DIR wars...Is it the name?

[DennisS]

DIR wars? Nah, just internet buzz.

Its there for those that want it and the other 99 % of us will go our merry way, enjoying our diving as we have for many years before anyone coined the term and the style.

 

[Spectre]

No word twisting needed here. You ARE clearly implying it only takes once to end up dead and that not being DIR increases the risk of dying.

Not at all. . I was pointing out that there have been a lot of deaths this year that were from experienced divers that got separated from their buddy and never came home. I can only assume that they were either 1) unfamiliar with the risks associated with their activity or 2) familiar with them but felt they 'haven't had problems before'.

What you are inferring from that is part of the reason these threads turn into flaming piles of silicone bits. I said that I stack the deck in my favor. In fact, you're making the assumption that I'm referring to the DIR philosophy as my method for stacking the deck.

With maybe a very slight twist, I might add you clearly denegrate the value of exeperience compared to the value of taking a DIR-F course.

Say... what???? Trust me, if you knew me you would realize how rediculous it is to make that leap.

 

[novadiver]

Maybe it would be less offensive if it was changed from DIR (doing it right) to GIR ( getting it right)

I'd like to add " if this was posted in the DIR forum, most of us would be banned ( again)". The self proclaimed DIR divers report me to the MODS every time I post anything even slightly anti DIR.

If their opinion is more important than mine,Because of their C-card, maybe I should be banned,

 

[simbrooks]

Maybe it would be less offensive if it was changed from DIR (doing it right) to GIR ( getting it right)

GIR if pronounced gir, sounds too much like gear - and remember its not all about the gear! Holistic.

 

[novadiver]

GIR if pronounced gir, sounds too much like gear - and remember its not all about the gear! Holistic.

It still gets the point across. and " getting it right" would be less offensive, while still trying to improve the dive skills of the less fortunate.

 

[Don Burke]

I figure that if folks are so tender emotionally that they get rattled by a simple acronym then they probably don't have what it takes to be DIR anyway... so actually it works as a pre-sorter to weed out those who would quit half-way through a fundamentals class and sit there bawling on the beach.

I have seen comments to the effect of "I agree it is a good way to dive, but that guy Irvine talked mean to me so I am puposely doing things differently."

That is not the kind of decision-making process I look for in a dive buddy.

 

[Don Burke]

Maybe it would be less offensive if it was changed from DIR (doing it right) to GIR ( getting it right)

That would just change the whines from "They are telling me I am doing it wrong!" to "They are telling me I am getting it wrong!"

 

[opiniongirl]

Since my last little entrepreneurial endeavor was nixed from this board...

I am now starting in production of

"I (heart) DIR" and "There's no ME in DIR" bumper stickers - catering to both sides of this delightful debate.

These stickers are available NOW for a special introductory offer of $19.95. Includes both stickers, just in case you change your mind!

 

[tbuckalew]

I've been reading threads like this from both sides for a few weeks now.

DIR's name was marketing genius, however, some (not all) but some (as is true of any cert) DIR divers are arrogant and throw this around as if others aren't worthy. The same can be said of divers from other agencies.

Experience really does mean something. I've seen some DIR divers that thought they were it. Their diving showed they had a long way to go, but that is true of any "new" diver no matter what their certification agency. Just because you didn't learn DIR (and many divers have been around longer than it has) doesn't mean they aren't doing it right, they are just doing it differently.

People do die while diving. Some agencies and instructors attempt to turn out large numbers of divers quickly at the expense of proper in-depth training. This is probably part of what started the concept of DIR. These inexperienced and often-time undertrained divers are usually the ones you hear about in the news. For the over 2 million divers in the United States and Canada, DAN recorded 89 deaths last year. The numbers (proportionally) are rather small. This would indicate that a vast majority of divers (from any agency) do well enough to keep themselves from getting killed, but some work still needs to be done.

For different people there are different agencies. Everyone is different. A standard gear cofiguration is helpful, but so is knowing your gear and your buddy's gear. Doing a gear check and review before every dive was taught to me as standard practice so the only reason for not knowing where your buddy's inflator or octo was is just plain laziness. "Standard" gear is only standard until someone decides they like something else a little better or until something truly better comes along, then you are stuck between some that have upgraded/changed and those that haven't.

Bottom line...I'm a diver. Most of the people on these boards are divers. I'm no better than anyone else here and none of you are any better than I am. I may have more experience than some and I may perform certain skills bette than others. On the other side, many of you have more experience than I do and probably perform many skills better than I as well. I'm not going to kill my diving experience just because of an agency name. I'm also not going to dive with someone who thinks they are it, no matter their agency of choice - the "I'm better than you because of xxx" attitude is dangerous in any diver (or pilot as we are taught). It doesn't matter the agency, it matters about who the person is.

Diving is about having a good time and seeing and doing things together that other people don't see and do. Its about the stories and the back-slapping during the SIT and the meal at the end. Its about coming back here and telling everyone how great it was or what you found (and posting those pictures I have so much fun looking at).

 

[Kim]

I have seen comments to the effect of "I agree it is a good way to dive, but that guy Irvine talked mean to me so I am puposely doing things differently."

That is not the kind of decision-making process I look for in a dive buddy.

The thing that constantly amazes me is the presumption of ownership. The fact is that there is nothing new in DIR - its simply a coddling together of the best diving practices that people have developed over the years. Given current training standards we should all welcome it - at least someone is trying for excellency. Luckily there are also some instructors who also have very high standards and know what they are doing so GUE is really not the last best hope of diving. I've also seen that some GUE instructors also teach other courses from other agencies which demonstrates quite clearly that it's about diving skills - not agencies or getting hung up on the righteousness thing. A few posters in another thread have made it very clear that for them 'Doing it Right' is a path rather than an achievement. This is something that is easy to understand because there is no such thing as a 'perfect' diver or a 'perfect' system - everything is constantly evolving based on what is already learned. The day I decide that I've 'found' it and stop looking, is the day I become most dangerous for myself and possibly others.
Everyone needs to be chasing how to "Do it Right'. Is the only path through GUE? I personally doubt it - although without doubt going the GUE way is probably great for many people.