dsteding wrote:Honest, honest question here, this is not a troll and is not meant to get anyone steaming . . . but I think it is a worthwhile topic for conversation on this board.
Here is the question: For those non-DIR divers out there, what is your perception of Seattle's DIR community?
Go ahead and be honest.
Having been taken under the mentorship of that group early in my dive career, I find myself being on the "inside" looking out, so to speak. I've had conversations with non-DIR divers over the past few months that I found surprising, and that got me thinking.
I am certainly aware of the past internet perception of DIR, so I'd like to not rehash that. But, if that has colored your opinions of local DIR divers, it may be relevant. Share stories, opinions, feelings, go ahead and be blunt.
My goal here is to simply get a feeling for how this sub-group of our local community is percieved as a whole. I honestly don't have any agenda beyond that, I am just curious.
Pretty much most of what I was going to say has been said, but here goes anyway, with my "flavor". This thread has had many good & civil responses, and probably doesn't need my .02 psi worth, but I promised to add it anyway, so here goes.
Dsteding's original question (quoted above, and directed at NON-DIR divers) was about
perceptions, so that is where I will go. I have no interest in attacking or defending any agency or training, I just want to be a good and safe diver that has fun in the process. I dive very conservatively, try to be as safe as I can, and am constantly learning from everyone I dive with, including buddies that I have dozens of dives with. The minute I'm not having fun, I'm done. There are
lots of safer and cheaper hobbies out there, so for me
doing it right means having fun and being as safe as I can be within my budget and training.
A few points have been made that bear passing mention -
First there is a perceived and real arrogance just in the name "DIR" that get's people's hackles up right off the bat. As an instructor / friend said to me months ago, "I am a safe diver, and an experienced and good diver with over 800 dives. I resent the implication because I don't dive the way they do with their configuration that I am not doing it right and am therefore unsafe." Is that a fair statement? Perhaps yes when it comes to some DIR folks, perhaps no when it comes to others, but again, this thread was about
perceptions, not to debate the merits of specific tenets of DIR / GUE.
Secondly, anecdotes abound of being on a charter with two or more DIR divers that are cold, standoffish, and quietly (or loudly) critical under their breath about the gear configs, etc of other divers on the boat. Does this happen alot? My guess is no, but when you have a strong strike one because of the name of your agency, all you need is a few times like the one I referenced that then get repeated and you have bad press that is difficult to overcome. My guess is that there are many more times that reflect the experience that Calvin referenced that is actually very positive, but just like the news it is mainly the negative or sensational that gets repeated. Fair? Perhaps yes when it comes to some and no when it comes to others, but again, this thread is about
perceptions.
Thirdly, my guess is that the diving in general, and the GUE philosophy / school in particular attract detail oriented gear heads with strong personalities and stronger opinions who aren't necessarily the best or most diplomatic at expressing those opinions. As has been mentioned before, a jerk is a jerk regardless of the agency they are certified with. This thread is about
perceptions, and I think some people are perceived as jerks because of the way they express their (probably great) opinions. Fair? For some yes, for some no, but again, the point of the thread is
perceptions.
An example of a gear discussion where this can be perceived as negative is a past thread where different lighting choices were being discussed. Opinions were given, most of them well thought out and ultimately helpful for those newer divers trying to make a choice within their parameters (budget, preferences, etc.) My buddy dives a cannister light, loves it, and I love his cannister light too! I dive a Light Cannon (the best light I could afford) clipped to my BC. Sometimes I let it dangle so I can do something else with my gear. I'm sure it's "flashed" my buddy more than once. He looks, sees I'm OK, and off he goes. He does not panic, rush to donate his reg, and try and "rescue" me, nor does it ruin his dive with unwelcome adrenalin. But the opinions shared on the thread left me, and I'll bet others, with the impression that if you have a clipped on pistol grip light (the VAST MAJORITY of PNW divers!) that you will be causing panic attacks for the divers that are
doing it right because of accidentally flashing them with a dangling light. Fair? Probably not.... but again we are talking about
perceptions here. I'd love a cannister light! Can't afford one, and i'll bet a bunch of other PNW divers are in the same boat! (I'd rather spend the scuba units on a couple of new 130's, which is a whole other discussion!) If in your training you started out with a cannister light and never even dove with a pistol grip light it would be easy to come off in a superior way to other (the majority) of divers. Intentional? I doubt it. Arrogant? Most likely not, but that can be the
perception, even though we're just talking gear. ( I am NOT trolling for, nor do I need, an apology! It's all cool, I'm just giving an illustration!)
