Posted by Ben Mazin on June 24, 2001 at 22:46:46:
In Reply to: 5k is a bit steep....Steep? It's Mount Everest! posted by AADIVER on June 24, 2001 at 21:42:38:
"Damn whippersnappers with their newfangled gimmicks! Why, I remember when I used to dive 10 miles to school, uphill both ways! We didn't have any damn Jetboots then! We kicked, like real men! And no wetsuits. No BCs either. Yup, those were the days. Just me, Jacques, and my aqua lung. Nitrox? Trimix? Those are yuppie gasses. I like my air nice and air-like. And don't get me started on dive computers. When I was young we used to dive to 200' on air and take our DCS hits like men."
This is of course a bit tongue in cheek. I understand your point, AADIVER, and the above was meant to be funny. You probably have a lot more experience in the water than I do, and I don't disagree with most of what you've said.
There have been a lot of changes in dive technology over the years, and on the whole I'd say they have been improvements. Jetboots are not for everyone, and I won't try to tell you otherwise. For some types of divers them can be invaluable. If you are a photographer and you want to photograph a wreck in a strong current how else are you going to do it? Compared to the two Nikonos RS cameras/lenses/strobes you are diving with Jetboots are quite cheap. We have also got a lot of interest from handicapped divers. Several people at the scuba show with bad hips or knees were very interested. For a lot of people (especially older, richer divers) the ability to dive is worth the price. We are also working on rental options to make Jetboots more affordable to the general public.
Ben Mazin
President, MST and longtime lurker on this BBS