Why the Prejudice about DIR or GUE

[jeraldjcook]

At least we can all agree that split fins are the best invention ever.

 

[lamont]

I am a firm beleiver now that if there wasn't a 7 FOOT HOSE, you guys would have nothig to debate..........UNBELIEVABLE!

oh, no, we can go on for another 200+ posts on any of the following topics (off the top of my head):

- snorkels
- pony bottles
- spare airs
- bungee wings
- double bladder wings
- jacket BCs
- split fins vs. jets/turtles
- d-rings on the right side
- right/left for hot/cold mix
- CCR rebreathers
- which hoses come off which posts on doubles
- independent doubles vs. manifold
- isolation manifold vs. non-isolation manifold
- shallow helium vs. deep air training
- gavins vs. x-scooters
- East Coast DIR vs. West Coast DIR
- tic-tac-toe deco
- the word 'stroke'
- the word 'DIR'

 

[TheRedHead]

Split fins are old hat.....after sitting on a reel in a pair of doubles, I have a problem with the reel on the butt d-ring.

 

[lamont]

At least we can all agree that split fins are the best invention ever.

sorry, split fins are not DIR, you will die if you continue to use them.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Personally, I think part of the prejudice against DIR is becuase of a lack of understanding. I don't know much about DIR, I really don't. I'd like to know a little more, but I haveyet to find a site that explains all of it easily. the PADI dive manual has lots of pictures showing all of the gear you will likely dive with, and their video showed how to set it all up. I'msure that if I took a DIR class, I'd learn all of that stuff. I'd almost like to learn it.

I do almost feel that calling it "Doing it Right" is a bit of an insult to everyone else, but I think they have hit on a good idea, because there are wrong ways to do things.

I would equate this to a group of people who all drive cars. the DIR group says you have to use a certain set of tires, a specific brand of windshield, gives you a few colour options for paintjob, a range of one type of engine to put in it, and demands you drive stickshift. Drinks are never allowed in the car, and you may only have two seats. The airconditioner is to be set on medium and should never be adjusted. No stereo is allowed, and if any cellphone is on inside the car, it will explode. The other group of drivers lets people drive whatever they want. The DIR group might win more races, but it might also be more expensive, lacks some of the things that make driving fun. They would win in a race, but they wouldn't be as useful for driving around looking at the leaves turning colours while listening to the radio. It all depends what you want to do. Some are hardcore drivers and want to drive the fastest the safest. Others would rather drive a decent speed, be as safe as they can be at that speed and not be told they are "doing it wrong" if they have the stereo on, 4 seats, a different brand of tire, windshield and paintjob.

I can see the benefits of DIR, but I also view it as slightly legalistic. It has it's uses and if I got seriously into diving, I'd set up two rigs. One of them would be strict DIR, the other would probably be close. I think DIR doesn't like the use of computers? My second rightmight have a computer. It might be a jacket style BC. I might dive with brass clips. Which would I use more? Depends where and for what purpose I was diving. Do Iw ant to pay $300 or more to take a class that will teach me the DIR way of diving? heck no!!

 

[Thalassamania]

Maybe NetDoc can write a script and cron job to search and replace Stoke with Diver or some other friendly term

Just add it to the prohibited dirty word list, it will come out ****** and we'll all have to type it at s*t*r*o*k*e!

 

[H2Andy]

only a stroke would think of something like that

:shakehead


wink

 

[TheRedHead]

I used to love my dive computer as it seemed wonderful after using tables. Then I would forget to program the 2nd dive for 36% percent instead of 21% and either have to cut my dive short, do a long deco or violate the computer. The computer would then have an inaccurate profile of my dives for that trip. Lately I've been using it as a guage because it doesn't trust me to make my own decisions. Damn computer!

 

[Rainer]

I can see the benefits of DIR

It has it's uses and if I got seriously into diving, I'd set up two rigs. One of them would be strict DIR, the other would probably be close.

Do Iw ant to pay $300 or more to take a class that will teach me the DIR way of diving? heck no!![/

Then I don't get what you are saying...

 

[lamont]

Personally, I think part of the prejudice against DIR is becuase of a lack of understanding. I don't know much about DIR, I really don't. I'd like to know a little more, but I haveyet to find a site that explains all of it easily. the PADI dive manual has lots of pictures showing all of the gear you will likely dive with, and their video showed how to set it all up. I'msure that if I took a DIR class, I'd learn all of that stuff. I'd almost like to learn it.

I do almost feel that calling it "Doing it Right" is a bit of an insult to everyone else, but I think they have hit on a good idea, because there are wrong ways to do things.

I would equate this to a group of people who all drive cars. the DIR group says you have to use a certain set of tires, a specific brand of windshield, gives you a few colour options for paintjob, a range of one type of engine to put in it, and demands you drive stickshift. Drinks are never allowed in the car, and you may only have two seats. The airconditioner is to be set on medium and should never be adjusted. No stereo is allowed, and if any cellphone is on inside the car, it will explode. The other group of drivers lets people drive whatever they want. The DIR group might win more races, but it might also be more expensive, lacks some of the things that make driving fun. They would win in a race, but they wouldn't be as useful for driving around looking at the leaves turning colours while listening to the radio. It all depends what you want to do. Some are hardcore drivers and want to drive the fastest the safest. Others would rather drive a decent speed, be as safe as they can be at that speed and not be told they are "doing it wrong" if they have the stereo on, 4 seats, a different brand of tire, windshield and paintjob.

I can see the benefits of DIR, but I also view it as slightly legalistic. It has it's uses and if I got seriously into diving, I'd set up two rigs. One of them would be strict DIR, the other would probably be close. I think DIR doesn't like the use of computers? My second rightmight have a computer. It might be a jacket style BC. I might dive with brass clips. Which would I use more? Depends where and for what purpose I was diving. Do Iw ant to pay $300 or more to take a class that will teach me the DIR way of diving? heck no!!

Actually I think the proper analogy is that if you like playing around with spoilers and your suspension and tricking out the paint job, wheels and rims on your car, playing around with different exhausts, buying different engine parts to tweak the horsepower, etc, then DIR isn't for you. With DIR there's one kind of car (which does come in different colors, although black is popular), there's a bunch of different things you can plug in to get whatever you want done (plans for 100W stereo, 200W stereo, 400W stereo, etc) but its all standardized. What you will never do with a DIR car is tweak your horsepower up so much that you break an engine mount because you forgot to compensate for that -- the larger DIR engines have all been throughly vetted and come with the proper engine mounts.

Now that you've got a car, you can drive it all over and enjoy the drive without thinking about anything... For people who like to tweak and tune things it will probably drive them bat**** crazy -- but (in constrast to my diving on the internet) my diving is all about diving and not about gear...