New DIR diver

[MBH]

Give the dude a break. At least he's heading in the right direction. Getting him into a BP/W, learning proper trim, bouyancy control, and situational awareness Befor he takes GUE-F is a good thing.

At least he's trying...and I sure as hell can't fault him for that. I mean we all have to start somewhere. I haven't had GUE-F yet, but I dive with a few DIR people who seem to think that I'm fairly well squared away.

 

[DIR-Atlanta]

Give the dude a break. At least he's heading in the right direction. Getting him into a BP/W, learning proper trim, bouyancy control, and situational awareness Befor he takes GUE-F is a good thing.

I agree - you all need to take a powder. Here's a guy who is in the process of adopting a DIR approach to his diving, and is coming to the DIR forum for help and advice. He is clearly trying to get better as a diver, and instead of offering encouragement, you all berate him for not being "DIR enough". This type of attitude is what gives DIR divers such a bad rap.

I have a news flash for you all - like a great many things, being "DIR enough" is not like a light switch that you turn on and off. We all have good days and bad days, and as a result, none of us is ever going to be "DIR enough", at least at any given point in our DIR journey (and it is a "journey"). The best we can do is try to be better at it all the time, and just learn to accept the fact that we won't always succeed at that.

I apologize for the tirade, but it had to be said.

At least he's trying...and I sure as hell can't fault him for that. I mean we all have to start somewhere.

Couldn't have said it better. Nobody becomes a DIR diver overnight, but this guy sure won't progress any further if we chase him away now.

 

[dsteding]

Unfortunately, most of this conflict was started not by a DIR diver but by someone trolling in the DIR forum:

Can you be a DIR diver without DIR training?
Does accepting the DIR style make you a DIR diver?
Does a long hose make you a DIR diver?
Do DIR divers have a monopoply on gas management?

 

[JeffG]

Unfortunately, most of this conflict was started not by a DIR diver but by someone trolling in the DIR forum:

You see troll

I see an obvious truth.

Which maybe the OP doesn't know.

Especially since he was given a BP/wing by a non-DIR diver (self described) and now claims he is going DIR.

 

[ianr33]

I wasn't trolling.
And it seems I agree with JeffG !!!! So it has come to this

Question: What makes a diver a DIR diver? Can you be DIR if you have not taken Fundies??

And to the OP,I also applaud you for being serious about your diving,whether it be DIR,Hogarthian or whatever.

 

[rjack321]

Question: What makes a diver a DIR diver? Can you be DIR if you have not taken Fundies??

Yes but its a long slow road of mentoring. DIRF didn't used to exist so the old paths are still out there.

 

[JeffG]

Yes but its a long slow road of mentoring. DIRF didn't used to exist so the old paths are still out there.

IMO...Fundies isn't enough by itself either. But I do agree that fundies is good way to speed up the process.

 

[rjack321]

IMO...Fundies isn't enough by itself either. But I do agree that fundies is good way to speed up the process.

You're right, takes a team and appropriate experience too.

 

[jeckyll]

You guys are talking about someone who's profile shows they have 0-24 dives. Who knows where they got their info from, some dive shop where the employees think anything with a longhose = DIR?

No offense, but I think that jumping all over someone that's new is a bit harsh. Pointing them at some resources to help them 1) understand a bit more about DIR and 2) may help them to get there would seem to me to be the way to go.

Sure, it gets tiring to see the same posts repeating the same erroneous assumptions again and again, but it seems like here is someone who _wants_ to find out more, which, IMO, should be encouraged.

My $0.02.

sphawley: As you can gather from this thread, there is a whole lot more to DIR than the equipment. Some places you can find information about this:
-The stickies' at the top of the forum
-Gue.com
-dir-diver.com (check out this essay DIR-diver.com - DIR - An essay)
-direxplorers.com (UK based, but you may find some interesting information there)

There are probably a large number of resources other people may recommend.

Good luck.

Bjorn

 

[BarryNL]

I wasn't trolling.
And it seems I agree with JeffG !!!! So it has come to this

Yeah, some people here seem to yell 'troll' at every opportunity, unfortunately.

Question: What makes a diver a DIR diver? Can you be DIR if you have not taken Fundies??

As I mentioned earlier, in my mind it's the commitment to skills, safety and team diving that sets DIR apart from most diving. I happen to think you can be more "DIR" in a jacket BCD with an octopus if you have the right attitude than someone who, for example, solo dives in a DIR/Hogarthian setup.

Indeed, the DIR-NL group that I dive with is happy to have people with PADI style equipment provided they have a commitment to work towards DIR.