Very strange thread -- would you dive with me?

[CamG]

In my short time of trolling and participating here on Scuba Board I have learned a wealth of information about diving and divers. It has been enlightening, discouraging, hilarious, and aggravating at times. Through out it all I have come to know several members in a real way with out ever meeting them. When they make a post I can hear their words and know their personality in them. You are one of these that I have come to know and respect very much. Your presence here has been a driving force for many a starting diver I consider myself one of those. You have made no excuses of your origins as a diver and the struggles you overcame. Thus the reason I would dive with you is simply YOU KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE A FLEDGLING DIVER! Am I saying that you have to baby sit, NO WAY. What I am saying is that you are willing to take on new divers to mentor them out of the fledgling phase into a more experienced competent safe diver. This is who you are and you like to pass on the passion for diving to others as your mentors have done for you!
This is the TSandM / Lynne that I have come to know and respect.
CaveDiver, and way to many to mentions and do it well have made it very clear.
Please do not remove or change your avatar unless YOU want to! Do not alter or stop posting like you have unless YOU want to. I know you better you can not change who you are, just stick to it! Many of us owe a lot to the online mentors of which you belong to.
NWGratefulldiver THANK YOU for being a mentor to a new diver! Your time and efforts have really made a difference in the diving universe.
Lynne do as you wish but never loose your spirit here you are a positive force on SB!
I plan to actually get out to the NW coast in the next two years God willing. I am starting to spread my sea legs so to speak. You and your dive brothers and sisters are on the top of my dive with list!
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[ONESPEED]

I would dive with anyone.

Pirate?

 

[Kingpatzer]

Sometimes I think everybody has an image of DIR/tech/cave divers as humorless, intense people with a military approach to diving. No fun allowed! Nothing could be further from the truth

It certainly seems to be the way the subject is talked about by the majority of such divers here, and it is certainly their reputation outside of these boards. The history of DIR is one of DIR trained divers being quite vocal about their elite training status compared to the rest of the world. A problem organizations like GUE seem to have recognized as they are trying (unsuccessfully at this point) to distance themselves from the DIR label and all the negative connotations associated with it.

There is an awful lot of talk about the drills and how the divers who don't take diving that seriously and whose training isn't that intense are inadequately trained and shouldn't be diving.

Not to mention that the DIR folks, diving in teams on their own boats, are almost never seen by the recreational divers diving the resort 6-pacs.

Given all of that, is it surprising that such a view would be fairly common?

Lynne . . . you are a positive force on SB!

In a sea of often highly contentious and negative attitudes towards recreational divers, that is a huge +1.

 

[mrfixitchapman]

Pirate?

+1 for you. Beat me to it.

Do not say Poseidon.

DC

 

[nelia1978]

I would for sure dive with you and would love to get your input on how I should or what i need to improve on as a new diver. I did read your story as to when you first started diving, starting with the pool sessions.. What I believe is that everyone must start somewhere, and no one was just given the gift of expert diving.. I know as a new diver, i do get intimidated at times with more seasoned divers but hey, I must learn from their experiences. The more i learn, hopefully the less stupid things i do as a new diver, and become a much safer diver..

 

[D_B]

What Steve said.

I'm sad to see you might change to accommodate the insecurities of others. However, I also understand your love of mentoring.

The only reason this vacation diver would not dive with you is that freaking' Artic slush you dive in!

Should you wish to dive the Sea of Cortex, let me know . . .

Sent via Mobile.

" ... that freaking' Artic slush you dive in"

thanks for making me laugh out loud

I too wish you to keep your avatar

 

[Lead_carrier]

Well, let's see. Your avatar is the Borg Queen, no one I want to get close to, and your name is somewhat reminiscent of a "perversion". .

That's why I WOULD want to dive with her.

Seriously, I wouldn't have a problem with it simply because I don't know you and you don't know me. As long as we were good buddies on a dive that's great. If I don't meet your expectations or you don't meet mine, at the end of the dive we can say thanks but no thanks for the next one.

 

[captain]

It certainly seems to be the way the subject is talked about by the majority of such divers here, and it is certainly their reputation outside of these boards. The history of DIR is one of DIR trained divers being quite vocal about their elite training status compared to the rest of the world. A problem organizations like GUE seem to have recognized as they are trying (unsuccessfully at this point) to distance themselves from the DIR label and all the negative connotations associated with it.

There is an awful lot of talk about the drills and how the divers who don't take diving that seriously and whose training isn't that intense are inadequately trained and shouldn't be diving.

Not to mention that the DIR folks, diving in teams on their own boats, are almost never seen by the recreational divers diving the resort 6-pacs.

Given all of that, is it surprising that such a view would be fairly common?



In a sea of often highly contentious and negative attitudes towards recreational divers, that is a huge +1.

Good points, do any other activities have the same dynamics amoung it participants. Do 10,000 hour, multi engine instrument rated pilots take the same view that a private single engine, VFR pilot with 500 hours is inadequately trained and shouldn't be flying.

 

[Kingpatzer]

Good points, do any other activities have the same dynamics amoung it participants. Do 10,000 hour, multi engine instrument rated pilots take the same view that a private single engine, VFR pilot with 500 hours is inadequately trained and shouldn't be flying.

I can't speak to that example, but I can talk about my military experience (something that I just realized in another thread is a fairly interesting analogy to what's going on here).

I was in a unit who trained medical personnel ranging of all skill levels from still-in training medical clerks to special operations medical nco's, to medical unit commanders, doctors, nurses, etc..

The dynamic there was different than I see here. We certainly recognized that those spec ops guys were better soldiers than we'd ever hope to be.

They were the epitome of elite and we had the greatest respect for them. But when training was done, they'd be at the after-hours party with us and sitting at our tables and we'd all be talking about everything from our families to our various experiences in the military.

There was no sense from them that they had to belittle our training, or that we had to bow down to them for theirs. They respected the fact that we were all in the same service more than they were concerned about different levels of training. And those of us who weren't at that level respected the heck out of their capabilities, effort and training.

The only time I saw this not be the case was when someone with far less experience and training would take on a posture of being elite within the presence of those who truly where. The results of that were often humorous to those watching, but it basically amounted to polite, but matter-of-fact rebukes without any expression of derision.

Where I did see some derision was when doctors and nurses would presume that their external military training counted for something. That any of us cared that they went to medical school. But that would be akin in diving I suspect to someone thinking that how much money they had to buy gear with made a difference.

I had the honor of meeting a fellow who had earned an CMOH. I recall he spent all of his time asking other people about their careers and had very little interest in talking about his own.

My experience, in a nutshell, was that the best were perfectly ok with the idea that everyone starts somewhere, and that sometimes those with little (and even admittedly inadequate) training where happy where they were; and moreover, it was more than acceptable, it was right to take pride in being in the service without regard to how elite one's training.

 

[shoredivr]

Not to mention that the DIR folks, diving in teams on their own boats, are almost never seen by the recreational divers diving the resort 6-pacs.

KP, it's not exactly like that here in parts of Ontario. If I go to, say, Humber Bay in Toronto, or Barrie on Lake Simcoe, or Centeen Park, Brockville on the St Lawrence River, I am shore diving around GUE trained divers it seems every time I dive there. If I took a charter boat out of Kingston, Ontario, the likelihood is that other divers on that charter would be GUE divers. if I take a certain charter out of Tobermory that does more technical diving, chances are that some of the divers on that charter are GUE trained, too.

Since many divers are at Humber Bay, for example, the general public sees divers from many training agencies on a regular basis.