Spin Off.. Is modern scuba gear more efficient today than 20 years ago?

[Teamcasa]

I'm always looking for something better, can you give me some examples of new stuff that is, "indeed, really good?"

Diving is so diverse but here is a short list.
Whites fusion drysuit
HUD Mask
P-valves
Spring straps
Camera/Video housings
LED lights
NiMh batteries
Citizen Agualand Dive watches
Rebreathers
Silicone mask skirts
Super flexible neoprene
Many new dive computers
Nitrox and associated mixing technologies
Gas analyzers
And so on.

 

[Nemrod]

One other thing, Dr Bill, without his knowing has become my hero. When I get old I want to be like him, dive to 500 feet solo in a Speedo, on air, film giant sperm whales while fending off sharks with his little finger and always has the good looking women waiting for him at the boat. I don't see him using one dem new fangledish HUD masks, so I ain't gonna either.

Quote from Teasmcasa:
Diving is so diverse but here is a short list.


Whites fusion drysuit--we had good old Rubatex
HUD Mask--see my Dr. Bill hero worship
P-valves--hmmmm
Spring straps--we had rope
Camera/Video housings--the best photos ever taken were taken with a Hassleblad and film
LED lights--those things make invisible light that I cannot see with, might as well be without
NiMh batteries--what a battery needed for in your basic dive gear?
Citizen Agualand Dive watches--DOXA and Rolex are better then and now
Rebreathers--you got one yet?
Silicone mask skirts--not going there, what kinda skirt you talking 'bout?
Super flexible neoprene--see Rubatex above
Many new dive computers---all you really need are the Navy tables
Nitrox and associated mixing technologies--now there you go again
Gas analyzers--see your statement above, we did not have it so we did not need it
And so on.---and so not.

N

 

[Peter_C]

I really like my 21 watt HID, and my friends 25 watt LED is every bit as good if not better. Same goes for the reliability of an LED backup light. The Sea Cure mouth piece I consider a major advancement for my aching jaw. I wear a 12mm hood, that I doubt was available to an average consumer, but can be ordered easily through a website today. Thinsulate undergarments keep us warmer, even when wet. My liquid skin mask feels and fits better than any other mask I have ever used (Maybe I have not used enough masks?). The scooter technology has changed with batteries and chargers. Since I am not DIR, I get to enjoy my AI nitrox wrist computer too, that has a remarkable battery life. What about camera and video technology? There have been HUGE improvements there. Digital changed everything and brought it to...the internet!

Even though jets have been around since 1963 that does not mean they could not improve. I would venture to say, if SP used the foot pocket from the twin jets they would probably have a very large portion of dedicated jet fin users purchase new fins. I know I would.

My single tank backplate is designed after the original Voit backplates. Going backwards? Hmmm...

 

[Thalassamania]

My thoughts:

• Whites fusion drysuit - Nice suit but hardly revolutionary. It's competitive but not significantly better, IMHO.
• HUD Mask - Yes, it opens many possibilities.
  
• P-valves - I had one on my commercial Viking back in 1972.
• Spring straps - we've been using bungee cords for heel straps for at least thirty years.
• Camera/Video housings - The Oceaneye was a better housing than any that you can buy today.
• LED lights - that's not an improvement in dive gear but in overall technology.
• NiMh batteries - that's not an improvement in dive gear but in overall technology.
• Citizen Agualand Dive watches - Yes
  
• Rebreathers - Hardly new, my first rebreather dive was in 1966.
• Silicone mask skirts - no better.
• Super flexible neoprene - too cold, can't beat Rubatex GN-231N!
• Many new dive computers - most are a giant step backward, IMHO.
• Nitrox and associated mixing technologies - I first dove Nitrox in the mid 1970s, Rutkowski's been floggin' devil gas since 1985.
• Gas analyzers - that's not an improvement in dive gear but in overall technology.

I was hoping you had something that would change my life.

 

[Nemrod]

Teamcasa, you make some excellent points, I am just messing with you.

I got to go, got to make some money for a HUD and a rebreather.

N

 

[vshearer]

It seems this discussion would be better served by sticking to those items that are essential to diving, as technology has definitly provided additional, and better, tools over time. (Lights as mentioned).

My list would be tanks, regulator, BCD, mask and fins. Exposure suit for cold.

I quit diving for almost 15 years. Just now getting back into it.

Efficiency? Not really changed.

Suits are nicer. Can't say I see anything revolutionary or really improved in regs. BCD's have better materials, and I even use one of those bug eyed HydroOptix and like it. But it isn't "more efficient". Actually less so, as it displaces extra volume.... but I look cool. Still use Jets, most efficient for me. Tanks are no more "efficient", except they do hold more gas for displacement.

And it is all about how you look.

 

[24940]

I did a skills update a couple years ago for a guy. He showed up with a SP MKV first stage and a single 109 second stage. This was a very popular combo in the 70's, but I hadn't seen it since I left diving in the 80's.

I had this vision of giving him the thrill of breathing off my top of the line APEKS so he could see how superior it was to his antiquated gear from last century. Before I got that opportunity, we practiced buddy breathing. The 109 was a sweet breather, he didn't need to upgrade.

While there have been many refinements, I can't really say there has been many revolutionary improvements made to the basic kit.

Scooters, CCR and lights have vastly improved, imo.

 

[Teamcasa]

...I was hoping you had something that would change my life.

I like old cars and many of the woodworking tools they made 30 years ago as well, but the case can be made that many of the new things are superior in many ways. Older folks (like me) like and are comfortable with their “old reliables”, but there is no doubt, diving has benefited from advancements in technologies.

 

[Thalassamania]

I like old cars and many of the woodworking tools they made 30 years ago as well, but the case can be made that many of the new things are superior in many ways. Older folks (like me) like and are comfortable with their “old reliables”, but there is no doubt, diving has benefited from advancements in technologies.

I'm rather well know as a first adopter of anything that I find better, its just that with diving gear I find precious little that is any better. The last things that really made me say, "wow ... much better than what I'm using" were the Oceanic Omega II regulator and the Cis-lunar rebreather.

 

[Hickdive]

Regulators are undoubtedly superior today than twenty years ago, ANSTI testing and rating of them has seen to that, anything that didn't meet the grade didn't sell so virtually every manufacturer has improved their designs.

If we're talking twenty years ago then we were only just getting second generation computers to replace things like the DecoBrain or Edge. Uwatec Mk1 Aladin, Orca SkinnyDipper and Suunto SME although technically less capable, were more reliable (well maybe not the SkinnyDipper), cheaper and more compact.

Drysuits are definitely better, twenty years ago you had the choice of fairly flimsy laminates or uncompressed neoprene and you only got autodumps on Vikings.

Cylinders are arguably better, my first 232bar 12litres weighed over 16kg, modern ones are some 3kg lighter, making twinning them much easier.

Some classics, like proper rubber jetfins (I still have my Typhoon Surfmaster MkIIs and the only reason I don't use them is they won't fit over my drysuit boots) have come back into fashion and others, like plastic backpacks have morphed into stainless backplates but overall I think kit has improved enormously in twenty years.

Mind you, it really ages me to have today's kit referred to as 'modern'