An observation about divers

[Teamcasa]

I have been diving a long time and have dived with some amazing divers. I've also had the misfortune to dive with a few jerks. Their training and choice of gear configuration had nothing to do with it.

You will, without a doubt become a better diver after the training. I applaud you for wanting to become a better diver.

 

[fnfalman]

My suggestion is do whatever you want to do and if others don't like it, tough on them.

So, go PADI, NAUI, UTD, GUE, TDI, IDEA, or whatever floats your boat. There's always going to be people with negative attitudes about others, so tune them out and do your thing.

 

[diver 85]

OP, I bet you feel just like this fella now--------

YouTube - Tarzan Oooooooh

 

[Kingpatzer]

Oh dear, I already sold my BCD... seriously, you cannot attend a PADI IDC with DP/W?

You certainly can do an IDC in BP/W. However, be aware that you may well have to help the staff re-read the standards for some skills.

And the few examiners I know who do the iEs will almost certainly give you a very hard time because they honestly believe in the virtue of being able to demonstrate the techniques the students will use. And it's pretty hard to demonstrate how to easily remove and replace a vest BCD using a BP/W.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

It's not as bad as it has been in the past, but I do sometimes feel like DIR divers look down on me for not being a DIR certified diver. I know they don't like how I dive sidemount and sometimes solo, and while I agree that there is value in standardization and teams, I can't fit in some of the caves I dive in backmount, and sometimes it's safer to be alone.


I have never had any of them actually tell me I'm a terrible diver for not having a GUE certification. I have only gotten the feeling. I know several DIR divers, and while we have a friendly banter going on much of the time, I feel that they do respect me decently, but would respect me more if I had a Fundies or GUE Cave certifications.


I think the most important thing is to be able to explain why you dive like you do, and I do feel that many DIR divers are able to do so, which is awesome. I enjoy having debates about various methods of doing things with those DIR friends of mine.

A lot of times, people come across differently online than they do in person. It's impossible to hear vocal tone or see facial expressions of a poster while they post. I think that fact fuels the "two sides" feeling, even when people might not seem so segregated in person. Most of the DIR divers I know are great people, as are most of the non DIR divers.


I've had an SDI instructor try to tell me that a friend couldn't take OW in a backplate and wing with long hose. He made her donate the bungeed backup for the OOA drill...needless to say, that didn't work too well. He was a newer instructor, and I have been told by other SDI instructors that students may use a backplate and wing in class, as well as a long hose configuration. I think the bigger issue was an instructor who had never seen a backplate and wing before.


We can't forget about Jeff Hancock and his Hancockites. Only person i've ever seen stand at the steps at Ginnie and ask someone "does you wife know you dive backmount?"

 

[TSandM]

JJW, you may be right . . . after all, I would respect ME more if I had GUE Cave 2

Those of us who have had training from a variety of instructors, I think, have often concluded that the most rigorous, detailed and demanding training we have had is the GUE training (or sometimes UTD training). I'm quite sure that isn't universally true, but it CAN be.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

I would tend to agree, but I think sometimes GUE divers might agree more than me

It makes sense, people try to create simple rules to make life simpler. It's a lot easier to see that i was instructed by so and so and assume that I'm a good diver because that instructor has high standards, than to require me to submit a video of myself performing various skills, before deciding to do a dive with me.

I know I have a few simple rules like that. There are some instructors whose students I really just don't intend to dive with much in the future, and other instructors whose students I look forward to the chance to dive with. Fortunately, my instructor for Full Cave is in the latter group

However, we need to be careful to not simplify things too much. Just because a diver has GUE training doesn't mean they are good, and just because a diver doesn't, doesn't mean he/she is bad.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

It's not as bad as it has been in the past, but I do sometimes feel like DIR divers look down on me for not being a DIR certified diver. I know they don't like how I dive sidemount and sometimes solo, and while I agree that there is value in standardization and teams, I can't fit in some of the caves I dive in backmount, and sometimes it's safer to be alone.

None of my DIR friends have ever given me grief for diving solo. Oddly, some of my non-DIR friends have ... particularly when they found out I went to 175 fsw on my own. But they mean well, so I try to take it well.

When I tell my friends I'm heading to Florida in May to learn sidemount, they mostly just want to know why ... and seem more curious about it than anything else.

A lot of times, people come across differently online than they do in person. It's impossible to hear vocal tone or see facial expressions of a poster while they post. I think that fact fuels the "two sides" feeling, even when people might not seem so segregated in person. Most of the DIR divers I know are great people, as are most of the non DIR divers.

Same here ... I've met several folks who I didn't like on the Internet, only to discover that in real life they're really nice people that I enjoy spending time with.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[knowone]

Tell me about it.

No but really, if you don't mind the additional surface task loading, and have a spare five bucks or a spare bull in a paddock, squeeze these ring things on your necks and clip your regs and spg or your light head to these and never drag them through crud again, or have those other dangling poking sitting issues.

Unless of course you already do it. Right?

 

[DennisS]

There's a whole world of divers out there that if you say "DIR Diving", they will respond with "what's that?" If you say UTD, they will correct you and say "You mean UDT.

It's just not an issue with most divers.