choose an argument just to be combative. You purposely read something into my statement that wasn't there simply to be obtuse.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

So I say "Not sure how that's interfering with your access to the water ... or why it bothers you so much"

To which you reply by calling me a dick and accusing me of passive aggressive **** ...

... and I'm the problem ???

OK ... suit yourself. Sounds like it doesn't take much to piss you off ...

Taj is a lovely cave. I don't recall the entrance being particularly small ... but when I was there it wasn't particularly crowded either ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)