Why the freaking out?

[Ron]

So Jim and I went to Troy Springs today, and some old guy in crappy 80's SCUBA gear said this to us, completely unprompted:

(Random old guy) "Why are you guys using that stuff?"

(US) "We like it. It is simple, historical, and does not use a bunch of extra stuff."

(ROG) "Yeah, extra stuff like safety, an SPG, an octo, and a BC?! That's hardly 'extra stuff'. I used to dive that crap in a pool, it breathes terrible."

(US) "Well, to each his own I suppose."

Here's what I cannot figure out: Why do people feel it their duty to comment on how other people dive? I didn't pick on crappy 80's guy for his technicolor jacket BC that looked like a gay pride parade sans assless chaps or his stupid see through fins, so why does he feel obligated to tell me that I am unsafe and therefore that we are both going to die? Where does that come from? Diving is easy. Accurate and timely artillery, certain sexual positions, and rock climbing are all very difficult. Nobody ever gives me a mouthful of crap about any of those things except diving. Are there that many bitter middle aged men that need to piss in my Wheaties? I am just going to put the phrase "I don't care what you have to say" on the back of my business card, so that way when I run into these people I can hand it to them, indicate that they should flip the card over, smile, and then dive without saying a word.

Does anyone else run into the random bitterness? Jim thinks it is because we make them look bad by looking cool and being streamlined and whatnot.

[Douchebag]

Ron, I get it ALL the time. I'm a little less polite than you and Jim however. Here it's usually the DIR Nazis who can barely stumble up the beach with their deco tanks strapped to them. By the way that beach is, at the most, 80fsw...and that's if you kick way the hell out.

I guess it's a feeling of inadequacy or something. My usual response is usually of the hand gesturing type or if they're close enough I'll whisper in their ear, "It's the only thing I found useful in your mom's closet when I was there last night" or something to that effect...you get the idea.

True story: So Joe, the old lady and I are on a SI chilling and BS'ing and we see a DIR guy sitting on the wall looking like he just went 8 rounds. He's yelling at his old lady. "Get me this, get me that!!" So we go over and see if he's alright. Everything on him was brand new...I mean everything.

"Hey you ok man?"
"Yeah but they sold me all the wrong gear. The boots don't fit and my inflator hose is on the wrong side"
I look over, yup it's on the wrong side...because you mounted the wing on backwards! I look at Joe and we just walk away. "Hey did you notice he put his wing on backwards?" Laughter ensued. I was half expecting to see him in the papers the next day.

It takes all kinds...

[Bryan]

#1 He's a liar....The last time he was that close to a double hose regulator was when he saw it on a display in his LDS.....He never F'n used one in the pool...
#2 We mock or criticize what we don't understand...
#3 For most people, the gear they learned to dive with is THE BEST EVER....EVERYTHING ELSE IS CRAP.....Since I taught diving all during the 80's I can assure you that the previous statement did not hold true in most cases, it's just what the manufacturers information stated...
#4 Intimidation
#5 My ADD keeps zoning in on "assless chaps" and once again a little pee comes out and I can't stop laughing ......Now Rob has a whole new direction for The Scuba Museum to expand it's product line......Just Sayin....

[antique diver]

So Jim and I went to Troy Springs today, and some old guy in crappy 80's SCUBA gear said this to us, completely unprompted:

(Random old guy) "Why are you guys using that stuff?"

(US) "We like it. It is simple, historical, and does not use a bunch of extra stuff."

(ROG) "Yeah, extra stuff like safety, an SPG, an octo, and a BC?! That's hardly 'extra stuff'. I used to dive that crap in a pool, it breathes terrible."

(US) "Well, to each his own I suppose."

Here's what I cannot figure out: Why do people feel it their duty to comment on how other people dive? I didn't pick on crappy 80's guy for his technicolor jacket BC that looked like a gay pride parade sans assless chaps or his stupid see through fins, so why does he feel obligated to tell me that I am unsafe and therefore that we are both going to die? Where does that come from? Diving is easy. Accurate and timely artillery, certain sexual positions, and rock climbing are all very difficult. Nobody ever gives me a mouthful of crap about any of those things except diving. Are there that many bitter middle aged men that need to piss in my Wheaties? I am just going to put the phrase "I don't care what you have to say" on the back of my business card, so that way when I run into these people I can hand it to them, indicate that they should flip the card over, smile, and then dive without saying a word.

Does anyone else run into the random bitterness? Jim thinks it is because we make them look bad by looking cool and being streamlined and whatnot.

Man, you are crackin me up again! I nearly sprayed coffee out my nose. I like your business card idea... I may do that and put something on it like "If you don't like the way I dive call 1-800-GET BENT"! Or put a decal like that on my "tank" right under the one that says "----Fill to this line----".

You know, the funny thing is that I usually just get interested people asking me fairly polite questions about the old stuff Maybe it's because I'm older?

