Who is best qualified to give gear advice?

[mm2002]

Reading through a thread in the “regulators” section sparked my interest on this topic, so here goes. I’d be very interested in your opinions on this subject.

#1. Is technical knowledge of diving equipment directly related to the quantity of dives that a person has logged, or how many years that person has been involved in diving?

#2. When questions arise regarding advice about a particular piece of gear, does it matter more that a person has experience with that particular piece of gear, or that they have more knowledge of scuba equipment in general?

#3. Is it possible for a person with 20 dives to have more technical knowledge of a particular piece of scuba gear than a person with 1000 dives?

#4. Is it possible for a person who has logged 1000 dives to not have any real technical knowledge of scuba gear at all?

What do you all think?

[terrillja]

I would say that owning a piece of equipment would qualify you to give advice on that specific piece of gear, however a diver with more dives could possibly offer more general advice over what to look for in a specific type of gear. Having said that, I have certainly met divers who had lots of dives under them who thought that the gear they had owned since the 70s was the best and there was no reason to update.

I think that someone with a lot of dives under them could offer a lot of general advice on what to look for in a reg, but if you want to know how a specific piece of gear functions, there is no better advice than from someone who owns a specific piece of gear. I wouldn't offer advice on zeagle gear bc i've never used them. If anone wants to know about an oceanic gt3, I'd love to offer my experiences.

That was a lot of typing in my iPod...

[FishFood]

The more scuba equipment you've used, and more dives the better.

A common trend around here, when someone asks what type of product they should use, is for people to reply back with "I use XYZ and love it" or "XYZ is the best because i bought it".

Really, that's a common trend in ALL internet communities, and in real life. People that should, under no circumstances, be recomending gear to other people are doing so because their first 5 dives went well and thats the gear they used. LOL!

I often times read a thread, and don't reply because I dont think i have the knowledge to do so. THen, ill read the replies and realize I know more than half the people that replied. A lot of threads are the blind leading the blind. Kinda irritates me when people reply to threads they really arent qaulified for.

Oh well...

[mitsuguy]

in this way, scuba is kinda like cars...

some people are new and have lots of knowledge on certain portions - typically the stuff they have when first starting out - typically these "newbies" even know more than the old timers just because they've done the research more recently...

and at the same time, some people that have been in the game FOREVER are set in their ways, and not very open about newer ideas, and don't really care about the newest thing out, just what they know works...

[mm2002]

Originally Posted by FishFood

The more scuba equipment you've used, and more dives the better.

My Dad is 67, and has owned nothing but Corvettes since he was in his late twenties............he still to this day couldn't tell you how to change a spark plug.

[mitsuguy]

Originally Posted by mm2002

My Dad is 67, and has owned nothing but Corvettes since he was in his late twenties............he still to this day couldn't tell you how to change a spark plug.

thus my point about how diving and cars are related... just because you are into them doesn't mean you are qualified to make any kind of recommendation...

[terrillja]

Originally Posted by mitsuguy

in this way, scuba is kinda like cars...

some people are new and have lots of knowledge on certain portions - typically the stuff they have when first starting out - typically these "newbies" even know more than the old timers just because they've done the research more recently...

and at the same time, some people that have been in the game FOREVER are set in their ways, and not very open about newer ideas, and don't really care about the newest thing out, just what they know works...

I'd agree. When I went to get my gear, I researched everything about it and could rattle off the specs no problem as well as the reviews on all of it. The owner of my LDS is an old timer and he doesn't have a single computer in his shop. The guy can talk about diving and how gear has evolved, but was amazed when I explained the dvt on my first stage. This guy has been diving for 50+ yrs, but I knew more about the new stuff than he did.

[mm2002]

Originally Posted by mitsuguy

just because you are into them doesn't mean you are qualified to make any kind of recommendation...

I really wanted this thread to last a while before it came down to the final truth....but you kinda ruined that for me now didn't you?

[FishFood]

Originally Posted by mm2002

My Dad is 67, and has owned nothing but Corvettes since he was in his late twenties............he still to this day couldn't tell you how to change a spark plug.

And im sure there are Vette owners that could perform engine swaps from day one....

Does that mean Im going to value someones input that has 1000+ dives as much as I am someone that has 0-24 dives? Most likely not. And if I do, its probably because of the way they presented themselves in the post.

Experience usually equates into knowledge. You can toss extreme examples of contradictions around all day long, but they are the MINORITY.

[mm2002]

Originally Posted by FishFood

And im sure there are Vette owners that could perform engine swaps from day one...."

"Experience usually equates into knowledge. You can toss extreme examples of contradictions around all day long, but they are the MINORITY."

Nah, unfortunately, the majority of Vette owners can't change a spark plug, but that's a different thread!