Are you a stroke?

[sharpenu]

I am not trying to pick a fight. I want to make an observation and a small suggestion. The reason many people have such a problem with the DIR people is because of the attitude. To start with, the name says a lot. To call it "Doing it Right" implies that everyone else is "Doing It Wrong". The term "stroke" shows a willingness to put others and the way they choose to dive in a position that makes them defensive to start with. Once that happens, the only other thing we (as non-DIR divers) see is a group that tells us they see themselves as somehow better than we are. Then I go to GUE's website, and the first paragraph under "how to buy gear" starts plugging Halcyon gear. To me, knowing that the senior officials at GUE are also executives at Halcyon, makes this look like nothing more than another one of the many marketing ploys out there that are trying to win my SCUBA dollars. I recently met a couple of divers who were self professed "DIR" divers. I understood DIR to be a minimalist gear movement, but these guys were equipped to do I don't know what on a 60 foot reef dive. I had MUCH less equipment than they did. Double tanks and all, I was down nearly twice as long as they. All of this AFTER the speach I got about not being good enough to dive with them, because I am not DIR. It strikes me that any system which so praises uniformity stifles innovation. Unless this truly IS a sales pitch for Halcyon, in which case changes in the product line will result in changes to DIR. Perhaps a little less of the smugness and the "I am better than you" attitude and we can all learn from each other. I am sure DIR has some great ideas, but it is hard to get through the attitude to find them.

 

[SDAnderson]

Jim Holcomb said:

Incidently, I don't know whos been following techdiver lately, but it seems like someone kidnapped George and put an understanding, articulate person in his place.

Recent samples from techdiver of the new, kinder, gentler George Irvine:

Wed, 27 Feb 2002 21:59:34 -0500
Barnette is from the NE, so I guess it is genetic. Why don't you guys go cut heads off of parking meters like Paul Newman did in "Cool Hand Luke", or just to to the junkyard with a chainsaw? Do any of you guys know how to use a camera like JJ did on the Britannic?

Wed, 27 Feb 2002 06:49:52 -0500
I concur, but the NE idiots think that taking garbage home is a good idea. This is about akin to every other thing these morons do up there. The cluelessness in the NE is beyond the pale.

Wed, 27 Feb 2002 06:20:12 -0500
Thor, you are talking to a clueless idiot who has a big problem with anything that works. Don't waste your time. This anonymous coward complained about me to every person she could find who would listen. She has no interest in anything but being a jerk.

Yep - I guess you're right. Not one reference to chocolate starfish!

The horse's mouth: techdiver board

 

[jimholcomb]

You found him :^) !! I was referring to the deco threads.

 

[SDAnderson]

Jim:

Actually, I agree with you about the deco thread - it's been low on horseflop and high on content.

As a dive-god, Irvine has pretty well established himself as one of the greatest ever. Like many of the gods of old, he has a difficult time when he has to move about amongst us mere mortals, but I keep hoping that he'll get the hang of it.

In the meantime, as long as he's got ideas, I'm going to try to listen. I just won't enjoy it.

Steven

 

[solodiver]

I refuse to totally conform to the DIR configuration. so Ya I guess that makes me a stroke... And lets face it .. I'm never going into a cave anyway..

 

[ChicagoMermaid]

Like many of the others, according to DIR, I'm definitely a stroke! I like my Scubapro gear and am not going to obsess about airhose length instead of concentrating on a great dive. They are not the boss of me...So there.:kissbutt:

 

[KC_Scubabunny]

Maybe it is because I am from the gentler sex but I just don't get the DIR macho attitude. I don't have to tell people they are doing something wrong because they aren't doing my way.

Besides all my friends and most of my fellow maniacs (wreckmaniacs that is) have already admitted to strokedom.

Strokedom....that kind of sounds kinky. I like it! I think it is past my bedtime, I am getting punchy.

KC_Scubabunny

 

[neil]

No, I'm not a stroke because I have a (pathologically) safe attitude. Have to: I teach newbies for fun and profit. Lose just one, and sheesh, all that paperwork!
Nope, not a stroke.
But I'd rather BE one than HAVE one.

Neil

 

[VTWarrenG]

KC_Scubabunny,

DIR is not just a macho attitude. It's quite unfortunate that DIR's most vocal advocates are *******s. It's also quite unfortunate that the name "DIR" was selected.

Be sure to spend a bit of time peering past the wall of attitude before you completely dismiss DIR, ok? DIR is chock-full of good tips that anyone can use, and you might learn something very useful just by giving it a fair chance.

Few "real life" DIR divers go around telling other people what to do -- and those that DO, well, I don't like them any more than you do.

- Warren

 

[KC_Scubabunny]

Warren,

I am attempting to take your suggestions to heart. Can you supply a source for an overview of the DIR principles? Perhaps a text rather than just a website or a overview document in a .pdf type format. So much of what I have seen in terms of links on this board are more of a sales pitch for a certain type of gear and not an over view of the actual philosophy.

Like many other, I have been turned off by the attitude and demeanor of most of the DIR divers that I have met. I believe in continual learning and growing in the sport of scuba but I don't think that I will ever subscribe to the idea that there is a single right way to do it.

KC_Scubabunny

Whose personal motto is "Your mind is like a parachute, it must be open to function properly."