Why is DIR controversial?

[Cacia]

that's true.

But, also sometimes you get the DIR people telling you you are a reckless person for not doing AB or C, which just comes from the "safety first" philosophy.

Staying close to a buddy is the main one. Who cares if you are at 50 feet? They do, because they are trained that it is wrong. Almost like it is immoral, sometimes, the tone.

Just to be fair....

Just the other day..I asked , "so what is the MOD for .34 EAN, anyway?" in a planning thread. And some DIR friend says WHAT???? Aren't you EAN certified? with a bunch of shocked smilies. sigh. yes, but I don't memorize everything to the foot before I post. So what? Maybe I can be lazy, but I know when I need to find out. And they know their stuff..so I ask them when they are around cause they know it cold.

I think they are cool to share and raise the bar. They bring a lot to the table, and they are getting better with the tolerance for "strokes".

I think they could ingratiate themselves a bit more by asking some of the old schoolers we have here (men who have been diving since before they were born) questions once in awhile. You can learn a lot from those guys, if you only ask. Walter, Nemrod, Captain, Thall have all given me some big fat lessons served up on a plate.

 

[Adobo]

that's true.

But, also sometimes you get the DIR people telling you you are a reckless person for not doing AB or C, which just comes from the "safety first" philosophy.

Staying close to a buddy is the main one. Who cares if you are at 50 feet? They do, because they are trained that it is wrong. Almost like it is immoral, sometimes, the tone.

Just to be fair....

Just the other day..I asked , "so what is the MOD for .34 EAN, anyway?" in a planning thread. And some DIR guy says WHAT???? Aren't you EAN certified? with a bunch of shocked smilies. sigh. yes, but I don't memorize everything to the foot before I post. So what? Maybe I can be lazy, but I know when I need to find out. And they know their stuff..so I ask them when they are around cause they know it cold.

It is immoral. Just like split fins are immoral.. and snorkles. I think I need to go to confession just for typing those words.

Well, the DIR community does not necessarily filter out knuckleheads. After all, I am allowed to dive with them..

 

[Diver Dennis]

And again Catherine, it depends a lot where you are diving. I Hawaii where you have 100'+ vis sometimes, it is not as important if your buddy is a little farther away, if you have a buddy at all.

 

[The Kraken]

Personally, I don't think "DIR" is controversial.

What IS controversial is the epithet which the adherents of the DIR school of diving chose for themselves.

When some recreational divers learn that the DIR divers chose to refer to their style of diving as "Do It Right", they they infer that their style of diving has to be, and pardon the phrase, "Do It Wrong".

I don't think the DIR element ever meant to make any such implication.

The DIR school of thought was simply referring to a method and style of diving which lends itself to a particular niche of scuba diving, extensive cave diving.

I think some people are tilting at giants which don't exist.

the K

 

[Tom Smedley]

Andy

From the beginning this sport has been filled with folks like you describe. But if you look at it - most all adventure sports are. The same genetic feature that makes someone want to hurl when they look at a diver with Force Fins is the one that triggers the DIR response.

It's just something different possibly the anal-retentive aura.

The folks that I normally associate with hve practiced the same buoyancy and trim and kicking skills that DIR prescribes for many years. Come dive with us - we'll show you!

i think the problem is not with the DIR people but with the non-DIR people who feel insecure when someone tells them they have a better way to do something

my reaction would be h? show me ...


so, on either side, it's the insecure people who must at all times feel superior to others that cause the problem

i love it when i see people who only have to hear "DIR" to go ballistic ... and i wonder ... do they ever stop and wonder why they have such a reaction? it's more than DIR ... it's personal, and it's got to do with who you are

 

[TomP]

I’m not DIR and don’t aspire to be. That said, I think the diving community, and tech diving community especially, is far better off because of DIR. That’s not because DIR is perfect, or appropriate for all diving environments, or individual styles. It’s also not because they actually innovated all that much because much of what’s in DIR predates it. What I see as the true value of DIR is that they took the time to write it all down and share it willingly. And, it’s not just that it’s written, but that it written with the level of authority [in the academic sense], precision, and clarity necessary to translate it into real world application and engender the trust that you should do so.

As to the controversy, labels alone are lightning rods for controversy; add a philosophical dimension and holy wars are all but assured. On balance then I think the DIR folks have done a fair job holding the line at controversy. In any case, it doesn’t take too long to separate the warriors from the thought leaders.

And maybe that’s a simpler way to state my point. The value I see in DIR is that as thought leaders go, theirs are better than most.

 

[nadwidny]

• gotta have all black to be DIR
• gotta have doubles on, even on 30 feet dives in tropical reefs
• do nothing except training dives
• all DIR divers are evil people

Read enough of the threads and you will see that all kinds people come out of the woodwork and throw in a bunch of stuff that has nothing to do with DIR.

Add to that list:

-DIR adherents have closed minds.
-DIR divers can't think for themselves.
-DIR is only for cave diving and doesn't really work anywhere else.
-DIR divers have no fun.
-Taking the DIR Fundamentals means that one is DIR trained.

 

[wb416]

Bottom line... folks on both sides of the issue can be real arses... but if you stop and remember that friendships are more important than dive philosophies, then you'll be a better person for it.

There allot of good things to take away from the DIR system, and most of my buddies adhere to the tenets of the system as well. But I would never put the "system" over an existing friendship, or a friend that I've not yet met!!

 

[Diver Dennis]

-Taking the DIR Fundamentals means that one is DIR trained.

This is a key point I think. It seems like new DIR-F divers are the most vocal. The real DIR folks steer away from getting into pointless internet battles. It also seems like the non-DIR people who get involved know little if anything about what DIR diving really is.

 

[Adobo]

I think they could ingratiate themselves a bit more by asking some of the old schoolers we have here (men who have been diving since before they were born) questions once in awhile. You can learn a lot from those guys, if you only ask. Walter, Nemrod, Captain, Thall have all given me some big fat lessons served up on a plate.

I thought popularity contests ended with high school...

The only way to make everybody happy is to make it so the system allows everyone to do their own thing. And when you do that, it ceases to be what made it appealing to so many in the first place.