DIR: God's gift to diving or Hell spawn?

[WJL]

Here in the US, Halcyon has trademarked "DIR" and "Doing It Right" - see below (from the US PTO):
<snip>

This information is inaccurate. Halycon applied for a trademark in the terms "DIR" and "Doing It Right". The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office refused to issue the requested registrations.

From the PTO web site:

Serial Number: 78235834

Registration Number: (NOT AVAILABLE)

Mark (words only): DIR

Standard Character claim: No

Current Status: An office action making FINAL a refusal to register the mark has been mailed.

Date of Status: 2004-06-03


Serial Number: 78235843

Registration Number: (NOT AVAILABLE)

Mark (words only): DOING IT RIGHT

Standard Character claim: No

Current Status: An office action making FINAL a refusal to register the mark has been mailed.

Date of Status: 2004-06-03

I don't know whether Halcyon has taken further steps to try to register these marks after the PTO final action.

BTW, trademark registrations are limited in the U.S., and I believe most places, to specific areas of commerce. The same term can be used in multiple areas of comerce, as long as there is no reasonable likelihood of confusion of sources. Thus in the U.S. the term "Doing It Right" is now registered to the Northern Plains Resource Council for goods and services "promoting public awareness of the need for responsible coal bed methane development", and was registered (now cancelled) to J.C. Penney Co for goods and services in the area of "retail department store services".

 

[South Pacific Diver]

To be honest, out here in the Micronesian Islands this is the first sensible thing that I have heard from a DIR diver. Mostly we are just out of the loop here. Some of us have been doing so called tec dives since the early 80's, well before it was a catch word in the industry. As time went by and gear that wasn't made in garages became avaliable, we got better at what we were doing. Then came new and better understanding of decompression theory, computers that could monitor multiple gasses, use of cave lines in the wreck diving community, you name it.

Each and every diver both recreational and technical have a responsability to evaluate new information then learn how it applies to them. If it is better, "Use It" . Pretty simple formula IMHO. Operational risk management is the key to any diving activity but most especially to tec diving.

Someone who has been diving for 4 or 5 years and hooked on a fad coming out here and telling folks who have been doing this safely for 20 years or more that we are all hosed up and don't know how to dive, sure puts DIR in a bad light. I have only been hearing the DIR slogan for a few years, but have been updating equipment, learning new tecniques and practicing for over 20 years. Maybe it not just a catchy phrase some have adopted, maybe its a mindset that should last a divers lifetime.

 

[South Pacific Diver]

Found a funny today and thought to pass it along......It had some mean names for our DIR brothers and sisters so I took them out ....



Okay...some of you have probably read it and some haven't but I think it's funny so I'm posting it here. If you aren't familiar with DIR go to the GUE website but it's funny even if you aren't familiar with DIR.

Author: DIR
Date: 08-06-01 03:26

I converted to DIR about 6 months ago and I have found that the philosophy extends way beyond diving. I think most people tend to view DIR as a gear configuration or diving objective type of thing but it really is a philosophy that you can use in other parts of your life. For instance, below are just some of the ways I've extended the DIR way of doing things into other areas of my life.

Last week some of my buddies came over to my house. Now, not all of them are divers but they do understand the DIR philosophy. So, first off, we all drink the same beer. This avoids any situations where you might be enjoying a lager and accidentally pick up an ale (or the other way around). That can be very uncool. That could quickly lead to a panic situation so we avoid it all together.

We also drink only from cans, no bottles. And we never put the beer in the refrigerator. It always goes in the ice chest in my living room. 47% of Drinking Related Incidents (DRI) occur when someone is going to the fridge for another beer so better to be safe than sorry. Of course, this is all rigged up while we're still 100% sober so there's no impaired judgment once things get cooking.

All of us wear a bungee necklace with a full beer on it just in case someone experiences an Out Of Beer (OOB) emergency. I can offer my already opened beer to my buddy and simply reach down and grab the backup off my beer necklace. And, without exception, we always use the 7 foot hose on the beer bong.

Of course, we don't stay in every night so when we do decide to go out we make sure we're still DIR. All of us wear exactly the same clothing:

Levi's 501 Jeans (button hole, straight leg)
Gap Black T-Shirt
Haynes boxer shorts, black
Gold Toe socks, black
Kenneth Cole shoes, Brad Pitt style
G-Shock watch, black band
Nylon belt, black, with military buckle
Black Leather Jacket (optional, depending on weather conditions)

This may sound a bit silly or overdone but believe me, when you're penetrating a night club, knowing exactly what you buddies are dressed like can make all the difference in the world if you're hoping to snag some hottie. Let's say I see some cutie and just before I get up to go talk to her a waitress spills a drink in my lap? No problem, because I can always swap pants with my buddy. I don't have to worry if they match, because I know he's wearing Levi's 501's. Bam, swap pants and I can still complete my objective.

One thing to keep in mind about night clubs is that you seldom want to penetrate a club on beer. I know, some of the macho jerks do this and brag to all of their buddies but believe me, it's not DIR. You have to do it on mixed drinks. Obviously the mix will be different on different nights but a good vodka tonic mix is pretty standard. Again, there's a right way and a wrong way to do this. You can't just order any old vodka or depend on some bartender to get the mix right. That's what the strokes do. No, you order Stoli vodka which has an excellent reputation in the DIR partying community. The correct blend is 2oz Stoli with tonic water poured over ice in a highball glass (lemon or lime optional). I always bring a testing kit with me and if the blend is off, I send it back. It's just not worth the risk and it's not DIR.

