Hi all,
This is my first post on ScubaBoard and I look forward to finding new friends here discussing anything about scuba diving! Sorry that this did not go to the Introduction sub-forum as I really want to discuss DIR with you guys.
I got my AOW before the pandemic and have not been dived at all since the Covid pandemic - during which I developed depression due to the quarantine and has since hoped to walk out of it via going back to scuba diving. A year ago I went back to diving with a local dive club, and staff there introduced me to DIR and GUE. The club did not have GUE instructors but had about 5-6 active members who were at least rec-pass, so we mostly learnt from each other. Throughout the time I picked up a few skills that I was unable to learn during my OW/AOW (eg. deploying DSMB, proper buoyancy control, trimming and how to properly "move back" underwater), and I was planning to challenge the Fundies with my buddy before September this year.
However, during this year I found myself being distanced from other divers I knew before the pandemic, most of whom not a member of this local club - a relative of mine (also a scuba diver plus freediver) even suggested I have been financially manipulated by this club and have become their revenue-generating machine. With the club I have spent about 2 months practicing kicking (so frog kick, back kick and helicopter kick) and triming, and have recently moved towards twinset and drysuit; people said with such time I could have already become a DM or at least Rescue, if I take these courses with another club. I sometimes shared videos of my training and new equipments online and received some feedbacks questioning why I did not buy some "standard scuba equipment", and instead buy something that could be "overcharged".
I did not call myself a big-hearted person due to my mental history. Practicing kicking and working towards a rec or tech pass is hard and hearing these words from other fellow divers make me sad, sometimes questioning what I shall do. It would be fantastic if you guys could give me some feedback eg. whether to continue my current training scheme, or switch to a different route of diving.
This is my first post on ScubaBoard and I look forward to finding new friends here discussing anything about scuba diving! Sorry that this did not go to the Introduction sub-forum as I really want to discuss DIR with you guys.
I got my AOW before the pandemic and have not been dived at all since the Covid pandemic - during which I developed depression due to the quarantine and has since hoped to walk out of it via going back to scuba diving. A year ago I went back to diving with a local dive club, and staff there introduced me to DIR and GUE. The club did not have GUE instructors but had about 5-6 active members who were at least rec-pass, so we mostly learnt from each other. Throughout the time I picked up a few skills that I was unable to learn during my OW/AOW (eg. deploying DSMB, proper buoyancy control, trimming and how to properly "move back" underwater), and I was planning to challenge the Fundies with my buddy before September this year.
However, during this year I found myself being distanced from other divers I knew before the pandemic, most of whom not a member of this local club - a relative of mine (also a scuba diver plus freediver) even suggested I have been financially manipulated by this club and have become their revenue-generating machine. With the club I have spent about 2 months practicing kicking (so frog kick, back kick and helicopter kick) and triming, and have recently moved towards twinset and drysuit; people said with such time I could have already become a DM or at least Rescue, if I take these courses with another club. I sometimes shared videos of my training and new equipments online and received some feedbacks questioning why I did not buy some "standard scuba equipment", and instead buy something that could be "overcharged".
I did not call myself a big-hearted person due to my mental history. Practicing kicking and working towards a rec or tech pass is hard and hearing these words from other fellow divers make me sad, sometimes questioning what I shall do. It would be fantastic if you guys could give me some feedback eg. whether to continue my current training scheme, or switch to a different route of diving.