Seeking the DIR Answer: Must DIR Shops be Committed?

[RiverRat]

Because much of the time, people are trying to find holes in the methodology so they can attack it and call us all lemmings.

Well to be honest I find it hard to find holes in the system myself. And I'm not out to attack anyone, including the system. Although I may not agree 100% with everything just yet. But that's a different topic. I can honestly see why some folks including the OP feel a certain way about DIR. And I thought it prudent to bring in my own observations, from someone on the outside that has started to adopt a bit of the system if you will.

 

[Steve R]

I don't think anyone owes me anything. But it seems to me if I were paying to learn something, and hopefully adopt a methodology, I might get a warmer responce. Why is the DIR community always on the defence when these types of questions are asked?

Dude, the last thing I need to do is defend the DIR system. It speaks quite well on it's own, thank you very much.

I was merely responding to the point that you can't or do not want to get DIR training or mentorship for a variety of excuses, which I see as your problem, and not a DIR one.

I understand you're not going to fly up to Ontario this weekend, but Saturday I am doing a gratis day for a guy that wants to learn and wants me to help him out. On Sunday I am starting an AOW class, which are DIR driven events as is all of our courses. It should be obvious that we have nothing to do with GUE, we simply follow and teach DIR diving principles and we make no apologies for it.

So if in butt-screw Ontario you can easily find it, I'm pretty sure if you really wanted to you could find it in your neighbourhood and see for yourself actually how helpful people can be, but of course you have to show up with that open mind Jeff spoke about.

Get in there and bend somebody's ear and tell them what you want.

 

[riguerin]

I don't think anyone owes me anything. But it seems to me if I were paying to learn something, and hopefully adopt a methodology, I might get a warmer responce.

My experience has been that even the strictest practitioners of the system have always been more than willing to help those who are genuinely interested in learning.

 

[TSandM]

Who exactly was it, River Rat, who told you nobody would dive with you?

Maybe things are different in the East, but on the West Coast, DIR people seem to be among the most willing to take on and mentor divers. It happens here in Seattle, it happens in Monterey, and it happens in Los Angeles. I see mentoring dives or skills dives advertised here on SB frequently in all of those places (uh . . . we HAVE kind of fallen down in the Seattle area this year, but I'm doing the same thing more privately).

There are always individual jerks in any group, and it's true that a preexisting team might not want to break up to include you on some special dive (eg. wreck charter) or something close to the divers' individual limits, but not to be willing to dive with you and help? If that's true, it's sad.

 

[RiverRat]

I was merely responding to the point that you can't or do not want to get DIR training or mentorship for a variety of excuses, which I see as your problem, and not a DIR one.

I guess you could look at that as an "excuse", fair enough. It's easy to make excuses as my old Karate instructor once told me. I did however take a course to get in shape for fundies and do plan on taking the 2nd one. Like I said I thought the training was fantastic and I got a lot out of it. And you're right, it's not a DIR problem. The only thing keeping me from the 2nd course now is a $ issue. But that's ok for now I have plenty of stuff to work on.

I was merely making reference to perceived attitudes. But I can blow that off.

Get in there and bend somebody's ear and tell them what you want.

That's good advice, I think I'll heed it and see where it goes.

 

[RiverRat]

Who exactly was it, RiverRat, who told you nobody would dive with you?

Like I said, just an observation. To be fair I'm going to proceed and see if I maybe took it the wrong way. Sometimes people say things but they don't realize how it's being perceived. We're all human. What I'm going to do is approach this head on and see if I can fix it. But yeah, I think in general the East Coast is a bit more "stuck up" if you will and the West is more laid back from what I see.

 

[JeffG]

I asked, while learning some DIR stuff, that if I showed up at a place to dive, as a single diver, would I be able to hookup with some DIR divers to practice with. The answer I got was " ahhh you could.....but I doubt you'd find anyone there wiilling to dive with you".

But it seems to me if I were paying to learn something, and hopefully adopt a methodology, I might get a warmer responce.

Reading what you said...doesn't sound like you were paying for anything.

Why is the DIR community always on the defence when these types of questions are asked?

Because of the misinformation that is spread. Quite frankly, look at your statements. On one hand you are commenting on showing up for a dive and then another saying "Well, I shouldn't get that kind of attitude if I'm paying", which are two different things.

 

[Warren_L]

Like I said, just an observation. To be fair I'm going to proceed and see if I maybe took it the wrong way. Sometimes people say things but they don't realize how it's being perceived. We're all human. What I'm going to do is approach this head on and see if I can fix it. But yeah, I think in general the East Coast is a bit more "stuck up" of you will and the West is more laid back from what I see.

While we're not exactly east coast around Ontario where Steve R and I am, it's never been an issue gaining mentorship if that's what you're after. Lots of GUE trained divers from DIR-F to Tech 2 who are more than willing to dive and help out. There are a few who aren't so "helpful" (to be diplomatic), but I'd say that is generally the exception.

 

[RiverRat]

Reading what you said...doesn't sound like you were paying for anything.

Yes I paid for a course. I learned. At the end I asked what my chances were of hooking up with DIR divers to practice what I just learned. I explained the responce I got.

Because of the misinformation that is spread. Quite frankly, look at your statements. On one hand you are commenting on showing up for a dive and then another saying "Well, I shouldn't get that kind of attitude if I'm paying", which are two different things.

What I'm trying to say is that, now that I had some defined skills, ie: frog kick, helicopter, DIR "trim" if you will, and a better mindset to get into this stuff, AND I just paid for a course, kind of moot, but still reinforces that I'm committed to learn this to some degree, I would think I would have gotten a different answer, "maybe talk to his guy" or " try to hookup with the other students in your class" or "this divemaster is always looking to practice" NOT "yeah you could show up but I doubt you'd find anyone willing to dive with you".

Sounds a bit "standoffish" to me.

I don't care what anyone says, what if that was my answer to YOU when you were learning? Anyone?

 

[JeffG]

"maybe talk to his guy" or " try to hookup with the other students in your class" or "this divemaster is always looking to practice" NOT "yeah you could show up but I doubt you'd find anyone willing to dive with you".

Sounds a bit "standoffish" to me.

Actually, it sounds like there is way more to the story than this.


If this is the scenario....

If I was on a course with another diver and at the end of the course I told him that I wouldn't dive with him.

I know what would make me say that...but I don't think you would like the answer.