GUE/DIR as cult

[ElectricZombie]

Hi Lawman,

You have accomplished absolutely nothing with this post.

Doing some research about DIR would have been helpful prior to you posting.

Perhaps if you had a specific question or criticism of DIR/GUE, people would be a bit nicer in their replies. Just saying that DIR is similiar to a cult is not a question, but a personal statment of opinion.

For the record, all of the DIR divers that I know (myself included) do not behave like cult members. As you will probably come to realize, most of them could care less how you dive or what equiptment you choose. They only start to care if you are diving with them and it is a safety issue. Most of them are really nice guys that are just really obsessed with diving. Some can be jerks at times but this is the exception rather than the rule.

If anything, it seems like the non-DIR people are the ones that are hostile. They don't understand how everything works so, they become critical of it.

I'm going to go outside now and sacrifice a jacket BC to the DIR god. Anyone have any bungie wings to burn on the alter?

 

[devilfish]

ElectricZombie once bubbled...

If anything, it seems like the non-DIR people are the ones that are hostile. They don't understand how everything works so, they become critical of it.

"EVERYTHING"? I am sure that you are not speaking for all those who took DIR training. Everything is a pretty big word.

 

[Lawman]

If you look back over what I said, as opposed to what you think I said, I don't have much opinion of GUE or DIR. I merely noticed that GUE seems to be cult like in it's structure and the strength of it's followers beliefs. Within a few hours there are over 50 posts, most roundly condeming me for saying anything about GUE. Look them over, it's true. My curosity is not about how long someones regulator hose is or how many tanks they wear. I wonder about the extreme emotion generated by something as mundane as a scuba diving technique. No body has addressed 1] the cult similarity or 2] why the high emotion. I don't give a hoot about GUE as a training method. I've read the stuff and I'm not interested. I am interested in why it's followers react the way they do. Granted the literal minded have difficulty grasping irony or abstract discussion, but there must be some GUEster who wonders about those two issues ie:cult characteristics and emotional investment.
Try addressing those two things without the ad hominum attacks.

 

[jamiei]

I just read through this thread and thought I'd say a couple things just from my experience. I'm not saying anything bad about DIR at all, but from what I've seen from DIR divers (those that proclaim it... i didn't even know you were EZ) they seem to feel like i'm an inferior diver if I don't go the DIR way and follow their example. I personally have gotten the vibe from the DIR divers that I have had contact with that if I don't choose to dive DIR, then i'm some kind of loser. Don't get me wrong and don't jump all over me here because like I said, this is only what I've experienced and I don't hold judgement that all that dive DIR have the same attitude. I just have a slight bad taste in my mouth over it.

There's been a big deal (rightly so) over Lawman's failure to present himself properly and be direct about what it is he wants so I'll throw this out for those that are more informed than myself to address. I have become aquainted with a really nice seeming guy that owns a fairly new dive shop in Ontario. He has tried to sell me on GUE, but I've also heard a lot of negative talk about what GUE does with the funds from memberships fees. In particular I've heard complaints about GUE spending money more to fund personal diving exploits for GUE "founders" instead of using these funds to do something that will benefit the actual diving community and in particular, the GUE members themselves. This concerns me because these complaints seem to be coming directly from GUE members and not those outside GUE that are only trying to cause problems. I hope no one takes offense to anything I've said as I am only asking for others' opinions and not making any assertions myself.

 

[Aquamaniac]

Jamie, (and others)
1.One must be cautious when accusing others without factual evidence, and based on heresay.

2. I was sceptical of DIR philosophy initialy, I thought it was all a bit of hoopla, but decided to read up anyway. The more I read, the more I realized the merits of the methods. I couldnt argue a single point (well other than the colors issue). I am not a DIR diver (yet), but now I use almost the same gear that they do.
No cult reasons, no elitism reasons, no peer group reasons, It just purely made sense to me.

The reaction I get at some dive sites is another subject all together, and Im not even DIR!!!!. But that has been done to death as well, here and elsewhere.

 

[MNScuba]

I found the reply button once again...

Just be happy, be safe, and dive... Who cares what you want to call it.

I have talked with some DIR-type people, didn't seem cult like to me...

There are hyped up divers on all ends of the spectrum who need to quit *****ing and dive. Can I say that word here?

 

[Tavi]

jamiei once bubbled...
but I've also heard a lot of negative talk about what GUE does with the funds from memberships fees. In particular I've heard complaints about GUE spending money more to fund personal diving exploits for GUE "founders" instead of using these funds to do something that will benefit the actual diving community and in particular, the GUE members themselves. This concerns me because these complaints seem to be coming directly from GUE members and not those outside GUE that are only trying to cause problems. I hope no one takes offense to anything I've said as I am only asking for others' opinions and not making any assertions myself.

Check this out Jamie
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15393&highlight=GUE

 

[ElectricZombie]

Lawman,


Don't take my previous post the wrong way, I was not trying to be mean or anything.



1. As for being cultlike, DIR is not. (I'm leaving out the GUE part. DIR is a system and GUE is a money making/exloration organizaion)

I think for something to be a cult, there needs to be a sort of blind allegiance...sort of a "lets do it this way just because" attitude. (There probably are some DIR divers like this because they themselves don't really know the reasoning behind the way certain things are done in DIR)

As a lot of people here on the board have stated, they decided to go DIR after doing a lot of research on the system. Not to mention in the process, they replaced lots of other gear that probably cost a ton. They made their own decision...what they deemed to be the "best" decision. I don't see the cult comparison.

It's all relative too. When I go out on a charter (Never seen anyone with a DIR rig), everyone else looks like the cult memeber to me. I don't tell them their wrong, I just dive.


2. People do get emotional if someone questions the way he or she does something. This is true for DIR and non DIR divers alike. If someone tells me my 7ft hose is stupid and useless (not that you did, just an example), I have a similiar reaction to when someone tells a student that his jacket bc is a piece of junk.


Anway, it doesn't really matter. People are going to dive whatever way they choose. I'm not really too concerned with what they choose as I have found what works for me.

 

[Uncle Pug]

I remember hearing about a despicable fellow who tied two dog's tails together so he could watch the carnage.

The poor dogs didn't know who their real enemy was.

I wish they could have figured it out.

 

[Rooster1]

Uncle Pug once bubbled...
I remember hearing about a despicable fellow who tied two dog's tails together so he could watch the carnage.

The poor dogs didn't know who their real enemy was.

I wish they could have figured it out.

Pug.........Whos worse those who troll, or those who respond???????????????????????????????????????????????????