Teaching Them Right From the Start

The Brand A/Brand B comparisons did not stop at the sales floor. They continued on right into the classroom.

In the mid 1970s, there were no such things as jacket-style BCs (the Scubapro Jacket did not hit the market until 1977). Most divers used horse-collar BCs, which necessitated the use of a separate tank backpack and harness. Backpacks came in two varieties:

• The older designs were made from a single layer of hard, injection-molded plastic.
• The newer models were hollow, and were made from a softer plastic using a process called “blow molding.” (Quit your snickering right now, okay?)

Of the two, the blow-molded models were generally superior. They were more comfortable, easier to thread and less prone to cracking and breakage. They were also available from both Brand A and Brand B. In our classroom were examples of both types.

• The old-fashion, non-hollow model had an obvious crack running through it — along with a very prominent Brand B decal.

• The newer, blow-molded example was in perfect condition — and had an equally prominent Brand A decal on it.

My fellow dive “educators” would take great pains to parade the Brand B backpack around the classroom, pointing out the crack (and the decal) so that everyone could see it. “Don’t by this type of backpack,” they’d say, “It’s not safe.”

Then they’d hold up the Brand A model, extolling its virtues as the only “safe” one to buy. Of course, what was not exactly clear was whether it was the style that made the backpack safe or unsafe — or the fact it was Brand A or B.

Learning from the “academy” puke «

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