Suggestion Splitting the BCD Forum

[Jarrett]

The BCD section has become consumed with discussion about BP/W's. It is to the point that you can't get advice on non BP/W questions there anymore. Any request for information about non-BP/W BCDs is met with 10 responses of "you should get a BP/W."

Most of the non-BP/W users have quit posting in that forum due to the beating that they take when they mention anything but a BP/W. While the BP/W may be a great option for some, the majority of divers out there are not in BP/W setups and still need advice there as well.

My suggestion is to split this forum.

How about subsections like:

Traditional BCDs (Jacket/Back-inflate)
Backplates & Wings

That way posters interested in each could inquire and receive non combative discussions on each type of platform. I believe this would also bring more traditional BCD owners back to the forum for discussions who may otherwise be reluctant to post these days due to the current bias.

 

[Jarrett]

Did this suggesstion die on the vine or is it under consideration by those with say so?

 

[cerich]

Did this suggesstion die on the vine or is it under consideration by those with say so?

still a debate....

 

[MSilvia]

While we are at it, please also split the non-bp/w section into jackets, back-inflates, no-BC's (old school) and the HUB sections, just so that no one will feel threatened to defend their favorite type of equipment against contrary views.

Let's not forget the "May West horsecollar" subforum. Won't it be a wonderful world when every search for general information requires going through several subforums where you're allowed to read posts about variations on a theme? Why have one forum for buoyancy control, when you could have several forums for all the different types? That way, people won't have to feel threatened by new information being suggested by people who do things differently!

Like many other board members, I learned a lot about equipment and techniques I'd never encountered in my training by reading posts here. If those posts had been relegated to their own sub-forums, I'd never have gotten the benefit of that information unless I knew to deliberately seek it out. In most cases, it was a welcome and well-intentioned suggestion that piqued my curiosity. I think any measure that curtails those suggestions does a disservice to the board community at large. IMHO, a person is more likely to seek out information about Jersey Uplines (for example) if they're already asking about ascent techniques. Even if there are two response posts that say, "You should use a Jersey line for that!" and "Jersey uplines are stupid.", it will likely motivate the OP to look into what they are far more than noticing a "Jersey Upline" sub-forum's existance would.

Along those lines, I think that having a BP/W subforum is a splendid idea, if the purpose of the board is providing divers with a place to pat each other on the back and discuss things they all already agree on. We can all just go to the forums where we can be insulated from other ideas rather than debating their merits, and not have to worry about how vocal (or not) others are. If instead the point is to provide a place for divers to discuss, debate, question, and learn, then divisive sub-forums are a poor means of achieving that end.

As it is now, people might be reluctant to advocate jacket-style BCs because there are so many vocal BP/W users crowing about their gear, but no one is actually preventing them from doing so. If you like them, speak up about them when asked. We don't need to reorganize for that. If an original poster says they don't want to hear about something they specifically are not interested in, then posting about that something is inappropriate, and should be dealt with as such.

 

[halocline]

I believe the function of SB is to promote open discussion and allow divers to learn from each other. As is the case in virtually every internet forum, there is occasionally discussion which is somewhat rude, off topic, maybe even wrong...so what, that's the nature of free and open discussion. It's actually remarkably tame on SB.

Many of the BP/W 'foaming-at-mouth' zealots were jacket BC users who learned about BP/W set ups on SB. Splitting the forum would result in fewer divers learning about new things in diving; kind of the opposite point of having a forum like SB in the first place. I just don't see the problem here, other than someone doesn't like the responses he's seeing to some threads. Okay, the best response to that is to simply post your opinion, where it gets equal treatment and visibility of everyone else's posts.

What's next, an AIR 2 forum so that the evil doers who tell people not to use them are banned from that forum? How about a "short hose only" zone on the regulator forum? Oh yeah, lets not forget the "tables only forum" so the delicate feelings of computer users like me won't get offended by the fire-breathing bottom timer extemists!

Disclaimer: parts of this post are intended to be humorous; if I've offended anyone I'm very, very sorry.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

As it is now, people might be reluctant to advocate jacket-style BCs because there are so many vocal BP/W users crowing about their gear, but no one is actually preventing them from doing so. If you like them, speak up about them when asked. We don't need to reorganize for that. If an original poster says they don't want to hear about something they specifically are not interested in, then posting about that something is inappropriate, and should be dealt with as such.

Pretty simple, really.

 

[Jasonmh]

Originally Posted by Torontonian
Interestingly I posed a question about the BC two days ago and got no comment. So changing the question to compare to BP/W did illicit a lot of comments.

That makes it sound like the BP&W users are just a more helpful group.

If an original poster says they don't want to hear about something they specifically are not interested in, then posting about that something is inappropriate, and should be dealt with as such.

I agree with this. When I look in the BC section right now I see plenty of threads where "traditional BC" users are getting answers from others without bashing their BC choice:
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=169605
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=169680
And I see plenty of new posters specifically asking questions about BP&Ws, and getting good info on them.
In my opinion the problem is overstated, and doesn't require a seperate forum.
How many times have we seen people asking for Reg recommendations that are easy on the budget and have responses supporting the high-end Atomics? The point being, once you start, where do you stop?
The Jacket/Back inflate BC owners should speak up more about their preferred BC.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[dk2943]

While neither opposing or advocating splitting the subject, I feel caught in the middle. I own a Riptide Zone II. It is clearly a back inflator bc. While it does have an amazingly simple integrated weight system, one that will not cost you much if you have to ditch, it does have a slot for a backplate so that it can be converted. So do I have a true hybrid?

 

[dk2943]

By the way, I have noticed that the BP/W crowd which seems to dominate here, regularly trashes the concept of a bc

 

[H2Andy]

By the way, I have noticed that the BP/W crowd which seems to dominate here, regularly trashes the concept of a bc

i think that's a bit unfair

giving our honest opinion of one style of BC over another is not trashing

i love my bp/wings and i believe it superior to every other non-bp/wings BC i've ever owned or rented ...

if you think that's trashing the other BCs, then perhaps you're oversensitive?

(why on earth would i dive my bp/wings if i didn't think it was the best?)

 

[Doubles]

What it will continue to become is the DIR/Tech BCD forum where those not espousing that point of view will become more and more silent. Doing nothing will only strengthen this trend and will ultimately result in less people reading the board as a whole.

I am not getting the association with DIR and bp's/wings. Sure they "were" the "techy" thing but they are more mainstream today. OW classes are now being offered in bp/wings.

I am another who does not desire this forum to be split or divided. There are those who will ignore the OP's question; and short of forming the "reply" police its going to continue and will follow into a separate forum.

Are BP'sWings for everyone, of course not, but they are a BC and trying to prevent BP/wings from the discussion would leave the OP with less information to consider.

As a former jacket BC diver, I really wish I would have had someone give me the "buy a bp and wing" line, and I wish they would have been very forcefull with that suggestion. It would have saved me a lot of money in gear that I no longer use.

Could it be that those of us who drank the koolaide (not dir - just bp/wing) have found it to make such a difference in our diving that maybe we are just a tad overzealous in supporting that bc style.

Bottom line is if your a jacket bc diver, post about it - be as enthusiastic as bp/wing divers are

Cheers

Steve