Very strange thread -- would you dive with me?

[Deep South Divers]

Would YOU dive with me? And if not, why not?

I don't know... What attributes do you think you could bring to the Rebel Dive Team?

Honestly, we're a pretty picky bunch, and we'd have to see you dive before considering you as a member, who would certainly be relied on at times for the success or failure of the team's goals. Additionally, every diver is tasked to keep all of the other team members alive, so do you think you're the kind of person that could handle having someone else's life in your hands? At depth? When the fit hits the shan?

Even after becoming a diver on our team, you might still not be "first string." You may only be a backup diver. Which diver in the water do you think the most important one is?

See, THAT's the problem! I want to figure out how to dispel this . . .

Dispel what? Are you uncomfortable with the fact that your presence intimidates? Why? Diving isn't about attitudes or intimidation or what people think... It's about diving. Do it, and the world will follow. If they don't, then you're still diving, and they aren't, so what difference does it make what they think?

Assuming that somehow, for some reason, you are deeply concerned about what other people think, then:

1. Know that I have been on this board for the better part of a decade, either participating or lurking. I have watched your posts and your growth. I have a lot of respect for you and the things you say. If it matters to you what others think, then know that I think you're a great attribute to this board. Your posts are always well thought out, friendly, straightforward and educated. Your expressed opinions also always seem to be rooted, grounded, educated and experienced.

2. Your avatar is intimidating. Your name is intimidating. Apparently this surprises you. Change your avatar to a friendly, smiling face in a wetsuit and you'll see an immediate difference on how others perceive you. You can't change your user name unless you change accounts - but it won't matter if you get rid of the photo of the pasty white humanoid alien borg looking-down-her-nose-at-you avatar.

...Not that I don't like your avatar - I do - but it gives the appearance of intimidation.

For what it's worth, I do not watch Star Trek, and for the longest time I had no idea that your avatar was NOT you.

..And until this thread, I thought your name was a sexual reference. And not the loving, man-and-wife kind of sexual reference, but a slave-and-mistress kind of sexual reference.

Perhaps you're unaware that the impression your name and avatar give is inconsistent with the impression that you apparently WANT to give... If that's the case, then now you know.

 

[cbrich]

When I read a long thread, I always like what you have to say. In my mind you are the one of the most informative people on here, and anyone can learn a thing or two from you. Anyone that gets to dive you should be honored, and when I make my way up to the wrecks in your area, I might just hitting you up as a dive buddy, and dive guide; but this is many years away.

 

[tight rope walker]

Afraid to dive.......or afraid to dive with you? I guess I am a little confused, as usual.

I would dive with you, I would just need to know what kind of gear you have.

I mean, I always like to know what kind of gear my partner has, in case I need any of it.

I always need that little incentive.

 

[Deep South Divers]

I would dive with you, I would just need to know what kind of gear you have.

I mean, I always like to know what kind of gear my partner has, in case I need any of it.

 

[tight rope walker]

Oh, I do wreck diving also.

But new gear is hard to pass up.

 

[HenrikBP]

Would YOU dive with me?

You bet I'm not easily intimidated

Henrik

 

[adurso]

Everyone from the Pacific Northwest frightens me; there are more serial killers per square meter there than anywhere else in the world.

I would be afraid I would not return......

Heck, even Bob scares me to death...

Realistically of course I would dive with you anytime; I would also enjoy the discussions i am sure we would have.

 

[shoredivr]

Hey, TSand M, I'll be in the Seattle area in May...want to get a dive in?

1. Know that I have been on this board for the better part of a decade, either participating or lurking. I have watched your posts and your growth. I have a lot of respect for you and the things you say.

...Not that I don't like your avatar - I do - but it gives the appearance of intimidation.

..And until this thread, I thought your name was a sexual reference.

Good heavens, buddy, if you've been reading TSandM's posts for all these years you should know what her screen name means. Sheesh, minds, gutters, etc.

Myself, I get a laugh out of the wryness of the Borg Queen. Don't change it, Lynne!

 

[Kingpatzer]

My thoughts:

When I read your posts I generally get a few impressions - stressing my impressions and not statements of factd:

1) you're a very reasonable person when analyzing a debate or argument and can be counted on to present a clear, concise, astute comment that is well worth considering in depth.

2) you're highly critical of dive skills, take diving very seriously and it is much more than a mere hobby for you, and have little tolerance with imperfection -- at least as those apply to yourself so it is easy to assume that this extends to those you dive with.

3) you value GUE/UTD/DIR training and think little of recreational training. You didn't think you were much of diver without the tech training. Again, easy to assume you apply that same line of thinking to others.

4) I honestly thought the avatar was you and the name referred to something other than horses. It is an intimidating and unfriendly appearing image.

5) You seem reasonably friendly but very confident in your writing. You get along very well and appear to have a real camaraderie with others on this board who are disparaging of PADI training and PADI divers. It is easy to assume you share those attitudes, particularly given your own training history that you've shared.

6) You support people picking up and learning diving - but frequently expressing your experience relative to your tech training experience.

7) You seem to be very high on team diving and being familiar with diving buddies, and I would have no idea who the third person I'd assume you'd bring along for the team would be. And my limited in person experiences with DIR people have not been positive.d

So in short, I can easily see people, particularly non-tech trained recreational divers, finding you intimidating and being very uneasy diving with you.

As for myself, I'm also actually a fairly introverted person in real life and am uncomfortable meeting new people. I'm not the kind of out-going person who easily call up someone I don't know well and ask them to do something. Going through the process of developing dive friends who I've come to know through contact at my local dive shop was uncomfortable - and those were folks I'd already seen many times just by being around classes I took.

But, I also have picked up that you're very familiar with pacific northwest diving, and since that environment is high on my list of places to see under water, if and when I get up there I'd probably take you up on the offer - for the local experience you have to offer. But I would think about it more than once or twice for a variety of reasons listed above.

 

[lulubelle]

I'd love to dive with you, come to Morehead!

I learn something new every time I dive with someone with more experience than me. And here in NC, I don't care to dive with someone with less experience than me quite yet. Although I am a very solid diver offshore here, I feel like I don't have enough of a repertoire of underwater problems that I have solved yet to dive with someone with less experience. Don't get me wrong, every problem I have had underwater I have successfully managed through, all 3-4 of them. When I have a whole bag full of them, then I will dive with less experienced buddies.



Come on over.