A somewhat sad conversation last night

[ADeadlierSnake]

I dont think the person described in the OP had actually met any DIR divers or seen any "DIR rants" at the time. Instead I believe that the person in question had only heard second hand that "DIR divers were a-holes". This is assuming I know the person though
I can say that I for one have noticed a huge decrease in the number of DIR flame wars on this site in the last year though. I havent seen any in a while, but then again, I dont lurk quite so frequently as I used to.

 

[Dive the World]

I know a guy who recently became GUE - he was a dive nazi before GUE - it appears he might have gotten a bit more stringent with his ways.

The overall concept and impression falls down down to divers themselves.

No body likes the 'I am right you are wrong' attitude whether it is diving or not.

PADI divers tend to give the opposite impression; the newbies, the stokes. The ones that dive once a year and summer vacation.

"why do you use 80% - isn't your buoyancy good enough for 100% at 6meters?"

So I guess it is up to the individuals such as yourself to make people more comfortable -

sounds like you are doing a good job - keep doing what you are doing.

 

[leabre]

How do you know when a DIR diver enters the room? (S)He'll tell you.

As funny as this joke is, it's not always true! I dive with many non-DIR people and I rarely get into whether I'm DIR or what DIR is until asked about it or after many dives with the people. Simply put, DIR runs in my veins but mostly I just enjoy diving and want people to enjoy it, too. There's nothing wrong with divers who haven't embraced DIR (or even heard of it).

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

PADI divers tend to give the opposite impression; the newbies, the stokes. The ones that dive once a year and summer vacation.

On the other hand, some of the most insufferably smug divers I've ever met were PADI instructors. Shared a liveaboard with one recently who insisted on critiquing my choice of equipment brands, my setup, my diving style, and he insisted on debriefing me after several dives with things he "noticed" me doing that he thought I could have done better.

Like I give a rat's arse what he thinks ... I was on vacation, intent on having a good time ... and didn't really feel like getting lectured on how the world learns to dive.

On the other hand, I'm not going to hold his boorish behavior against every PADI instructor out there ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Cyprian]

On the other hand, some of the most insufferably smug divers I've ever met were PADI instructors. Shared a liveaboard with one recently who insisted on critiquing my choice of equipment brands, my setup, my diving style, and he insisted on debriefing me after several dives with things he "noticed" me doing that he thought I could have done better.

Like I give a rat's arse what he thinks ... I was on vacation, intent on having a good time ... and didn't really feel like getting lectured on how the world learns to dive.

On the other hand, I'm not going to hold his boorish behavior against every PADI instructor out there ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Well said, Bob. I wish more would focus on the last sentence in your post. I could find a PADI, NAUI, TDI, SSI, IANTD....(insert your agency instructor here) with a bad attitude and lump sum or stereotype the entire group with them based off of this one individual or even a handful of individuals that fly the same banner, but I choose not to. Far too many are immediately opposed to something because they have seen or heard someone who happened to be or claimed to be "speaking" for those under the particular agency.

Restated point: There are "arseholes" in every agency and it wouldn't matter if they switched tomorrow, they would still be "arseholes"...it's in their makeup and attitude. It's simply easier to pick on a specific group that has a holistic configuration, even though time and time again those of the group have said, this way of diving isn't for everyone and it's just a system. You do not have to subscribe to the system, but stop knocking it if you don't. Everyone chooses their own paths in this hobby. If you don't choose GUE...big deal, don't knock it. If you choose PADI, Sidemount, Monkey Diving, etc, I won't be knocking you....and hey, I will more than likely dive with you in an open water setting unless you are completely unsafe and dangerous. :shocked2:shocking? Nah, it's just diving.

 

[Scott L]

I don't know about troll but it is ironic I think that the OP is talking about how someone had a "very negative impression of DIR" and the very next post is basically 'You do not think we are asses-you are just intimidated by our greatness." I don't know Scott L-might be a super great person who did not desire to come across that way but when i first read it I thought-either he is trying to make a joke or this is exactly why people have this 'negative impression.'

For the record, many of the very best divers I have met (best in terms of just being super great people) are DIR...and some of the worse.

If I had stated that there is a wide gulf in knowledge between non-DIR divers and DIR trained divers, you and the fellow from India would have a valid argument with my comment. Since I clearly compared DIR trained divers (T1, C1+) to beginner divers, I hold firm with my original post. Nowhere in my post did I make a distinction on the likelihood of DIR being to superior to non-DIR divers in terms of being great folks or not.

My apologies to TSandM if my first post (#2) drew attention away from the original subject manner...

 

[leabre]

I've only met one GUE diver . . .

And he made me think that "DIR" stood for Douchebag In Residence.

The most conceited, self-absorbed, arrogant bastard I have ever met in diving . . . .

Granted, a sample set of one does not define the organization, but it sure made a strong first impression . . .

- Tim

Many years ago before I understood what DIR is, much less embraced it, I joked with another diver in some anti-DIR way. Many years later we crossed paths again except this time I had embraced it. I didn't remember him but he had never forgotten me. While he never adopted DIR he was completely offended by my previous remarks from 3 years prior, and associated the same emotion to me at the time we met again. It was brutal. I was truly offended and had to get it off his chest. I didn't remember too much specifically but remember my attitude back then and felt like **** for it and couldn't apologize enough.

He cancelled all future dives with me and eventually quit the sport (I don't know if there is a correlation).

First impressions matter and even for one person a stereotype can develop with the audience. I hope to never have that effect on people again. I dive for fun and stress relief. I enjoy meeting new divers (both DIR and non-DIR alike) and enjoy the company of them. I will dive with anyone that has a good attitude and hope to learn as much from them as I hope they do from me.

I do not ever want to have that effect on someone again. It was completely unintentional and not representational of me, but it still happened and I hope never again.

---------- Post Merged at 10:15 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 09:39 PM ----------

What is the current thought of DIR training popularity as compared to say, 5 years ago? It seems new instructors (GUE) are announced once a week in Europe, The Red Sea, Far East, Etc., but just a few in the USA. IMO, UTD seems to have cooled-off since their inception...

Somehow UTD fell out of favor with the GUE crowd. Along the way people stopped posting class reports and dive reports and so on because the responses made it very not-fun to do so. But this year alone there's over 250 open water UTD students produced in San Diego alone. They just are too busy diving instead of posting online.

 

[Hawkwood]

...On the other hand, I'm not going to hold his boorish behavior against every PADI instructor out there ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Thank you!