Dir

[seasnake]

hahahahhahahaha .. hhahah j

*oops* Am I allowed to laugh at this? How come no one else is laughing?

[Sarah]

I thought Thals post was pretty funny! I laugh at blonde jokes if they're good, so I am sure the DIR crowd would enjoy it too.

[Finless]

This old can of worms again.

In general, DIR divers are very well trained and, AFAIK, very competent divers. They ought to be with the amount of training and scenarios they do on every dive.

DIR is not for me as I prefer a bit more choice in how I kit up for a dive (eg using a FFM). I have definitely witnessed, first hand, some elitism from a few DIR divers but there are a few !!!!heads in all walks of diving so it is no big surprise.

AIUI, certainly in the UK, there is a bit of rebranding going on and there is a movement away from the name (not the philosophies) of DIR to the GUE brand.

[Chantelle]

Of course, I do have a sense of humour.. and I did find that quite funny...

I understand that there are some people who do think they are "elitest." But I also think that that way of thinking is not DIR specific. There are those kind of people in any agency. They just seem to stick out a bit more when they have GUE training, I guess.

I like most people, and it takes a special kind of jack arse for me not to like someone. How a person dives is not a factor for me, in whether or not I like them . I will only offer advice if asked for it, and don't pretend to know more than I do... I'm always on a learning curve, myself. IMO, there is something to be learned from everyone.

Anyway... I'm going to go back to lurk mode, and for anyone that takes the time to get to know me, or go for a dive with me, you'll know that I'm sooooo not an elitest. I just agree with GUE training.. It just makes sense to me. There are some dives I may or may not do with some that I do not feel are safe divers, but again... that is not agency specific.



Cheers and safe dives...

[hbh2oguard]

GREAT post Ithalassamania I'm loving it, I couldn't stop laughing But come on this is a serious thread repost it to the humor section just so everyone can read it becasue I'd love to laugh my ass off again.

[rubber chicken]

The dive shop that I used to frequent when I was back in the UK had a significant GUE/DIR bias and many of my buddies dipped their toes into the 'dark side' and took DIR-Fundies.
Having talked to/dived with many of them, and several others since, I have always been impressed with the skill component of the GUE philosophy. The emphasis on Bouyancy control and proper finning techniques coupled with the overarching emphasis on safety has lead me to attempt to incorporate many elements into my own diving.
However, the fact is I cannot afford/be bothered to change my kit configuration to comply fully with the GUE ethos, plus, I cannot see my future diving plans going down the route of cave/ deep wreck penetration so I am quite happy with the system that i currently dive and as such I am content to sit on the sidelines and gently mock!

Most GUE trained divers that I have met have been lovely people, and fine divers, who are perfectly willing to dive with anybody. It is only on the Internet that i have ever come across the sort of 'evangelical' DIR newbie who will insist that "not using the entire DIR system means that you are an accident waiting to happen! ", these individuals are the sort who give GUE the bad rap and are usually slapped down pretty smartly by others who have vastly more experience/inwater time than them.



How many DIR divers does it take to change a lightbulb ?


Three! But it has to be the correct type of lightbulb

[thalassamania]

Please don't get me wrong. With the exception of divers who've come up through an AAUS sanctioned, Scripps Model, 100 hour training program (see Thal's Divie Stories) I've found DIR divers to be amongst the best trained divers out there. Sometimes they're a bit, well ... dogmatic, but an open minded GUE diver (and that's not always an oxymoron) is usually amongst the best the recreational world has to offer.

[seasnake]

I understand that there are some people who do think they are "elitest." . . . There are those kind of people in any agency.

Wow, that is one of the MOST accurate statements I've seen posted in these forums!

Most people can appreciate a good joke and a little friendly ribbing.