Tank bands for stages (yes or no)

[The Chairman]

Hey all,

You know, I take offense at the last statement... just because I am not a DIR diver, does not mean that I can not benefit from SOME of their gear set-ups. Or even use what I want to use and leave the rest of the crap behind. I have no reason to quibble about how "stringent" the DIR/GUE crowd wants to be... that’s their choice. To infer that LY, or myself are merely accidents waiting to happen comes from a total lack of respect for other diver's view points. Our actual safety has nothing to do with it. This may not bother some (mostly DIR/GUE people doing the bashing), but for many of us who see no need to dive 10 hours straight and have deco tables for different gasses memorized, we see it as non-DIR bashing.

That’s right... the very thing many of the DIR crowd accuse us strokers of, is actually what many (not all) of the DIR crowd are guilty of: bashing the other side! Smacks of hypocrisy, doesn't it?

Now whether you agree with or disagree with Ed is of little concern to me. The man asked questions and did not accept the answers he was given at face value and he was attacked! He then asked for clarifications and he was deemed a threat to himself and to others. These assumptions were made without ever having dove with him either. Whether he wanted to string the DIR way or not, was not the issue. He asked what others were doing, just as I would do when I don't understand something. What a shame. I fully understand the vehemence with which he wrote.

This might be a shock, BUT... You don't have to be a "true" DIR/GUE diver to dive safely in an open water environment... or a wreck... or even a cave... or where ever you have the training to go. DIR divers belong to a strict discipline that seems to have a great track record... hell, DIVING in general has a great track record compared to other sports. I respect and admire much of what I do see. Still, it's not the only discipline in the water and you are not SCUBA gods; beyond reproach or discernment. If you continue to treat the rest of us divers as "strokers", do not feel that our collective disdain for you is without merit. In your exclusionary fraternity attitude, you have made many a people first cringe at how you treat others, and then sooner or later start to resent your "holier than thou" diving mantra.

As a caveat, let me point out that it is probably not MOST or even many of the DIR crew who feel this way... just a vocal minority. Unfortunately, the few bad apples make the rest of the diving community very concerned about what the real attitude is. GUE's website makes the statement that they do not consider other ways of diving "wrong" but they had simply chosen this way as "best". This is a far cry from some of the posts I have read. I could live with this diplomatic distinction, but not that I am just an "accident waiting to happen"...

Consider me... the Stroker's Advocate! :devilish:

-you can continue to ignore me now-

 

[Lost Yooper]

DIRish -- I'm only about 95% and have a couple minor/irrelevant things to do yet. For all practical purposes, I dive DIR both in gear selection and attitude (a good attitude, I hope) and find it to be nothing short of an awesome diving system.
I'll never be 100% as I don't intend to go 3 miles inside of a 300' deep cave with the WKPP where their standards have to be exceptionally strict -- which they should be. If you are not 100% DIR doing those type of dives, with that group of divers, then you may very well be an accident waiting to happen. Considering they haven't had a fatality in seven years (since Irvine took over) doing record breaking cave dives, then either they're doing something right, or it's just luck.
Thier success as well as the simple and well thought out gear selection made it impossible for ME to ignore. My own success with the system (as well as those I dive with) diving deep cold water wrecks has only increased my confidence that DIR is great. The DIR system of diving is at least worth taking a look at, especially if you are into technically oriented diving.

Mike

 

[rcohn]

Your profile says "Cert Level: pending ". Care to explain that? I would just like to know the depth of experience that enables you to provide us with such expert opinions.

Ralph

 

[Blargh]

FYI, folks, I wasnt attempting to bash anyone or anything, and my side-sweep at LY was more or less a literal repeat of what I personally tend to find most irritating in the whole DIR dogma.

Being that, as far as I can recall, LY is indeed a DIR proponent, I find it only fair that he gets on the receiving end of a joke for a change... apologies if I've misremembered, or misrepresented my intention. [1]

Furthermore, I certainly do not recall implying passing any judgement on LY or anyone else in this thread, so please refrain from putting words in my mouth. (Fingers?)

Besides, I'm sure I put a smiley at the end of my post, right? ... right ?

Oh, and wrt "cert level pending" - I've had to postpone that ow class since May several times for a number of reasons beyong my control, and this being a very sore subject, I'd appreciate people stay off it, tia....

------------------
[1] Yes, I do get misunderestimated a lot

 

[blacknet]

Hello,

I hate to break the flow of an interesting conversation but I believe the topic is "stage bands" and how everyone is using them and what they are using. Not some misguided "dir" 3 mile cave trek (obviously there's nothing "right" about doing caves as the "right" people are those who don't enter enviroments like this cept those who have valid reasons like scientist, engineers, commercial or military.)

Ed

 

[Lost Yooper]

-- obviously there's nothing "right" about doing caves as the "right" people are those who don't enter enviroments like this -- This may well be one of the few statements you've made that I genuinely agree with. There is definately something not "right" about those nutt cases. They must have some serious screws loose.

Mike

Sory for the tangeant.

 

[The Chairman]

Hey Blargh and all,

I know that a joke can be read differently on the internet then the way you had intended it. That has happened to me. We lose the nuances of sight and sound. It was just the mean spirited posts that preceded yours that made me "miss-read" it. It was sort of the straw that broke the camel's back. There was a plea early on in this thread for civility, and I thought it went down hill from there. This is not what I have come to expect on this board, and I hope that the ones who have "crossed" the line take a hard look at themselves...

As for certs and qualifications... no one owes me a thing. I can see through stupidity, as I can marvel at genius. As a Network consultant I have seen more than my share of MCSE certified dolts who have no idea how to fix a network. However, I keep it to myself when they screw up. That’s right, I see them for who they are and then refrain from insulting them. I don't need to tear others down to inflate my own ego. Oh yeah, if they ask me how I figured out the problem, I gladly tell them... all at $85 an hour.

 

[blacknet]

Hello,

Of all the cavers I talked to and ask "why do you cave dive?" the best answer was from the archeologist who was studying fossil formations, the scientist who studies bacteria/algae or the public safety guy who did body retrievals, without a doubt the lowest on the list are the people (note plural form) who state "cause it's cool/just because". Seems to me that the ones you hear boasting about the profile are the later groups.

It is NOT about the dive profile but the QUALITY of the dive.

Ed

 

[Blargh]

NetDoc: hey , no problem I should have put more smileys in anyways....(mea culpa, iow)

(and dont get me started on msce's... please... tis a big subject and completely off topic at that, hehe )

 

[omar]

net doc,

you got a mirror?

omar