Attitudes Toward DIR Divers

[The Chairman]

If someone doesn’t want to dive with me because I have an implant and wouldn’t be able to save them I would totally respect that.

My 2nd rule of diving: You can call a dive at any time, and for any reason: no questions asked.

You just can't force me to dive with you. It has nothing to do with being politically correct, but with my comfort. After all, diving is all about ameliorating risks with a methodology that suits us individually. I might think you're not safe for whatever reason, but I also don't want to get into that with you, either. I've got an issue with my eye and can't see me diving today, might be the only explanation I'll provide. Or it could be that bone in my leg that just won't go away.

 

[The Chairman]

An axiom to that second rule is that it's best to call such a dive as early as possible: hopefully before you even splash. I've called dives from my bed!

 

[Lorenzoid]

In GUE’s case, team diving is paramount to their doctrine so I can’t blame them one bit for having strict rules and being exclusionary to protect the integrity of their buddy system.

I get the sense that it may not be so much about “strict rules” (this stuff is nebulous and unenforceable) as about instilling in divers the idea that they should consider in potential dive buddies things that can affect safety, like physical health (smoking, obesity, etc). Team diving or the buddy system—whatever one calls it.

 

[crofrog]

I detest smoking and wouldn't dive with "a smoker," either. But what if the person chomps on a stogie once a year on vacation in Havana? Is that person even going to think of himself as a smoker? I sure wouldn't.

They encourage us to be "thinking" divers. Other than smoking being gross and just the thought of sharing air with a smoker making me nauseous, I try to consider what the thinking underlying GUE's non-smoking prerequisite might be. Maybe it's as much about safety as it is the grossness factor. The possibility of diminished lung capacity, increased risk of cardiac events, etc.? We want healthy, capable teammates. Sometimes I feel I have to distill what I have gleaned from GUE as well as other sources into a safety mantra and, as the DIR crowd and others have often put it, "Don't dive with unsafe divers." I'll ask myself if the person who chomps on a stogie once a year on vacation in Havana is an unsafe diver. Lots of things might influence my opinion of a potential dive buddy's safety awareness.

I posted about this in this thread:

https://scubaboard.com/community/th...-advanced-diving.650458/page-22#post-10397594

 

[PfcAJ]

It’s weird that ideas like “be fit” and “don’t smoke” are so controversial.

Scuba is a physical activity.

But most importantly, “be fit” and “don’t smoke” are undeniably better than the alternative.

 

[Lorenzoid]

It’s weird that ideas like “be fit” and “don’t smoke” are so controversial.

Scuba is a physical activity.

But most importantly, “be fit” and “don’t smoke” are undeniably better than the alternative.

Eric’s phrasing in his post above was telling. I think what is controversial is the idea there are “strict rules.” Are there? Yes, and no.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Eric’s phrasing in his post above was telling. I think what is controversial is the idea there are “strict rules.” Are there? Yes, and no.

I don’t know or care about my post being telling, or if there are any controversial rules or not.
All I know is that this thread is up to seven hundred and forty six, and I want to see if I can blow it up to a thousand.

 

[jellycatsdad]

It’s weird that ideas like “be fit” and “don’t smoke” are so controversial.

Scuba is a physical activity.

But most importantly, “be fit” and “don’t smoke” are undeniably better than the alternative.

Scuba is why I found myself back to doing CrossFit. After all, you’re farmer’s walking those tanks/cylinders. But until you’re Olympic lifting your gear or doing gymnastics underwater…

But cardio doesn’t really impact one’s fitness to dive when it pertains to air use, but it does pay dividends in other areas.

 

[Cthippo]

I feel like a lot of the Tech / DIR / GUE stuff is gatekeeping.

It's a matter of "are you good enough to dive with us" for whatever measure of "good enough" we are talking about. Are you good enough to be certified at this level? Are you good enough to be part of our team? etc etc.

Solo diving is the anthesis of team diving for a number of reasons, but one of those is that the only person who decides if I am good enough is me. If I get that calculation wrong I get hurt or die. Those are the risks and I don't feel that adding more people significantly changes the risks. I'm certainly not willing to put myself in a situation where I need someone else's agreement / participation / approval to go do the thing I love to do.

 

[iliketopetsharks]

Are you good enough to be certified at this level?

That's generally how certifications work, yes.