dir questions

[CIBDiving]

Yeah, we slaughter goats and burn incence before every dive. Get a life.

Well, I doubt the part about the goats ( well, at least the "Slaughtering" part )
Whatever else I really don't want to know about, nor the rest of the rituals of the All Black Cult of the Koolaid.

but you make a fair example of just what I was talking about.

 

[CIBDiving]

DIR types? Yeah I guess Bob deserved that then, eh?!!!

Of course Not! No more than the poor guy who walked up to the DIR booth at a "scuba fair" in ( about) 1999 to ask about DIR. The 4 guys in the booth were soon shouting at the guy that if you don't dive our way you'll die. One can only assume that these were "qualified" DIR people, they were, at the least, representing DIR to the public and they left a very bad taste in most peoples mouths.

Keep making up stories like this to scare the kids and one day it will be true.

You call me a liar? what a twit! I assuse you, it is true- ask mike kane, he was there - yesterday.

 

[JeffG]

I know Jeff has a good sense of humor. I just didn't see any quotation marks and thought maybe he was in a bad mood. So I had to step in to back a fellow spearo... hey, the DIR guys stick together so why not?

You had it right the first time. I was in a bad mood and stupid questions have a way to annoy me.

I do have a sig line (Cornfed's) to live up to now.

 

[TSandM]

You know, it's really a shame that people are so polarized.

DIR has a lot of excellent ideas. Bob has introduced me to some of them, and I read Jablonski's book, and I intend to take Fundies when I can. I have also been diving with Uncle Pug, who was not at all dismissive of the two novice divers he was helping to escort, neither of us remotely DIR. Neither of us remotely divers, frankly. The only experience of negativity or snippishness I've found with DIR divers has been on line.

I sat with the owner of our LDS today, and listened to HIM talk about DIR. He is very negative. He believes that anybody who says, "Dive my equipment or you are going to die," is saying this for profit-related reasons and it is regrettable (or worse). In the interests of harmony, I didn't point out that nobody says, "Dive my equipment or you are going to die." But I found it interesting that his perception of DIR divers is exactly the insular, cliquish, holier-than-thou attitude that has come up a couple of times in this thread.

We say in surgery that, if there are a bunch of different operations you can do for a given problem, then you know that none of them works particularly well. A really good idea has power, and spreads simply because it IS a good idea. One of the divemasters from our -- decidedly NON DIR -- shop dives with an octopus-length hose on his primary and his secondary on a necklace, because he thinks it is a good idea.

Bob's approach, which is to present what he does and wait for somebody to ask questions, is a superb approach for proselytizing. It's effective, and doesn't alienate the person inquiring.

For example, with my misconception about the aluminum tanks, somebody could simply have quoted the relevant section of the book that I misread, or (as was later done) given me a link to something written that addressed the misconception. Hellfire and brimstone preaching doesn't work very well when the congregation has choices

 

[Robert Phillips]

Of course Not! No more than the poor guy who walked up to the DIR booth at a "scuba fair" in ( about) 1999 to ask about DIR. The 4 guys in the booth were soon shouting at the guy that if you don't dive our way you'll die. One can only assume that these were "qualified" DIR people, they were, at the least, representing DIR to the public and they left a very bad taste in most peoples mouths.

The only time I have ever heard some one say "If you dont dive our way you will die!" it has been from anti-'DIR types' trying to perpetuate what they heard on the internet as true. It's the whole 'my friend heard it from his brothers cousins sister-in-laws uncle'
story and it is rather stale.

You call me a liar? what a twit! I assuse you, it is true- ask mike kane, he was there - yesterday.

No, I called you a storyteller. You called me a twit. Please don't assuse me again, it creeps me out

 

[jagfish]

I did talk to a nice fellow from JUE in Japan. Talking with him is what got me to inquire. He was cool and made sense. After he left, others in the shop were saying the things I asked about. I had to ask because the way people talked about the DIR crowd didn't mesh with his positive attitude.

Hey Fishhunta, I wonder if that was me. Aren't so many of us JUE fellows traveling the planet. I think you are the young guy who spears and collects tropicals commercially, right?

Welcome to the board. Sorry for the rough start. This is likely the most contentious part of the board to post. You are unfortunately right in that the message of DIR can often be good one, but the messengers are a mixed bag of attitudes and communiction strategies. I really don't know enough to have an attitude yet...

Anyway, dive safe, enjoy the board and drop me a note once in a while....

JAG

 

[CIBDiving]

Quote:
Originally Posted by CIBDiving
How interesting, The Exact same thing happened in Hoodsport a few years ago -
except it was a bunch of DIR types in a booth giving a person who wasn't a
'believer' the same rant only in reverse.

You reap what you sow, eh?


How so ???

I've never ranted on anyone for not being DIR. So how did I "sow" ... by associating with people who tend to dive this way? Got news for ya bud ... I dive with anybody, as long as they've got a safe attitude. I don't look at their gear or diving style ... but if they've copped a 'tude they can go diving with someone else. I dive to have fun ... and choose my dive buddies accordingly.

I believe you misread/misinterpeted my meaning - I most certainly didn't mean you personaly I meant it as a generalization of DIR from the Non DIR.

I too will dive with almost anyone ( at least once ) - I DO look at their gear and certainly at their 'style' in the water. Not to judge the person but to judge MY safety with this person. Lets face it just because a person is rigged 'DIR' is by No means a Garrentee of ability. Just like Not being rigged DIR is no assurance of No skill.

Ya know ... I spend rather a lot of time around DIR divers. In fact, I did so even when I wasn't diving that way ... and even back when I was the recipient of an occasional wisecrack from someone (usually a fresh-from-DIRF diver) who's enthusiam got the better of them.

But I've never ... not once ... seen the behavior you're describing.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Well, I have seen it, more as a group action than individuals. To be fair, (and I forgot to mention this last time) the 'leader' of the DIR group always comes up, says hi and shakes my hand when we are at the same dive site. The rest of the group though is a very different story.

I dove with Snowbear ( who is of a definate DIR bent) last week. Snowbear was very gracious, an exellent diver, and a good buddy - in other words a true joy to dive with. Snowbear also refused to rise to my couple of mild jabs at DIR ( although I got reminded of it ).

 

[CIBDiving]

Please don't assuse me again, it creeps me out

:blush: Uh,Yeah...

It's a good thing I dive better than I spell !!

 

[JeffG]

:blush: Uh,Yeah...

It's a good thing I dive better than I spell !!

LOL...I just got it. Too funny

 

[jonnythan]

I believe you misread/misinterpeted my meaning - I most certainly didn't mean you personaly I meant it as a generalization of DIR from the Non DIR.

I too will dive with almost anyone ( at least once ) - I DO look at their gear and certainly at their 'style' in the water. Not to judge the person but to judge MY safety with this person. Lets face it just because a person is rigged 'DIR' is by No means a Garrentee of ability. Just like Not being rigged DIR is no assurance of No skill.

Being rigged in the style of a DIR diver is no assurance whatsoever of being DIR, or even having a clue what it's about.

You can dress any joe off the street up like Lance Armstrong and give him a $10,000 bike, but that's no assurance he can pedal the thing up a mountain.