I mentioned, and dsteding asked why, some folks are "afraid" or reluctant to even enter into the discussion. Nobody likes being ridiculed and most people don't enjoy conflict, written or verbal. Even though the request of this thread was for
reasons for perceptions many people feel that it's just going to start a flame war so I think I'll just stay out. You'll notice that the vast majority of those who have responded
are (apprently to some) DIR divers or sympathetic to the agency. (This may not actually be true, but again, we're talking
perceptions here! Another great reason to TALK with, not just to, each other!) There are reasons for that, one of which I noted above. (Another is no doubt the size of this thread, which exploded to several pages in a few days. It's a LONG read, and some people just don't have the time!)
Inevitably the things posted can be perceived as attacks by those who appreciate or embrace a philosophy.
They are not. At least I don't think so, not in the context of this
very specific thread. If I started in on someone at a dive site it would be, but I haven't done so, and just haven't seen it done in my short experience. No doubt others have. Several of the responses have ended up being a defense of DIR at some level, and that's OK, but it wasn't really a thread about specifics of the philosphy, just a thread about
perceptions.
In the last couple of months I have switched from a short hose and octo to a long hose and necklaced back up. I love it! I was "sold" by a good friend and other divers who talked, let me test things, and just in general espoused the benefits of something that they enjoy. I am on a very limited budget, and do not have the luxury of changing my gear config for a really good reason, let alone a whim. Is long hose "DIR"? Of course not. Is it for everyone? No. You can dive (IMO) quite safely without it. It does make sense to me after diving for awhile, enough for me to spend hard earned scuba units making the switch. I found it interesting that when I ordered a long hose and a reg for my secondary in my LDS the reaction was "You're not becoming one of
those, are you?" It was said with a smile, but again, this thread is about
perceptions, and the negative feelings run deep, and are no doubt somewhat judgmental the other way. (I was not hassled for my config, and most of the LDS employees I've met are willing to talk about the pros and cons in their opinion of different gear configs, acknowledging that it comes down ultimately to personal choice and comfort. Doing It Right? I don't think so...) Fair? Sometimes no doubt yes, and sometimes no, but this thread is about
perceptions.
Divers have been mentioned here that are very good and safe divers who willingly and sensitively share their knowledge with others. I love taking newer divers "under my wing" so to speak and help pass on the little that I have learned. I'm around lots of divers who have the same attitude. I have met very few jerks (a couple) while diving, and a few people that I would be reluctant to dive with again (a couple), but for the most part the PNW divers I've been around are great people and safe and competent divers and fairly nice folks. More people are influenced by genuinely nice people who care about other divers and are willing to actually dive and work with them than by hundreds of jerks on their soapbox ranting... even if their rant is valid. And isn't Becoming Better Divers the bottom line? There are A TON of people getting certified at local dive shops, and that is a good thing. It would be great if their training / agency made them perfectly accomplished divers out of the chute. The reality is something else. They really need mentoring and help if they are to continue diving and doing it safely. And that's where existing, regularly diving divers come in.
In fairness, no one HAS to be an influencer of other divers. You didn't sign up to be an instructor or mentor. But those who take that on willingly and caringly can have HUGE influence and ultimately save lives. And the truth is that each diver influences others... in one way or another... for ill or for good.
Thanks again to the many great folks and divers I've had the privilege of interacting with, and thanks to those who keep this board a great place to be to learn and hook up and go diving!
(Tom steps off his soap box and takes a deep breath. Nothing said above was intended to attack or otherwise torque anybody off!)