Posted by seahunt on July 18, 2001 at 22:36:10:
In Reply to: Chris and Seahunt posted by Catfish on July 18, 2001 at 14:53:29:
>Why would someone who dives in the gulfstream of Florida need to configure
>differently in our waters, other than a slight change in thermal protection?
I can't think of any reason, but I've never critisized anyone else's gear. Why not post the question in real terms and ask "why do I not blindly pray to DIR and follow every procedure that they have developed and demand that all divers follow"?
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Actually, there are some real differences in the gear as well as the diving, between CA and FL. I also think that CA diving is far more demanding than FL diving.... but whatever. I'll add a few other thoughts as well.
Most basic is that the water is colder here which requires some adjustment of exposure protection. While not a huge difference it is significant in that it demands more physical toughness of the diver. Cold here can paralyze you, but is very unlikey to in FL. If you forget gloves or a hood in FL, you don't need to cancel a dive. In CA, you probably have to.
There are minor points of gear. Where as a snorkel is considered rather passe many places, it commonly has distinct uses here.
Another minor point of gear that I'm not sure of is the backplate and wings. I'd like to try one to see if it will work good on long swims and swims through kelp. I know that most divers with wings swim backwards on the surface. That is often not practical in heavy kelp or in surf.
Talk about canister lights, diver propulsion vehicles and a few other things are fairly irrelevant here.
There are then two differences in gear that have some significance, steel tanks with wetsuits and using dive computers/consoles, both of which are considered unacceptable by DIR purists, are quite popular in CA. (though JW says he has no problem with the use of steel tanks with wetsuits if bouyancy is acceptable)
Frankly, I don't give a dried scallop shell if George doesn't want to use them. GI says to use a stage bottle (on his web site I think) if you want more air than a single AL tank gives. He says he doesn't know why anyone would want to use a steel tank. Well, since it should be obvious that many divers find it makes an excellent package, combining superior air capacity with great bouyancy characteristics, I'll stick with it... on either coast. (Though I hear that in tropicl waters, steel can rust out quickly. Just one of those differences).
If GI doesn't want to use a computer or console, in FL or CA, that's fine with me. His system is largely based around the use of a dive propulsion vehicle (DPV) and his gear is configured with that in mind. (He can use that here too if he wants) DPV's are as rare in CA as 12 pound bugs in CA, but I bet they would be fun to try even if impractical for most of my diving. In the past, the DIR proponents have failed to well support their contentions that a console is a drag problem and further it is based on not using a dive computer.... which seems weird to me. Still, I think his system would work fine in CA, but I see no reason to adopt it.
As far as the diving, there are large differences.
In Florida, they do not do long surface swims, let alone through kelp. Almost everywhere I have dove, including Florida, the boat comes and picks you up... not Hawaii though.
Also, shore diving, common in CA and perhaps the most challenging diving in CA, is uncommon in FL. That is one place where DIR configurtion might be a problem, but I don't think anyone has really looked.
Vis makes a difference here as well. There is very little difference to diving procedure in vis say 30 feet to 100 feet, but vis in CA is often 15 feet or less. In Central CA, 15 feet is good vis. In San Mateo County (where I did a lot of diving), vis is good at 6 feet.
Another difference is the bottom life. There is a basic rule of diving in Coral areas: "don't touch". Even minor contact can damage coral polyps. In CA, it's just not an issue. You have to be fairly careless to damage the reef or its life.
Where the differences get bigger is the nature of the diving.
California diving was created by and fostered hunters. That promotes divers that range far further and interact with the reef structure far more. Also divers get into the kelp. That can be a big difference if (like me) the diver likes it in the deep kelp. Also, solo diving is far more efficient for a hunter, especially in limited vis.
CA diving may be an entire dive in the sand. In FL, that's usually called 'lost'.
In CA on a multi day trip, it is common for a diver to do 7 tanks in a day and never go into a deco situation. As far as I can tell, this is unheard of anywhere else. This points out an important difference. The DIR folks hate computers because they want better bottom times, they claim tht are not good for deco, etc.. Here a computer is mostly used not for deco, it is used to stay out of deco and it works great for that in CA waters.
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There are other differences, but really, they are pretty irrelevant. Really gear is pretty irrelevant. I could switch gear with George and we could both dive just fine ... and safely in CA or FL. It is just not the gear that makes the diver. Most of my years of diving was with gear that was distinctly junk. It didn't matter.
What is more important is the diver and what goes on in their head. We're not talking about just any diver. We're talking about divers that are superior in their environment and push limits. I don't like warm water and it is not my nature or training to explore wrecks or caves. I dive fine in warm water (better than most of the locals I saw) but cave or wreck penetrations would probably not be safe for me. At the same time, I think that I could hunt better than George and I think he might have more trouble with some CA diving including the shore diving and the vis of central CA. I expect I could move over a reef far better as well. (I wonder where you put a bug guage on a DIR rig?)
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There is very little difference....... Diving is not that tough. Dive gear is becoming a commodity.
Really, what this discussion is about is claims of vast superiority by DIR such that it is used as an excuse to harass and critisize (demonize perhaps) anyone that is not DIR compliant. This is just DIR promotion. I think DIR has some good ideas (and some BS they use to support their claims of superority). Their view of a diver as a system is excellent and probably superior to what exists now (if anything). Their ideas about gear are excellent (if not everything they claim).
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So back to your question. I expect that he could dive fine in CA with any gear, but I do expect that my system is more optimised for me.
I hope that that answers your question.
Enjoy the diving, seahunt
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www.diver.net/seahunt