Why is DIR controversial?

[CompuDude]

You're right. I apologize. What I'm trying to get across is the inherent elitism in the "DIR" acronym itself, and the bullheaded inability of so many adherents to see that it is inherently confrontational, and controversial because it is confrontational.
I never tell another diver "you're not doing it right." Never. (well, except in jest... "that's not 'doing it right,' you know" with a grin) It simply isn't a polite way to help or to get a better way or idea across. The "DIR" acronym is sand in the gears of Scuba discourse.
Rick

I agree, and hope they come up with a suitable, less confrontational, alternative... that starts being used widely... soon.

Meanwhile, let's just get back to diving.

 

[cmalinowski]

I agree, and hope they come up with a suitable, less confrontational, alternative... that starts being used widely... soon.

I think they've started using "The rest of you f'ers are wrong" (TROYFAW). It rolls off the tongue (troy - fall), but seems too long. They may trim it down and just go with "You all suck"

 

[amascuba]

I agree, and hope they come up with a suitable, less confrontational, alternative... that starts being used widely... soon.

Meanwhile, let's just get back to diving.

They've just about have it renamed. On the GUE.com website it's renamed to "GUE Fundamentals" on the course standards and on the course schedule lookup. About the only place that it hasn't been changed is on the course description on the website.

 

[tonka97]

So can someone explain why DIR is so potentially controversial to some divers? To me, it seems like choosing to train and dive DIR is like choosing to train and dive PADI-style, or NAUI-style, or SSI-style, depending on the speciality.

Do It Right vs Do It Wrong?

We know best and you don't.

Words and acronyms are important. If you call it a 'debt card' nobody wants it; but everyone (almost) wants a 'credit card'.

The acronym DIR indicates one-upmanship and elitism.

Example: Putting down divers choosing to use a jacket BCD is typical of a lot, but not all, of DIR neophytes. This may be a source of friction.

 

[Bill51]

Meanwhile, let's just get back to diving.

This may be way off topic, but your comment does point out something I’ve seen from the limited number of DIR divers I’ve known or even interacted with here or in real life. I finish a dive with my friends and dive buddies and everyone is talking about what they saw (or shot) on the dive with almost no discussions about the mechanics of the dive unless we specifically were doing some training. I can’t recall ever seeing DIR divers excited about what they saw on the dive, but only on what they did or how their equipment performed on the dive. It’s as though the process of the dive is the sole purpose for the dive rather than diving being a way to experience being underwater with nature. That just might be an oversimplification due to my lack of experience, but I could see how it would cause outsiders to think of DIR divers as more interested in themselves and the dive than the environment diving is allowing them to participate in.

 

[SparticleBrane]

In the case with myself and the people whom I regularly dive with, we're usually in a rock quarry. We've seen most everything in the quarry, there's nothing hugely exciting in it. We use it mainly for training, so that's why we surface up discussing the mechanics of our diving...
Personally, I'm a perfectionist. I want my diving to be the best it possibly can, and part of that is talking about how we did after the dive.

 

[headhunter]

Example: Putting down divers choosing to use a jacket BCD is typical of a lot, but not all, of DIR neophytes. This may be a source of friction.

Do you really see this as "typical" where you dive? Maybe it's an east coast vs west coast thing, but I just don't see or hear about anyone wearing a backplate and wing (regardless of whether they are DIR or not) putting anyone down for using a jacket style BC.

I'm not saying that most of do not believe that the backplate/wing combo is more adjustable, less expensive and better option, but I don't see anyone putting anyone down for wearing a jacket.

Christian

 

[Adobo]

This may be way off topic, but your comment does point out something I’ve seen from the limited number of DIR divers I’ve known or even interacted with here or in real life. I finish a dive with my friends and dive buddies and everyone is talking about what they saw (or shot) on the dive with almost no discussions about the mechanics of the dive unless we specifically were doing some training. I can’t recall ever seeing DIR divers excited about what they saw on the dive, but only on what they did or how their equipment performed on the dive. It’s as though the process of the dive is the sole purpose for the dive rather than diving being a way to experience being underwater with nature. That just might be an oversimplification due to my lack of experience, but I could see how it would cause outsiders to think of DIR divers as more interested in themselves and the dive than the environment diving is allowing them to participate in.

Bill,

Check out these two web sites:

http://www.coldwaterimages.com/favorite_fifteen.html
http://www.metridium.com/

The first site is, in all honesty, a site by a person I do not know. But from what I understand, he dives DIR style.

The second site is by a guy who is most definitely DIR.

Anyway, two points I would like to make here. First, I think the folks who live near Monterey are absolutely blessed with having the kind of diving we have here. Have a look at the pictures and see for yourself. Second, the DIR divers in your area sound like they could use a reminder as to why they started diving in the first place.

While I do not claim to be DIR, I do dive in what others refer to as a team. Because I do, I make it a point to check with the other team members about how well I participated in the team. You know, sometimes I need someone else to give useful feedback. But that makes up about 20% of the discussion. The rest is normally about how good (or bad) the dive was.

 

[cmalinowski]

This may be way off topic, but your comment does point out something I’ve seen from the limited number of DIR divers I’ve known or even interacted with here or in real life. I finish a dive with my friends and dive buddies and everyone is talking about what they saw (or shot) on the dive with almost no discussions about the mechanics of the dive unless we specifically were doing some training. I can’t recall ever seeing DIR divers excited about what they saw on the dive, but only on what they did or how their equipment performed on the dive. It’s as though the process of the dive is the sole purpose for the dive rather than diving being a way to experience being underwater with nature. That just might be an oversimplification due to my lack of experience, but I could see how it would cause outsiders to think of DIR divers as more interested in themselves and the dive than the environment diving is allowing them to participate in.

So now we have to like diving for the same reasons you do or WE'RE elitists and only thinking of ourselves. Interesting logic going on there. Can you let me know what I have to like about other facets of my life as well? That way I won't be elitist...

 

[H2Andy]

Example: Putting down divers choosing to use a jacket BCD is typical of a lot, but not all, of DIR neophytes.

i would not say a lot.

i would say some, even "a few"

but it just takes a couple to ruin it for everybody else