Wet suits in living color and other colored gear--what's the deal?

[Airborne!]

If you're ever diving warm enough for just a skin, you might want to check out Dive Goddess. They've got some pretty wild designs.
http://www.divegoddess.com

Wow, now those are WILD. Wear one of those and the fishies might come to look at you.

 

[frankc420]

Wow, now those are WILD. Wear one of those and the fishies might come to look at you.

I wonder what kind of cameras fish use? LOL

 

[EliotD]

I like my black gear, but then again, I wear black clothes, drive a black car, have black sheets, the counters in my apartment are black.....its a lifestyle thing.

 

[mkt]

I have almost all black or black/blue gear, except for a pair of bright yellow fins/snorkel I use in murky water. I did recently aqcuire a silver/blue/white long sleeved rashguard though... that's different

 

[MB]

In summer, I'm sometmies refered to as a bumble bee diver. Yellow fins, and a skin with yellow arms. In colder water I have yellow stripe and arms on a custom suit, and of course a yellow stripe on the hood. I have a stock wetsuit with blue arms, and that ruins my bee persona a bit, but you get the idea... Never had a student get confused about who I am during training dives... But I've seen many students and divers end up with split buddy teams when two groups met UW, and all wore the same basic black configurations.

If a little color helps with identification UW, it also serves a good purpose at the surface, on a busy dive boat. Some boats use a common area for fins, and having identifiable gear will help you and the boat staff ID your stuff quickly and accurately.

Of course the color choices and accents may also be the stuff that would make Herr Freud nervous, but we've already got Andy covering those bases...

I guess all it would take is one rant from a Cave God and dozens of divers would start wearing color so their hose routing would show a contrast with their wetsuits...

 

[H2Andy]

Of course the color choices and accents may also be the stuff that would make Herr Freud nervous, but we've already got Andy covering those bases...

if i wanted Brokeback Mountain diving, i'd get my horse a purple wetsuit

:33:

....... heeeeeeey... there's an idea

 

[perdidochas]

OK, just got certified and starting to think about buying gear. I like color--BOLD COLORS!!! I was talking to some local divers while diving this weekend and I asked why most wet suits are dark. Is there a technical reason or is that just what the cool people dive??? I seemed to get the answer that cool people dive in black and that newbies buy colored matching gear. Also that if I want other divers to respect me that I will buy black. WHAT?

First of all unless there is a good reason not to have a certain color, like you will get attacked by big fish, then I would avoid a certain color. I am a realist and with my shape and figure, I don't look like a hottie! Well maybe I do --a bit like a hot grilled stuffed sausage perhaps, but not at all like Scubba Barbie and friends.

So what is the real deal. I am not learning to dive to get the approval of others. I am in this for me and my enjoyment. I am also not asking these people who think I might not be cool to buy my gear. By the way, if anyone does want to buy top quality gear for me, I will be happy with whatever color you think I would look best or worst in--the choice is yours if you have the dime. Heck if you want to call Henderon or Liquidfit and have them make a Halloween costume wet suit for me, I'll wear it!! I think a winged flying lime green dragon with red LED's on the side of my mask could provide a lot of fun underwater! The big pointy barbed tail would have to be flexible so I could learn to cave dive in it! LOL

Seriously, what is the deal with colored gear?
Leah

YOu can get most gear in a variety of colors. Darker colors are more practical in wetsuits--when they fade (which chlorine, sun and saltwater cause them to do), they still look ok. Nothing looks worse than a faded dingy yellow or red wetsuit. I personally choose dark blue for wetsuits. It's not as plain as black, and it wears well.

 

[Prostar]

I tell all my students to wear something that sets them off from the rest of the crowd. Much easier to find or get found by your buddy. No one misses the shiny silver in my fins. Apparently, even barracudas like them.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Thanks for the replies. Shortly after I posted this thread in 2006 I purchased a Henderson Hyperstretch wetsuit. I decided to go for comfort over color. It has really served me well.

I do have some little yellow patches on the suit I chose. They have become stained after a very short time. They did look cool to start with! At this point if I could get a Henderson in all black, I would go with that.

Now I am thinking about a dry suit and that is a whole new ball game.