Ed,
Sorry I have not been here in a while, but if the Doc does not send me an email I assume that this thread is dead?? Regardless, my apologies. I can also say that I have been a little busy in the Dominican Republic lately, but everybody is busy??
When it comes to TV, they target the mainstream audience. That means less diving and more topside from a network standpoint. For the producers, topside is cheaper than underwater. The rule of thumb for hardhat divers always was, if you can do it topside, then do it topside. The same applies here.
Richie is methodical and compulsive. If he does not completely understand something, like computers or rebreathers, then he sticks with what he knows?? This is one of the reasons he is such a capable diver, and why he has been so successful. He is always rock solid on his gear, he is anal with maintenance, and if something is wrong he fixes it immediately. At the same time, he would rather have someone else figure it out, dive the prototype, and make it work. When it works, and he understands it, he is good. Not a bad dive philosophy, and that is why he is also a very good rebreather instructor?? I look at things a little differently, and that is probably why we have done well together working as a team.
No one is more interested in seeing a Shadow Divers movie than Richie and me?? Maybe Rob? Rob just finished the most recent screenplay and Fox likes it?? We will see??
I used Force Fins going back to my hardhat days in the 80's. I did not use fins often, but when I did I used the FF because you could stand and walk in them, they were durable, they were comfortable with long hours in the water, and they had good kick which is important on a hose. I did not start using FF wreck diving until they came up with the bungee strap. If the weather is crappy, I want to be able to get my fins off in a hurry on the ladder and the nylon strap did not do it for me. Now, I love the bungee. I was really more of a Jetfin, or OMS fin guy (black rubber) but I also did some diving with plastic blades but never really liked tham all that much other than traveling with light weight fins to address luggage weight restrictions, or using them to get some color for the camera??
Nice pics Bobby, but I want blue water??
Cheers
JC
Hello John C,
Loved SD and DSD. I am an avid history buff. BUT, I never got enough of diving in the shows. Was there a reason diving wasn't covered a little more other than it was the History Chanel? Would love to see more info on your dive tecniqes, equipment etc. Loved the show from england area when Richy finally went to a computer. Would have liked to see why he was slow in switching over. He was also slow in going to rebreathers. Still haven't seen a show that REALLY covers diving.
I am really pumped to see SD movie come out

What made you change from the mares fins to the Force fin? What modle of FF fin do you like and why?
Another FANTASTIC book is:
Descent into Darkness Pearl Harbor, 1941 (The True Story of a Navy Diver) By Edward Raymer
Couldn't put this one down.
THX Ed