Re: hello

[Ray.Keefer@Ebay.Sun.COM (Ray Keefer)]

Hi,

	I am back for a day, then off to Irvine, CA.

	I have been thinking about this "hello" mail and see some real
issues we need to address to insure the long term health and popularity
of our hobby. So in now particular order:

> and 3 man "concept" submersibles over the last year (I think one of the
> main problems with the slow acceptance of underwater vehicles--besides
> cost --is that most people can't conceptualize the underwater world in
> terms of their own daily lives...I know this may seem too philosophical,
> but I bet the idea of getting into a steel cylinder or acrylic sphere just
> doesn't sound appealing to most people).  What we really need to do is to
> get people to say to themselves: "Yeah, I can picture these things as part
> of the marketplace in 10 to 15 years."  And aesthetics have a lot to do
> with this.  I have yet to see a submersible which my friends wouldn't be
> scared to get inside...not just for fear of being under water, but because
> they wouldn't feel at ease with the ship itself.  Some look too much like
> spaceships, some are practical for their purpose but weigh too much for
> the average Joe to tow behind his pickup.  Anyway, so I was going to ask

	To make our hobby popular enough to get Joe Average (JA)
interested we need to get philosophical. Once we address his
concerns we will see an increased interest and acceptance in our
hobby.

	I am not sure I would want a Joe Average in a Submersible. At
least not as a piloit. I think the minimum training required
would be SCUBA certification or perhaps a Submersible certification (if
such a thing exists) to becoume a pilot. Face it, just one fatal
accident with a submersible would destroy the publics positive
perpective towards our hobby. The Scuba industry takes a blow every
time a diver dies. The gun hobby takes a hit every time a fool kills
someone.

	So with training we can make a Joe Above-Average (JAA), and a
safe sub pilot. So how do we get JA interested enough to bother
becoming a JAA.

	If we approach JA discomfort with our excitment, enthusiasm,
knowledge and personal experience. Once we put him into a
"diving in a submersible and seeing the sea from underneath is neat"
frame of mind we can overcome some discomfort.

2 or 3 man submersibles are a good approach for this. Take them down on
one or two excersion and they may get hooked with the experience.  At
least they will know what they are getting into or what is involved.

	Logic will work on some others. Like this sub has been down this deep,
certified by which organisation, used it for x years...

	Some JA will never be comfortable in a sub and shouldn't be in one.
Not everyone will be suited for a submersible and I certainly don't want
to be in one at 600 feet when he freaks out.

	The idea of promoting submersibles is an excellent concept to
explore further. So far as I read through the mails the main
issues have been:

		good looking, sleek
		range (w/ diesel-electric on surface)
		trailerable 
		2 or 3 man size
		simple to operate
		moderate speed (3-5 knots max submerged)
		positive experiences (from this mail)

Regards,
Ray