Halemano dives in a place where the average skill levels of tourists in diving, is at a level that we should perhaps question.....Halemano has every reason in the world to want people to believe he has always been correct in teaching people with vest BC's, and in pointing them in this direction for purchase---and it appears to me there is an ego thing going on as well, where he wants people to associate his choices with the right choices. He has squarely tied his ideas to the prevailing DEMA disseminated dogma on the gear divers need...and he now invests an enormous amount of time in attempts to discredit opionions that differ from those he is invested in.
Since many of you seem to be buying into the propaganda spewing from a few loud members of the SB "Techspurts" let's look a little closer at the above quote.
Here on SB, many new divers ask for help choosing BC's. Interestingly, they often have a lot more in common with the typical diver I encounter, when compared to the divers the "Techspurts" encounter. You know, the very same divers whom Dan says this about; "where the average skill levels of tourists in diving, is at a level that we should perhaps question."
Recent ads in Sport Diver magazine have been claiming that Key Largo is the "Dive Capital of the World" and millions of people could hitch hike to Key Largo. At least here in Hawaii, and especially here on Maui, our tourists have significant coin. I am confused; does Dan mean that tourist divers in the Florida Keys have a higher average skill level than tourist divers in Hawaii, a level that we should perhaps question less? And what about compared to the average skill level of tourist divers in the GBR?
I am not worried about "wanting people to believe I have always been correct in teaching people with vest BC's" because there has been no option for me; I teach in the gear available, the only back inflate BC's I have ever had available for students or customers have been XXL. I have never had any BP/W's available for students or customers.
I have advised against buying Oceanic BC's, including their vests, because I hate their inflator. I have related how I'm not a big fan of the Mares vests I have experience with, but that is really only one discontinued model. I prefer to use, teach students and guide rental customers in SeaQuest non-integrated vests, because I feel they vent easiest of any BC I have used or seen used; venting is what I consider the most important feature of a beginner or student BC. Aqualung has seriously messed up SeaQuest BC's since purchasing them; I am putting up with the Waves my employer stocks.
AFAIR, I have only pointed out when "Techspurts" type their opinion as if it were fact! If the "Techspurts" could type their opinion as opinion, I would then only perhaps type my opinion.
"
He has squarely tied his ideas to the prevailing DEMA disseminated dogma on the gear divers need...and he now invests an enormous amount of time in attempts to discredit opionions that differ from those he is invested in."
Let's see; I challenge "silly typing" that is not truthful and I ask why one would not consider the BC's used by divers making dives similar to the dives to be made by the diver asking for advise.
I challenge anyone to quote me where I "attempt to discredit opionions." I have pointed out when opinions have been typed as fact and I have given my opinions. Most of the "new" dive gear I have purchased has either been "close outs" or "instructor discounted." Most of my dive gear was purchased "used." Does that really mean "I have squarely tied my ideas to the prevailing DEMA disseminated dogma" ???
