Is Side Mount the new DIR??? Building resentment towards us as a group...

[The Chairman]

More denial. There are plenty of back mounters in this thread that agree with with the premise. I get that it's inconvenient. I get that you certainly don't want to admit that you aren't perfect. The evidence speaks for itself despite your continued (and frenetic) denials.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Pete, where was Tom "frenetic" in his comments?

Tobin

 

[Pullmyfinger]

Pete,

I'm not following the premise that if one doesn't agree, then it must mean they are in denial.
Nor am I seeing the evidence you are referring to.

It's as if you are saying........"Don't you people SEE it?.....can't you see the evidence? well.....then you must all be in denial."

Perhaps your perception doesn't mirror what others are seeing or experiencing.

-Mitch

 

[canadianoid]

More denial. .

Yeah..well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

 

[Coztick]

Hey Canadianoid, what's the attitude like in your lds's and dive op's?
It will be months before I get out to Nanimo but could use a recommendation on a sidemount friendly boat. I can't bring a buddy and don't have a solo card yet so I probably should hire a dive op.
Is rec sm gaining popularity there?
I love the reactions of people seeing it for the first time. It's a good conversation starter...
"Hey, why'd ya jump in with yer tank on yer hip?" ..."Did you come up with that? "
Always positive so far..

 

[decompression]

Yeah..well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

Well said, Dude.

 

[TONY CHANEY]

OK, Pete I'll play. You may not like me or my post but you really have to read them to understand where I am coming from. If you are able to show me several post where BM divers are badmouthing SM divers then I will retract and apologize for my situational blindness. All you have is a Capt of a boat saying that SM divers take up more room and the dive does not even warrant doubles or SM rigs. That is his choice by being the Capt. of the boat. Heck, the SM divers on here are talking about dropping a redundant tank and relying on team members in an overhead environment, others are talking about watching your gauges, not watching your gauges, hanging SPG's, double reg bungees, trim, SM cavers Vs non cavers, long hoses on each tank, etc, etc. I have said loud and clear before, but just for you I'll say it again," I am not perfect!" I just do not see the problem that you think exist. Please point it out to me. I am not the only one saying this. You have several fellow SM divers saying the same as me. OBTW, just in case that you missed it the first time, I also dive both SM and BM.

 

[DevonDiver]

Is CCR the new DIR, building resentment towards us as a group?
Is Wreck Diving the new DIR, building resentment towards us as a group?
Is Cold Water Diving the new DIR, building resentment towards us a group?

The point being that there are a great many niches and approaches to scuba diving. These niches all attract zealots, to a greater or lesser degree. Emerging niche or specialist activities also attract considerable debate - which provokes examination and discussion on pros and cons, better or worse...

Within each niche there are evolutions in consensus on standards and approaches. In each debate on those standards and approaches there are a variety of stances. Those stances range from "you're gonna die" to "each to their own"... and the spectrum in-between. The stances depend on individual perspectives and the myriad factors that shape those perspectives.

No single perspective is more or less valid than another.

Consensus is merely the margin in which the majority of perspectives can exist. Consensus is evolving in sidemount, just as it does with other niches.

The DIR issue wasn't about consensus. It was about imposing perspectives from one end of the spectrum. That had some debatable merit for overhead environment diving, but little or no merit or authority for open water recreational diving. That is a very different situation to what we have with sidemount, CCR, wreck diving etc etc etc

I'm sure the DIR zealots...back in the day.... accused plenty of divers of 'being in denial'. When I hear one individual accusing many others of being in denial, it's clearly an indication that a pause for thought is required.

I think the main factor is the source of authority behind a perspective. The DIR issue was unusual and relatively novel; in that there was an organisational source of authority. In other niches, including sidemount, there is no one single source of authority - there are multiple strands of perspective. All of which have credibility. This has a balancing and moderating effect.

I see no credible source....and certainly no agency...attempting to dictate to divers how they should be diving sidemount. All I see is an evolving sidemount community consensus about best practices and broad principles... and that is to be expected.

Sure... I see some friendly banter, some 'championing' going on. I see that with other niche diving specialisms also. CCR divers champion what they do. Cave divers champion what they do. Cold water divers champion what they do. None of which really causes 'resentment' in other divers...at least, not for those whose sensitivity does not demand the most gentle coddling.

I see no antagonism between sidemount and backmount divers.... other than where an outspoken individual (a radical) causes it.

Individuals... radicals... don't represent communities or consensus.

I think we are all mature enough to understand that. Many of the sidemount debates recently on SB have illustrated clearly how a rational community consensus overrules an outspoken individual... someone who's views exist well outside the common margin of perspectives.

What was dismissed as a 'bicker battle' was actually a perfect example of how the sidemount community rejected exactly the sort of radical views that this thread title suggests exists.

Personally, I find it perplexing how the same person who snidely dismissed the 'bicker battle' is the same one who sees a problem with the sidemount community alienating itself amongst other divers.

 

[kelemvor]

Maybe because I'm not a professional diver like most of you who've posted on this thread but... I've never personally witnessed anyone express negativity towards sidemount. The only place I've ever seen it is on scubaboard.com. There's a lot of super opinionated and outspoken folks on here... and you have to take into consideration that the primary purposes of the internet are porn and trolling.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

Maybe because I'm not a professional diver like most of you who've posted on this thread but... I've never personally witnessed anyone express negativity towards sidemount. The only place I've ever seen it is on scubaboard.com. There's a lot of super opinionated and outspoken folks on here... and you have to take into consideration that the primary purposes of the internet are porn and trolling.

:lolabove: