What does your choice of scuba gear say about you?

[dmaziuk]

RJP

What were you hoping to learn when you composed these questions?

That humans perceive "self" and "other" differently. In the next exciting installment: the groundbreaking discovery that cats do, too.

 

[Steve_C]

1.) Do you look like a competent potential instabuddy?

No clue

2.) Do you look advanced

Probably not

3.) If you've picked some brands I recognize as really good, what other brands of product do I see you have? Just in case your good judgment carries over...

BCD and Regs and fins and one of my dive computers are from my LDS bought just after I got certified 10 years ago (Aeris)

long as you are fluent in English

I think I am, but my kids may not agree. I "warsh" the dishes and have a couple other nonstandard pronunciations.

Have had some very good dives with divers who were passable in English but not sure I would say fluent.
Some were native English speakers and some were not.

 

[shoredivr]

This confirms my dislike for marketing and surveys.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

My comment is that I seek quality equipment for the type of diving I am doing. I don't need all the bells and whistles, I need reliability, simplicity of servicing, and durability. Also, I like black and grey stuff.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Charlie59]

Equipment is a mix of one's disposable income, one's experience, and your passion for the sport. The longer you dive, the less you care about using the latest new thing and the more your depend on what you like. Maybe I'm just older, but I find it harder to lay out money to have a computer with a color screen than making sure I can change the battery while I'm on a trip. Maybe that's why I like larger print, too. No matter how you want to look, the money still figures in.

These are the things I see in other divers and I guess others see in my choice in equipment.

 

[eelnoraa]

Nice!!

Gear does say a bit about a diver, but I think the lesson is better illustrated by an old joke from another sport:
View attachment 204896

You guys (scubaboard members, I think myself included)) can somewhat accurately know about a diver by his/her gear only because you guys are diving enthusiast, you guys love diving and dive a lot. But you guys represent only a smaller percentage of all divers. To many times, especially in vacation spots, my gears was commented as if I am so behind in time, and I am missing all the new technology. So for 90% of the divers, NO, they can't tell about a diver by his/her gear.

 

[UserNameBella]

My gear says that I love pink. Does that count? I'm not sure if the color pink makes me swim faster or improves my trim. It does render me instantly recognizable at any recreational depth though.

I have an i3 BCD, which everyone seems to dislike on this forum, but I like it a lot more than the hose kind. I hope the other divers aren't judging my BCD because its different. It's feelings could get hurt.

I have an aqualung legend regulator, but I didn't get the pink one...which made me feel bad when I met an instructor that had one. I hope she didn't judge my regulator too badly because it didn't match my fins.

I know a lot of people on here hate that darn Cressi leonardo computer. Hopefully if I ever need an insta buddy they don't mind it's incessant and annoying beeping to the point they won't dive with me.

I'm not quite sure I understand why anyone would care what anyone else dives with. Except that one couple that was obsessed with their backplate and wings and couldn't stop talking about how great they were. They couldn't believe we were all in regular BCD's and I couldn't figure out how their set up allowed them to fly and I didn't stick around for a demonstration. To each there own I guess.

 

[DennisS]

I don't know what my gear says about me but this thread says it's been a long winter and a lot of people need to get off the internet and go diving

 

[hroark2112]

When I get on a dive boat, I usually look like someone most people want to stay the hell away from. Last weekend I pissed off the DM when she asked if I was going to bring my "real tanks" to dive with, instead of the little 20 cf. oxygen tank & 40 cf. air tank and I told her those two were all I needed for 2 dives.

 

[drrich2]

I'm not quite sure I understand why anyone would care what anyone else dives with. Except that one couple that was obsessed with their backplate and wings and couldn't stop talking about how great they were. They couldn't believe we were all in regular BCD's and I couldn't figure out how their set up allowed them to fly and I didn't stick around for a demonstration. To each there own I guess.

I think people care when they think it's going to impact somebody else, especially them. Let's say you get on a dive boat, and you'll have to be paired with an instabuddy. I happen to sit on one side of you, and Joe Bob sits on the other. You realize you can probably strike up a conversation with one of us & buddy up. But who?

I'm 6'1", close to 275 lbs, and male. You might guess I'd be a potential air hog. I wear a jacket BCD (Sherwood Avid) and split fins (Atomic Aquatics Smoke on the Water). So brand name gear, but from the forum you may know splits aren't as good for frog kicking, and especially for back kicking, I'm told. So I'll probably be flutter kicking around much of the time. Let's say this is a coral reef trip; no penetration.

Job Bob, on the other hand, is 6', 200 lbs, also male, but looks physically fitter. He's got a BP/W, paddle fins, and on his wrist is a Shearwater Petrel. Not only is he likely to be better on air, there's a good chance he's a technical diver, and so trained to a level of skill & knowledge that would, on average, be expected to make him a better diver. And probably even better on air.

There are no guarantees. But you paid $120+tips for the privilege of doing this 2-tank boat trip, you've got to pair with one of us, and you don't have time to read our autobiographies.

Smart money says pick Joe Bob. Appearances do say a lot. Our gear is part of, but not all of, that.

Richard.