generally speaking, DIR divers are seen (right or wrong) as johnnie-come-latelies
with more cash to spend on equipment than common sense
DIR divers are generally perceived as "unfriendly" because they "only dive with
other DIR" divers
i've gotten (friendly) flack for having passed DIR-F from otherwise very
nice divers eyebrow
other than a computer, my setup is strictly DIR. i have gotten no comments on the equipment or configuration. it's never been an issue on the three cave
classes i've taken so far (cavern, cave intro, apprentice)
i think some cave divers down here see DIR (and DIR divers) as telling everyone
else that no one can dive well if they're not DIR (right or wrong).
i think this has a lot to do with the cave diver's ignorance and insecurities.
many cave divers don't have either issue.
if 0 were work-place friendly and 100 were Nazi Germany persecuting the Jews, i'd say any "hostility" towards DIR divers is about a 10 to 20 ... not bad at all, actually.