Too Hot, Too Cold Buddies

[chrpai]

I was recently told that someone I know is a fellow diver. We started talking it up and within 30 seconds I realized this guy was a complete snob and completely useless to me.

Within rapid fire I found out a number of pieces of information which if disclosed would probably reveal his identity. So I'll simply say that he's claimed to be a technical diver / instructor with associations with various members of the GUE / DIR community.

Within 30 seconds he scoffed at diving locally in Lake Travis and scoffed at the notion he'd ever dive with me. Without having heard a word from me about who I am as a diver and what I like to do, he basically invoked rule #1 and said that there are only a handful of people he'd ever dive with and that it was highly unlikely I'd ever make that list. Even when I mentioned my awareness and interest in the DIR philosophy he still looked down at me like I was nothing.

He then went on to talk like a typical blow hard know it all..... about the cool diving that he does and all the things he knows. It was like meeting a typical DIR zealot from 10 years ago.

I pretty much got silent and just let him finish up so that he'd move along to someone else's office. After he left I commented to a non-diving coworker who witnessed it all: "well, he's pretty much useless to me" and he understood replying "some divers are a complete wreck and not safe to dive with and some divers are so wrapped up into being "elite" that they wouldn't possibly want to dive with you".

I know that his attitude doesn't represent the DIR community (of today at least). But jeesh, it just kills me how hard it can be to find community with like minded, compatible divers.

 

[Anthony A.]

Little people like to feel big. I bet theres only a handful of people who would dive with him, not the other way around.

 

[crosshairs]

Within 30 seconds he scoffed at diving locally in Lake Travis and scoffed at the notion he'd ever dive with me. Without having heard a word from me about who I am as a diver and what I like to do, he basically invoked rule #1 and said that there are only a handful of people he'd ever dive with and that it was highly unlikely I'd ever make that list. Even when I mentioned my awareness and interest in the DIR philosophy he still looked down at me like I was nothing.

He then went on to talk like a typical blow hard know it all..... about the cool diving that he does and all the things he knows. It was like meeting a typical DIR zealot from 10 years ago.

Sounds like a real winner.....and not someone I would likely dive with.....his loss, not mine.
I'm a good safe diver and I like to have fun....after having to listen to him topside, I would probably choke him out underwater

 

[rongoodman]

I'm still waiting to run into a "typical DIR zealot", as opposed to the all the internet legends about them. My sidemount harness has never attracted one, but maybe the rebreather will flush them out.

 

[chrpai]

I'm still waiting to run into a "typical DIR zealot", as opposed to the all the internet legends about them. My sidemount harness has never attracted one, but maybe the rebreather will flush them out.

Actually I wrote "typical DIR zealot from 10 years ago". I don't know how else to say it when the conversation goes:

bunch of stuff about diving including DIR followed by:

Me: "Maybe we could go diving some day."
Him: "Oh I doubt that. I'm very selective who I dive with."
Me: "I'm a very safe diver with about 12 years of experience and 120 dives last year. Trust me, I'm no stroke."
Him: "Well, at least you know what the word is. I only dive with [GUE and WKPP name dropping]."

 

[BVickery]

I've been fortunate to not have met any of the old zealots. My interaction with the DIR/GUE group has been TSandM, Dan Volcker (sorry if I mangled your name) and Kate from Atlanta. All were eager to share what they learned and not from 'this is the right way to dive' but came off more as the 'Hey, check this out. I found this system makes sense to me, it may to you." And not once was I meant to feel like a stroke.

 

[chrpai]

It's strange how small a world it is. Kate and I just happen to work for the same company and we shared a cup of coffee last year. She seemed very nice.

This really isn't meant to be a DIR rant. I provided that information just to give some context. It's really just a frustration with how hard it is sometimes to find the right buddies. The "too cold" aspect could be twisted that I too am sometimes a snob and I try not to be. I usually will dive with anyone at least once or twice. There have been a few that I didn't want to dive with but that was after diving with them first and realizing it just wasn't going to work out

 

[Steve_C]

At least you found out he was a jerk in 30 seconds. Better that then have to find out later with more time invested.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Actually I wrote "typical DIR zealot from 10 years ago". I don't know how else to say it when the conversation goes:

bunch of stuff about diving including DIR followed by:

Me: "Maybe we could go diving some day."
Him: "Oh I doubt that. I'm very selective who I dive with."
Me: "I'm a very safe diver with about 12 years of experience and 120 dives last year. Trust me, I'm no stroke."
Him: "Well, at least you know what the word is. I only dive with [GUE and WKPP name dropping]."

I got no problem with that... He told you what group of people he will dive with and you aren't in it... regardless of your "interest" in it...

Did you tell him how many of those 120 dives were in a lake?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I've known a few of the DIR internet zealots from the early days of GUE. Fortunately, only one of them was a jerk in real life. After years of arguing with everyone, ranting about everyone else's diving style and lots of name-calling he is no longer diving. He used to rip on me about diving solo, deep air and even who I dived with. I'm still diving, and enjoying it as much or more as I was when I was new. I've learned to let people like that talk all they want, joke about them and let it go.