A series of interviews with Steve Bogaerts

[break4]

Check out the 5 episodes of a series of interviews with Steve Bogaerts and get some informations about Side Mount Diving:
Episode 1: A Passion for Diving
Episode 2: Diving Philosophy
Episode 3: Side Mount Diving
Episode 4: Equipment Configuration
Episode 5: Training & Instruction

And here's the Link: http://www.gosidemount.com/videos.asp

[mccoy]

I enjoyed watching them all last night! Good little series.....

[Tegg]

Just wondering, I reviewed the videos but did not hear/see anything very helpful towards sidemounting, what information is being given out in these videos that I missed which can be beneficial to someone who is looking to sidemount or is already sidemounting?

It seemed more like a series of videos telling me who I should get training from, and which rig I should buy. Anyone else get that feeling?

[K Mejean]

I got that more than anything else. It was a pretty good promo video for him and the harness. As someone looking at possibly going sidemount I must say that I didn't learn much.

[mccoy]

It was geared towards the harness and his training. I just looked at it as an interview nothing more.

I did noticed on his website there were pics of other rigs he had modified but they are gone now.

[Cantey]

+1, it was good "branding" if nothing else

[NEON]

Just wondering, I reviewed the videos but did not hear/see anything very helpful towards sidemounting, what information is being given out in these videos that I missed which can be beneficial to someone who is looking to sidemount or is already sidemounting?

It seemed more like a series of videos telling me who I should get training from, and which rig I should buy. Anyone else get that feeling?

I did not find the videos any more branded than the "Information on Sidemount Diving" sticky in the sidemount forum!

I really don't get it!

Seems to me that a lot of people on this forum are exuding rather negative vibes when Steve tries to promote his harness and the training he offers.

At the same time the shameless distributions of knockoffs is largely applauded...

It is all rather sad.

[Slüdge]

Everything's a knockoff of something. People complain that Steve took the British harness idea and is making money off it.

BTW, I watched the first two videos and they didn't look all that commercial to me.

[NEON]

Well, I checked the British harness, it is stiched, has no crotch strap or mini plates, the overall layout is different, the bunjies are different, the attachmen points are different and it appears somewhat more cluttered. It is a webbing harness, true, and that is pretty much where the similarity ends.

The harnesses distributed on the board employ the same general layout, same bunjie arrangement as the Razor, and the latest one has even the plates, slots and all copied.

[whodunit68]

I watched the videos also. I I don't think they were particularly commercial and my BS detector stays at high sensitivity for hard selling. Frankly, even if they were highly sales-y, they're on his own web site and videos he or someone paid for. I think he has the right to try to promote his business and this is hardly an obnoxious way to do it. They're interviews and he's not PBS. I think they were nice videos but I sure wish he'd put some shoes on.

[LiteHedded]

that's not the only harness i've heard complaints of him copying...

[SuPrBuGmAn]

There's multiple british harnesses, the canuks even offer a few webbing based harnesses too(not sure how similar they are...).

[NEON]

Come on guys! These same arguments have come up in previous treads.

Can you please post pictures of the harnesses that Steve had allegedly copied???

I went through the CDG manual, M. Farr's The Darkness Beckons, INTD Sidemount manual and could not locate anything remotely similar. Anyone?

[saxplayer1004]

as far as him promoting himself and what not, it's titled A Series of Interviews with Steve, I mean, it would be stupid for him not to maximize on that... It's not promoting sidemounting, it doesn't need any more promotion, he's trying to sell his classes and his products. I can't blame him for that. It was a good series though and I did enjoy watching it. I use a similar reg style as he does as far as the XTX's and crossing over the neck, but I would like to see more on his reg setups and what not in his equipment descriptions

[phillip1]

If you really want a good educational SM video check out this one out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TBTbh3ehA0

[K Mejean]

I wasn't trying to complain about the videos. They were informative about him. I just thought from the OP that it was a general sidemount video not one about just his teaching method. I was looking for more general info on sidemount diving as a whole.

[icestac]

If you really want a good educational SM video check out this one out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TBTbh3ehA0

What are you REALLY selling.... :)

[phillip1]

Nothing, just sharing SM tips..lol..

Kidding aside I have not seen one British harness that looks like Steve's, the Razor is very different in design, the only thing it has in common is the tanks are on the side that is basically it.
I saw many British SM rigs pics and they are all totally different.