Why are some people so easily excitable about choosing to use or not a piece of gear?

[Buoyant1]

...I actually agree that there is a real equipment fixation on this board. Posts with fantastic pictures or great marine life descriptions get no action. But let some weenie post some drivel about this hose length or that hose length or some sort of widget that is or isn't "doing it right" and all the gear heads come out in force.

It's supposed to be about having fun, seeing cool animals, being in a different world, etc. -- not about backplates or BC's (Gawd, is that the most boring topic ever....)

As for the gear heads that say it's about safety: you never explain how it can be that tens of millions of dives are completed safely with basic "rookie" equipment every year.

It always goes to hose length!! geez! Now is that REALLY the size of your hose, or are those "internet" feet?

MY hoses are all of standard recreational length and not of DIR length! (first time admitting this on the internet)

Anyway....back to topic...I think gear is great! Ask any guitar player about their "rack" and they'll bore you to tears for HOURS! Ask any drummer about his gear and we'll go into cymbals heads etc! (don't EVER ask a sound guy about something...they pull out freaking schematics!)

It's not only scuba!!!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

MY hoses are all of standard recreational length and not of DIR length! (first time admitting this on the internet)

I suppose it bears repeating that the use of a long hose configuration is not exclusive to DIR ... in fact, in our area the DIR divers are a minority of the people who use this configuration ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[IceIce]

Who is Buffet?:mooner:

Maybe it's right that people here get easily jump into defense about their gears, but those who are being jumped into also jump back, so I guess it's fair enough. Anyway, it's actually quite entertaining and spice up the board.

To enjoy it, you need to sit back and watch, because imo, the debate or discussion also lead to no conclusion as many people still prefer their own setup, unless, you do enjoy the debate itself.

And who said that with Air2 I'm going to die?!:light:

Long hose, you definately going to die. I almost tripped on those many times in the boat, and the guy who used it had it entangled with their fins many times when he was doing the backroll. We had to take care of him.

 

[Thalassamania]

I think the answers are really rather straightforward.

1. Most divers don’t know a thing about equipment except what their instructor or LDS told them.
2. Most divers don’t learn anything thing about equipment because they’re either still on their first set or they’ve seen the light and are now on their second set, which is God’s Gift to Diving Equipment, and they’re sure about that because their new instructor or new LDS told them so.
3. Most instructors don’t know a thing about equipment except what their instructor or LDS told them.
4. Most instructors don’t learn anything thing about equipment because they’re either still on their first set or they’ve seen the light and are now on their second set, which is God’s Gift to Diving Equipment, at the time that they drop out of the diving industry.
5. No one who reads dive magazines knows a thing about equipment, because it’s rarely in the advertisers best interests for you to do so.
6. Nobody likes to look stupid, especially when it comes to having spent several thousand dollars.
7. It’s not like skis or motorcycles or sailboats or snowmobiles or anything else that can be put to a simple test by seeing how fast it goes under certain sets of conditions.

 

[redrover]

Do most people agree with this?

I think the answers are really rather straightforward.

1. Most divers don’t know a thing about equipment except what their instructor or LDS told them.
2. Most divers don’t learn anything thing about equipment because they’re either still on their first set or they’ve seen the light and are now on their second set, which is God’s Gift to Diving Equipment, and they’re sure about that because their new instructor or new LDS told them so.
3. Most instructors don’t know a thing about equipment except what their instructor or LDS told them.
4. Most instructors don’t learn anything thing about equipment because they’re either still on their first set or they’ve seen the light and are now on their second set, which is God’s Gift to Diving Equipment, at the time that they drop out of the diving industry.
5. No one who reads dive magazines knows a thing about equipment, because it’s rarely in the advertisers best interests for you to do so.
6. Nobody likes to look stupid, especially when it comes to having spent several thousand dollars.
7. It’s not like skis or motorcycles or sailboats or snowmobiles or anything else that can be put to a simple test by seeing how fast it goes under certain sets of conditions.

Gives me thought for another poll. (Who wants to be the first to string me up by their you know what?)
Seriously though, I’m curious if that opinion is shared.

 

[TSandM]

Thal, are you implying that my second set of equipment is NOT God's Gift to Diving Equipment? Fie on you!

 

[Thalassamania]

Do most people agree with this?



Gives me thought for another poll. (Who wants to be the first to string me up by their you know what?)
Seriously though, I’m curious if that opinion is shared.

The poll would only be valid if it was restricted to folks who were well beyond their second set of gear. Maybe "what gear set" and "do you pay regular prices for gear" are questions to include, but I don't know how you get at the block effect due to these variables and their interaction in a poll, and without that data it would not be particularly meaningful.

Lynne: and which god would that be?<G>

 

[The Kraken]

The only piece of gear that would be worth a hoot would be gill implants.

the K

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

The only piece of gear that would be worth a hoot would be gill implants.

the K

Hmmmm ... from the looks of your avatar I assumed you already had those ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TSandM]

Lynne: and which god would that be?

The goddess Thalassa, of course!