Attitudes Toward DIR Divers

[David Carron]

It seems to be a general thing that recently certified divers have a strong belief that they've trained in the absolute truth and are willing to argue their position by regurgitating their training as if it were an explanation.

If I've noticed any generalities about GUE divers it'd be that they hang on to this belief for much, much longer.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

It seems to be a general thing that recently certified divers have a strong belief that they've trained in the absolute truth and are willing to argue their position by regurgitating their training as if it were an explanation.

If I've noticed any generalities about GUE divers it'd be that they hang on to this belief for much, much longer.

It’s because they paid good money for it therefore it must be very good.

 

[Lorenzoid]

It seems to be a general thing that recently certified divers have a strong belief that they've trained in the absolute truth and are willing to argue their position by regurgitating their training as if it were an explanation.

If I've noticed any generalities about GUE divers it'd be that they hang on to this belief for much, much longer.

Interesting thought.

Maybe there is also a relation between this kind of belief and how far up the training ladder the person holding the belief has gotten. Newly certified OW divers have no idea whether their training was good and often don't care--they just want to go diving. But maybe the more advanced or more difficult their courses become after that, the more they hang onto the belief.

 

[Umuntu]

It’s interesting to read the different views on this thread.

The British Cave Diving Group (the oldest amateur cave diving group in the world) has an interesting technical bulletin on Group and Team diving … bearing in mind that British cave divers are by training and necessity solo divers

Techniques for Group Diving in UK Sumps - Cave Diving Group

This review is aimed at UK side mount diving on air and seeks to provide guidance on how to adapt established team diving techniques to UK conditions for divers who normally dive solo. The information contained in this review is not intended as a substitute for the team diving techniques...

cavedivinggroup.org.uk

 

[Nemrod]

It seems to be a general thing that recently certified divers have a strong belief that they've trained in the absolute truth and are willing to argue their position by regurgitating their training as if it were an explanation.

If I've noticed any generalities about GUE divers it'd be that they hang on to this belief for much, much longer.

Not getting myself in this mud slinging contest. But I agree with you, does not matter if NAUI, PADI SDI GUE, DIR, or whoever. New divers always say this to me, "my instructor says" and my retort is my instructor died 20 years ago, I say this -----. And not related to the "Master Diver" card thread. At some point you become the master of your ship and can decide for yourself.

When a 60 years old person who has been diving for years tell me with earnest intent that their instructor told them something, like, really, have you since that time considered what was told you and determined if it was for you and your diving a truth? My instructor told me that single hose regulators were for girls and sissies and that he would not give me a card until I could bench press a scuba tank 50 times. I was 12 years old. I believed him then, do you think now some 57 years of diving later that I truly believe that single hose regulators are for sissies or that bench pressing scuba tanks is a real requirement for a C-card?



All right, you got me on that one .

I do agree with DIR/GUE, sometimes personal preference can lead to a Christmas tree with fins and every bit of that grotesque kludge somehow justified in the mind of it's creator.

 

[boulderjohn]

Instructors repeating misinformation is how we got the no-mask-on-forehead nonsense. (EDIT: I am referring to the common statement that a diver with the MOF will be deemed to be in a state of panic, and someone will attempt to rescue the diver whilst he or she is chatting amiably with a buddy.)

We also have to remember that in the world of education, all manner of education, there have been a few cases world-wide of students misremembering or misunderstanding what they were taught. I know that is hard to believe, but it does happen sometimes.

 

[Wallowa]

Instructors repeating misinformation is how we got the no-mask-on-forehead nonsense.

We also have to remember that in the world of education, all manner of education, there have been a few cases world-wide of students misremembering or misunderstanding what they were taught. I know that is hard to believe, but it does happen sometimes.

Sorry could not let that one slide...."no-mask-on-forehead nonsense"? ...do you mean with faceplate on forehead or faceplate on back of head? Put your mask on forehead in the surf or in a heavy sea and you will lose it....guess you would lose it on back of head also? Guess you could carry a backup mask, oh, you do...simply dropping the mask down around neck works, or any other place that best fits your needs.

Anyway SO many "this is wrong, this right, this is nonsense" dogmatic statements...ONE SIZE doesn't not fit all; stop already, gear and dive protocols should be adapted to meet the dive environment requirements and diver skills....

Seriously has anyone honestly asked themselves if they "could be wrong"? Be analytical but entertain the possibility that your way not be the best way for every diver or every set of dive variables. Be open to learn and not get myopic and have tunnel vision.

Glean the nuggets from the experiences of other, but make your own decisions predicated on what best suits you and keeps you safe.

DSO

 

[jadairiii]

Instructors repeating misinformation is how we got the no-mask-on-forehead nonsense.

I remember when my instructor repeated that "misinformation" to our class in 1975. We were all in the pool, geared up, in the shallow end. Had us all put our masks on our forehead, then walked down line and gently flicked each of our masks, and off they went. He then said, and I quote; "when entering or exiting the water, or surf, always keep your mask on your face".

I have a large bin of masks, all retrieved off the bottom of the ocean, from 8' deep to over 100', I wonder how they got there.....some really nice masks too, and snorkels!

 

[boulderjohn]

The MOF rule I was talking about was not the danger of it falling off. I am talking about students being told that if they put the mask on the forehead under any circumstances, a DM will assume they are in a state of panic and will dive in to rescue them.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Anyway SO many "this is wrong, this right, this is nonsense" dogmatic statements...ONE SIZE doesn't not fit all; stop already, gear and dive protocols should be adapted to meet the dive environment requirements and diver skills....

Seriously has anyone honestly asked themselves if they "could be wrong"? Be analytical but entertain the possibility that your way not be the best way for every diver or every set of dive variables. Be open to learn and not get myopic and have tunnel vision.

Glean the nuggets from the experiences of other, but make your own decisions predicated on what best suits you and keeps you safe.

To the extent these thoughts are directed to DIR/GUE (the thread topic), it's not like they don't recognize that different kinds of dives require different equipment and protocols or that you shouldn't seek out local knowledge for local environments; it's just that for all dives deemed to be of the same kind, the equipment and protocols are standardized. Sure, I might ask myself if "they could be wrong" that the standardized equipment and protocols for the kind of dive I'm thinking of doing are not "the best way," but if they have been successfully employed in thousands of dives like this one plus many that are way more challenging than this one, it seems to me their way has proven to at least work well enough (even if not clearly "the best"--if there is even such a thing as "the best"). So, while they could be wrong, I think they are more likely to be right than wrong. Tinkering to make some change or addition to the standard equipment or protocols might result in some benefit (if all of the buddy team members agree to it), but I suspect that more often than not the benefit isn't worth it.