BUT, you've got me to thinking, and I'm going to be ready for the first jerk that gives me a hard time.

[Robohips77]

Slonda, You are my hero. I just figured out what acronym my name stands for!

I have on too many occasions now landed the same questions. I usually reply to them in French with only the hope that they really undstood what I just said to them. I thank my French speaking, Canadien, hockey playing brothers for teaching me French in my earlier years. !

[Ron]

Slonda, You are my hero. I just figured out what acronym my name stands for!

I have on too many occasions now landed the same questions. I usually reply to them in French with only the hope that they really undstood what I just said to them. I thank my French speaking, Canadien, hockey playing brothers for teaching me French in my earlier years. !

Dude, you are definitely no retarded old guy. After some of the park ranger stories that I have heard you recall, I would never mess with this particular Roger.

[Ron]

"Yeah but they sold me all the wrong gear. The boots don't fit and my inflator hose is on the wrong side"
I look over, yup it's on the wrong side...because you mounted the wing on backwards! I look at Joe and we just walk away. "Hey did you notice he put his wing on backwards?" Laughter ensued. I was half expecting to see him in the papers the next day.

It takes all kinds...

See, that's what I mean. We are legit divers, and we get crap from people. The guy who cannot figure out which end of his doubles goes up thinks that we are silly. Define irony. BTW, people dive with TONS of crap out here too. You should see people freak when you pull a Mae West out on a dive boat here.

"You aren't going to use that thing, are you?"

"Nope, I just wear it to keep the sun off my nipples. Here's your sign."

[hallen41]

Some of these guys think they know more than they really do.
Our vintage bunch probably has more collective diving knowledge and experience than those with a book full of "C" cards.
My favorite incident was on a cattle boat out of Beaufort, NC.
All ECU students(and we know they know everything) with numbered diving gear.
They started making fun of everything that I was suiting up with, asking whats with the knife?, Fighting sharks?, is that an old rebreather?, He's gonna kill himself.
The water was 60ft deep on an artificial reef wreck and I had no computer on, they went on and on asking where is your computer?,so I just pointed to my wrist depth gauge, watch, and my head.
I never answered them, I just thought, what idiots, and jumped in.

Usually If I have to talk to idiots I just give them the one finger American good luck sign.
We dive for fun, not to impress other people.
Keep up the resistance or the diving Nazi's will make us have a license to dive.

[Greg Barlow]

It is sad, but true, that many "modern" divers just don't seem to understand our desire to dive with our beloved vintage gear. It all falls back to our enjoyment of diving with the same equipment and techniques that the true diving pioneers used. How many sports can do so?

My guess is that the guy is some arrogant fool that thinks that because you don't dive the way that he does that somehow it makes you wrong. The guy is probably a prick in many ways...He probably would think that I am a fool for preferring to drive a manual transmission too...

While I also enjoy technical diving, I don't force my gear choices or configuration on others. If they ask why I do something in a particular way I share my thoughts in a respectful manner.

Funny how technical divers and "wanna-bees" are always knocking gear if it is not Brand A or Brand B. It is really quite humorous to see how many of them strut around like they are the reincarnated Sheck Exley. Who, by the way, was the type of guy who let his accomplishments speak for themselves. A friend of mine taught with Sheck, and she had nothing but respect for him.

A wise individual once said, "Better to be thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubts."

Greg

[Ron]

A wise individual once said, "Better to be thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubts."

Greg

Abraham Lincoln, probably one of my favorite people ever.

[YankDownUnder]

I run into that sometimes. I never answer their question, I just ask them how long they have been diving? Anything under 30 years and I call them a new guy! If you want to really annoy them just ask: "Why? Are you afraid of dying?"

I have a good friend who is a great tech. diver and has a lot of original wrecks to his credit and has written several books about them. I like to ask him why he has so many regulators and what is he afraid of? Sometimes I suggest he just buy one good one and he won't need the trolly to get all his stuff down the pier. He laughs with me.

There are rude people all over the world. The 80's guy was just one of them. I think the real trick is just don't speak to them at all. They will get the picture. Feel good, you are amongst friends here. Steve (a 50's guy)

[JES]

... #5 My ADD keeps zoning in on "assless chaps" and once again a little pee comes out and I can't stop laughing ......Now Rob has a whole new direction for The Scuba Museum to expand it's product line......Just Sayin....

Now that's funny!

[Mudhog]

Heck my sisters were astonished and worried that I had gone diving without a BC. Guess they have fed too long at the cattle boat cafe.

[Creed]

*puts away the assless chaps he was wearing with his day-glo orange stab jacket while nobody is looking*

Anyway, the last time I dove, I had nothing but good, interested comments.

[Ron]

I think the part that is the most odd is that for how much grief people give us, we are all excellent divers. I always feel spoiled when we meet up, because I am surrounded by the best dive buddies that I will get. Then I get on the charter boat sometimes and cringe. It's like going from steak to MREs.