Posted by seahunt on June 03, 2002 at 23:25:59:
In Reply to: Hey Mike (retro diving) posted by Tribes on June 03, 2002 at 17:06:16:
>Ok Mike, Lets face it, diving without a BC is a macho cult thing (just like some of the DIR….
>BS). There is simply not a reason to dive this way, other then a wanting to be part of the cult.
You mean that you don't know the reason.
.
Uh, I hate to say it but there were no cult divers until the gear divers came along. Before that, diving was about the most private sport there could be. Heck, almost no one on this BBS has even met me yet. I sure don't dive to impress anyone and I don't really give much credit to any gear diver quoting about "life support equipment" talking to me about being into a cult.
Look, Chris made the point that it was about mobility. You didn't like it and responded with 3 statements:
1. Many of us dove with-out a BC in the late 60's and early 70's and we all drowned allot.
2. When the BC came out, anyone with any sense bought one and used it.
3. It makes no sense not to use all of your basic life-support equipment.
I pointed out that the first 2 statements were grossly inaccurate. The third one, besides being sort of silly, is a catch phrase that labels you as a member of a very ideological group of divers. Sort of a cult if you will. Personally I don't care how you want to dive, but I do take notice of gross sillinous.
I have well over 1500 hours of freediving behind me. I absolutely love it and am very good at it. It taught me about mobility in the water. To me, anything more than my minimum freediving gear, is very noticeable as it effects my movement in the water. Say what you want, that's just a fact of swimming.
Somehow, I have to wonder if you are an experienced free diver. I sort of doubt it or I do not think you would be so impressed with gear as "life-support equipment". The diver far outweighs any gear he has as the most important piece of equipment. I do not think you can imagine the freedom of movement that a scuba diver has with only a 72 tank, backplate and regulator. That is the diving experience. Any more gear than that takes away from the experience.
Do you notice that it is the gear divers that do all the talking about how a person should dive. For all I write about diving, I almost never even mention gear or how a person should dive. It's much too personal.
Just to make things clear, my bouyancy characteristics are now such that I dive with a BC. It doesn't make me think that that is the only way to dive or make me opinionated enough to think that it is even the best way. There are all kinds of ways to dive and you are welcome to dive as you like, but just get off it trying to come across like you know so much about diving that you can tell experienced divers that they are doing it wrong. Better divers than you have been here, done that and gone. I really don't think you go with the divers I know, I really don't think you dive where they do and I doubt very strongly that you are skilled enough to dive some of the conditions they enjoy. How many years do you have on the North Coast where the ocean seperates the divers from the wannabes? How many times have you made 7 dives in a day because you just love it?
Enjoy your diving, but get off it, seahunt