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

[Boogie711]

For all of the DIR divers.

Seeing that you are opposed to mediocraty, have you all taken a high performance driving class? Something like the 3 and 5 day courses taught by Bob Bondurant?

If not, why not?

Driving is a far more dangerous thing to do than diving and you can do lots of damage to the environment and kill lots of critters (people included) with a car.

Where do you draw the line?

I continuously see this analogy - comparing diving to driving. For me, it doesn't wash.

If I die in a dive accident, it's because I, not someone else, has screwed up. If a drunk diver gets in the water and comes tearing down my side of the water column, he's not going to kill me. If I am going too fast down the road and need to task load, I always have the option to slow down or pull over. When I'm task loaded in diving, I DON'T have that option.

I just don't buy the analogy that just because driving risk is more dangerous means that it's similar to diving risk.

 

[jonnythan]

FWIW, I've done a 40 hour defensive driving class, and I think it was a great idea.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Just an historical note:

BILL MAIN BREAKS HIS SILENCE---AT LAST!
For many years, I have watched--without responding--as some people have rewritten cave diving history to support l)

Of course have read this but without reading the post that prompted the reply from Bill Main I doubt it'll mean much to people here. There were many pages of dialog.

And GI was the one who I really thought looked like the bad guy anyway.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I don't know if the original question was answered but I have decided I am going to have to take the DIRF to find out the other side of the coin. Who teaches in PNW or west coast Canada?

cheers,

Sonya Tittle is planning to teach a class in Vancouver shortly ... I believe in June or July. She's an incredible instructor ... and an underwater art form. I believe she still has some openings. I have her contact info at home (she's currently living in Florida), but there are probably people on this board who can put you in touch with her.

I think RJ Meyers is also teaching a class up there sometime soon ... possibly along with Sonya.

I've been diving with DIR folks for almost as long as I've been diving. Picked up a bunch of cool tips and techniques ... heck, I even know the "secret handshake" ...

But I've always been just enough of an "individualist" to insist on doing some things my way. As a result, I've avoided DIR training like it was a contagious disease. Perhaps it is ... and I've been contaminated.

'Cuz I've reached a point where second-hand info just ain't enough ... ran into a friend over the week-end who's at the tail-end of his GUE instructor course. He'll be teaching Fundies later this summer. And I'm gonna see if I can't get into his first class.

Time to find out what all the fuss is about ... somebody pass the damn kool-aid ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[pipedope]

I just don't buy the analogy that just because driving risk is more dangerous means that it's similar to diving risk.

So, even though driving is more dangerous it is OK to be a so-so driver. But you *must* be a super diver or not at all.

I support your right to make that choice but don't try to convince me that it is logical.

 

[BigJetDriver]

Antilock brakes were designed specifically for the people who just panic, close their eyes and lock the brakes. The Air2 and Spare Air of the automotive world. LOL

Mike,

Much as I hate to disagree with you, simply because I usually find myself in tune with much of what you have to say, I must respectfully disagree on the subject of "anti-lock brakes".

If they were not around, you would probably not survive one of the landings you have been party to on any large airliner. The Boeing 777 is a perfect example. The big ship was designed to fly three-quarters of the way around the globe. Often, even with satellites and modern weather-guessing, the weather is not what it was supposed to be when you get there. It may, in fact, be down to the Delta Sierra level. Of course, we have to land. It's a simple fact that we are going to land----somewhere----!! Most of us would prefer that it would be at an airport!

This is where those wonderful anti-lock braking systems come into play. They feel the incipient skid (that point at which the wheel is almost locked up), release a little pressure, and begin to re-apply it. The system does this for each of our twelve main wheels (six on each main gear truck) individually and rapidly. This kind of performance is beyond human capability!

These systems, combined with B.F. Goodrich carbon-fiber brakes, keep us from hearing the controller say: "Aahh---BigJet 701, turn left at Imperial Boulevard, speed permitting, and left again at Airport Boulevard. That'll bring ya back to the ramp area!"

Cheers!

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:cwmddd: "Well, monkey, I don't give a peddler's damn whether you wank DIR or dive Supreme."---(Mr. Natural)

 

[Boogie711]

Where did I or anyone else say you *must* be a super diver or not at all?

 

[BigJetDriver]

---And GI was the one who I really thought looked like the bad guy anyway.

Mike,

If it is raining where you are, get indoors quickly! The heavens will be blasting lightning at you in moments for daring to say what you said above!

After all, we know that GI3 stands for: "God Incarnated for the 3rd time!!"

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:cwmddd: "Well, monkey, I don't give a peddler's damn whether you wank DIR or dive Supreme."---(Mr. Natural)

 

[quimby]

If they were not around, you would probably not survive one of the landings you have been party to on any large airliner. The Boeing 777 is a perfect example

Yeah but did you ever try and get one through the Lincoln tunnel? If you do then Ill go with ABS. They dont think for the driver, just claim too for drivers who dont. And that assumes you need to turn in a braking situation, if you dont it will take you 10percent longer or farther to stop. Sorry, if you know how to drive your safer without ABS.
Most of this thread I really dont care about but paying for ABS so I can disconnect it, irrates me no end.

 

[BigJetDriver]

Yeah, but did you ever try and get one through the Lincoln tunnel? If you do then I'll go with ABS.

They dont think for the driver, just claim to, for drivers who don't. And that assumes you need to turn in a braking situation, if you dont it will take you 10 percent longer or farther to stop. Sorry, if you know how to drive, you're safer without ABS.

Most of this thread I really dont care about but paying for ABS so I can disconnect it, irrates me no end.

Quimby,

Well, does dodging between the buildings and under the Golden Gate Bridge count??----(Done in the Sim, folks, not for real!!)

Actually, there are many iterations of ABS, some really good, and some not so well-thought out! The good ones can beat the performance of a human being any day of the week, and their response is ADDITIVE, i.e. helps out the human.

I guess the system on your vehicle is not one of the good ones, since you seem so irritated with it.

Cheers!

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:cwmddd: "Well, monkey, I don't give a peddler's damn whether you wank DIR or dive Supreme."---(Mr. Natural)