DIR is cheap! On what planet?

[grouchyturtle]

Scott and Mo2vation
those blue seats are the best part about the Garden. Hey we have to be entertained somehow, the game sure isn't going to do that these days. I'm one of those guys, although I have all my hair, and usually go for Ranch 1 over the pretzels.

Philly fans are just insane and take it waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too serious.

Devils fans! Wow where do I start on that one? No respect or appreciation for any other team or player in the league. One actually told me Colorado was the most over rated team in the league, right after they won their first cup! And most of them aren't even real fans, except maybe playoff time! Why do you think you can go right to the box office the day of Devils/Rangers and still get tickets. Try that at the Garden. I think all the Devils Rangers games are sold out for the next ten years.

Back to diving and this little war.
You're both right about certain things. Streamlining is very important, and not just to tech guys. I'm not a tech diver, and except for a few guys I've never dove with any. Yet most of my buddies do worry about streamlining their gear. Hell, if I wasn't, I wouldn't have been able to do this monster tour of Dutch a few weeks ago. The guys I was with hit the throttle big time. If I was wearing a jacket, I would have been making a long surface swim back by myself, by halfway through that dive.

I don't think the difference is tech vs. rec. I think it's more once a year vacation diver vs. everyone else. If you're only diving a few times a year in some tropical location, probably playing follow the DM, and most likely don't have your own gear, then maybe streamlining isn't all that important.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

MHK once bubbled...


To that end, I want to be clear there are many divers out there that dive in odd, un-streamlined configurations and from my perspective I have no problem with whatever anyone else does. I'm not trying to convince anyone to do anything, I see my purpose in these type of threads to answer questions as to how we do it, why we do it and I fully recognize that not everyone will agree and/or adopt our ideology. Some confuse our prescense on these lists as an attempt to change their minds or convince them to change their configuration, then once that premise is implied they get into the game of "we are trying to tell them what to do" or " if you don't do it DIR way you'll die". Neither of those concepts are true but some on the other side of the debate want to frame the debate with the starting point of we are trying to tell you guys how to dive. I guess I'm just tired of seeing our position distorted so I wanted to set the record straight in that we are here to answer questions about how or what we do, I'm not about wasting my time trying to convince anyone to change anything that they are doing, I would just make a personal choice to not dive with someone that doesn't share my ideology as I would suspect those that don't share my view may not wish to dive with me. Simply put, any more then that is posturing or trolling by those that just want to continue the debate rather then just accept that we don't care how they dive so why should they care how we dive?? If they want to know how we dive we'll answer the questions, but the days of arguing with everyone are long behind us and only a few holdouts remain and I won't engage them..

Thanks

Looking back over this thread I'm not sure to whom this is referring ... and so I'll speak strictly for me.

Michael, we've met ... and I think you know that I have a respect for both the DIR philosophy and the people who teach it. My reasons for entering this conversation were based not on any philosophical difference between how you dive and how I dive, but rather as a way to point out that characterizing certain types of gear as "useless" or "a waste of money" is counterproductive. It always bothers me when I see such characterizations ... because I'm firmly of the opinion that regardless of how one dives, there are far more important things to focus on. Furthermore, the amount of money one spends on dive gear, as in any other recreational activity, is going to depend entirely on the individual's investment in time and energy dedicated to that activity. That's going to be true whether or not the diver chooses to adopt the DIR methodology. So to make cost comparisons based on the diving method one chooses is really not a valid comparison at all ... one can spend an awful lot of money outfitting themselves regardless.

It's no secret (locally, at least) that I enjoy diving with DIR buddies ... Uncle Pug is one of my favorite people to dive with. So I don't engage in these discussions because I disagree with what you're doing ... nor am I attempting to troll.

I just find it demeaning to see people characterizing someone else's gear in the way that occurred earlier in this thread. Diving's not really about the gear ... DIR or otherwise. You either have the chops or you don't. If you do, the gear ain't going to make you a better diver ... it's only going to make it easier for you to use what you've already got. And if you don't, a fancy rig ain't gonna help you get them.

You can choose any diving philosophy you like ... and you can choose not to dive with people who don't dive like you do. No worries ... it's important to only dive with people you're comfortable trusting your life to. Me ... I'll dive with anybody. It doesn't matter to me what you're wearing. I'm far more concerned with your skills, your judgement, and your attitude. Because that's what tells me what kind of diver you are ... not whether or not you're "streamlined".

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MHK]

NWGratefulDiver once bubbled...


Looking back over this thread I'm not sure to whom this is referring ... and so I'll speak strictly for me.

Michael, we've met ... and I think you know that I have a respect for both the DIR philosophy and the people who teach it. My reasons for entering this conversation were based not on any philosophical difference between how you dive and how I dive, but rather as a way to point out that characterizing certain types of gear as "useless" or "a waste of money" is counterproductive. It always bothers me when I see such characterizations ... because I'm firmly of the opinion that regardless of how one dives, there are far more important things to focus on. )

Bob,

Just so you and I are on the same page, I wasn't including you in the my generic list of those that want to just debate for debate sakes. You are correct we've met and I hold you in high regard but just to speak to your point about the characterizations being counterproductive, please recognize that the starting point of this thread, in fact the very title, is about DIR and it's relative costs. Accordingly the starting premise was about cost and DIR. To that end I do believe in that context that if someone wants to point out that a piece of gear is a "waste of money" I don't have such a problem with that because in point of fact there is a whole host of gear that is a "waste of money" whether one dives DIR or not..

Hope that clears up the point and I'll be up your way again soon so maybe we'll catch up..

Thanks

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Would like to hook up with ya when you're up here ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)