So you penetrate the night club and you've got a good mix, now it's time to meet the ladies. I should have said this earlier but watch your drink consumption. It's a well known fact that women look 25% - 30% better in a night club and if you get all narc'd up on vodka tonic, it increases your chances of a coyote ugly blackout. You have to keep your wits about you.

If it's early, you probably have pretty good viz. Later in the evening when the smoke silts up the room it'll be harder to make out the women on the other side of the club so get your headings early. On a few occasions I've had to bust out the wreck reel just to get to the bathroom and back.

If you are lucky enough to hook up with a nice hottie, this is when doing it right really can pay off. Now, let's face it, there's a certain degree of danger involved here that I don't want to downplay. You need to minimize your risks by using the proper equipment. I carry 2 condoms. One I put on . . . well you know, and the second I put on a bungee that goes around my waist. If there's a malfunction on my primary, I can quickly go to my backup without hardly skipping a beat.

So, as you can see from these pretty basic examples, DIR is not just for diving. It's something you can use in all areas of your life.

Keep it real,

 

[Jack Ryan]

That was great, very creative.

 

[Potapko]

Wow! that was a lot of fun. 404 posts and some of them even worth reading
I know, get a life right? I just had an hour to kill and thought it might be fun. Most of it no where near the intended topic but a great discourse on the dir/antidir debate.

I think it boils down to a very simple human characteristic. People don't like being told they are either wrong, or that they are doing someting wrong. Fact is, we often are. Those who fully embrace DIR diving are convinced it is the best way to do it. If they didn't defend that principle it would be because they do not really believe it.

As a pastor I often get the same response from people. "you just think you're the only ones who have the truth". Well, if I believed something other than Biblical Christianity was true, I would convert.

There is, imo, nothing wrong with proclaiming the opinion that a particular method of doing something (diving in this context) is the best way. Therefore if you do it another way, you are not doing it in the best way possible. Also imo, it is a pretty weak person that cannot bear being told there is a better way to do something than the one they are using. With all due respect we have also seen the opposite here. Some have looked at the dir principles, taken from them what they want to incorporate into their own diving, and left the rest. Good for them! They also believe they are doing it in the best way possible as it relates to their situation. What else could you ask for?

I preach the Bible because I believe it. I believe God is the Author. I live with the consequences of that decision. Others choose not to believe that, fine. Just don't tell me I can't preach what I believe. Not going off topic, just making the comparison. Those that really believe that dir is best SHOULD tell others they need to change. Let's not get too caught up in "the way" they do it.

jmnaho
just my not always humble opinion

 

[Damselfish]

If they didn't defend that principle it would be because they do not really believe it.

There is, imo, nothing wrong with proclaiming the opinion that a particular method of doing something (diving in this context) is the best way. Therefore if you do it another way, you are not doing it in the best way possible. Also imo, it is a pretty weak person that cannot bear being told there is a better way to do something than the one they are using. With all due respect we have also seen the opposite here. Some have looked at the dir principles, taken from them what they want to incorporate into their own diving, and left the rest. Good for them! They also believe they are doing it in the best way possible as it relates to their situation. What else could you ask for?

I preach the Bible because I believe it. I believe God is the Author. I live with the consequences of that decision. Others choose not to believe that, fine. Just don't tell me I can't preach what I believe. Not going off topic, just making the comparison. Those that really believe that dir is best SHOULD tell others they need to change. Let's not get too caught up in "the way" they do it.

I think the way people express an opinion is important. And I think it's possible to believe in something while at the same time acknowledging it is not what others think, and may not be what is right for them in their situation. The failure to do that causes many problems in the world.

It's possible to express ones's opinion in a fashion that says "this is my belief and this is why I think it's right." It's also possible to have the tone "this is what I believe and anything else is wrong." I know which one I prefer to hear, and which one I'm more likely to listen to.

 

[Potapko]

Thank you so much for this reply

I think the way people express an opinion is important. And I think it's possible to believe in something while at the same time acknowledging it is not what others think, and may not be what is right for them in their situation. The failure to do that causes many problems in the world.

It's possible to express ones's opinion in a fashion that says "this is my belief and this is why I think it's right." It's also possible to have the tone "this is what I believe and anything else is wrong." I know which one I prefer to hear, and which one I'm more likely to listen to.

 

[gbrandon]

I was kind of interested in seeing greg's messages (for a good laugh), but the "censors" have apparently nuked them.....;-)

Exactly why I dont post on this board any longer. Not that I am afraid I might get censored, but more of the line of thinking that I dont want to stroke the mod's ego any further where they MIGHT get the chance to play god, which is a direct result of the fact that most of them shovel S**T all week in thier real job so they welcome the chance of "power" on here no matter how insignificant it may be.

 

[coffeefein24]

I've been checking out the board for a few weeks and finally registered. I am wondering what exactly is DIR? I've seen it referred to in many posts but I'm not sure what it is.

Thanks in advance,

DIR is something that any diver who wants to resurface should at least look at the basics. Knowledge is powerfull and lifesaving. Even if you do not 'convert' completely you will still learn something more about something you enjoy.
Non-DIR related....My training. SSI vs. PADI the one has the octo on the left the other on the right. Which is right? Neither? The most important thing that I have offer any diver. If YOU are not comfortable with it, DON'T dive it.

nh

 

[H2Andy]

Non-DIR related....My training. SSI vs. PADI the one has the octo on the left the other on the right. Which is right? Neither? The most important thing that I have offer any diver. If YOU are not comfortable with it, DON'T dive it.

well, ok... but shouldn't the criteria be "whichever set up makes it
easier for your and/or your buddy to reach the secondary
reg in an emergency?" isn't that the whole point of having a backup?

just a thought