dressing for tech diving? (was in What the Heck is DIR?)

[Dirk Diggler]

This is fun!

I simply liken it to a religion – not exactness, and you have somewhat proved my point. As an accepted philosophy, you have, believe it or not, taken a leap of faith. There is nothing wrong in this, it is not being challenged. We all do it every day in one form or another in the things we covet.
Liken to a religion, someone comes to you and says, “I have seen the truth, a better way.” A better way in which they believe to be true for them.

Gear is not the driving force of DIR, holistic hargothian was not created from DIR. Instead DIR at it’s basic foundation – it’s actual name in and upon itself “doing it right” is a philosophy, and philosophy closely resembles religion.

Ask that person, why they made that leap of faith, and they will have plenty to tell you. Ask them what is wrong with another philosophy/religion, this is always a slippery slope - as that can also open up doubt and possible weaknesses that may mirror and challenge their own choice, but there will still be plenty to talk about. As in religion/leaps of faith, any question of which doing so, will undoubtedly create conversation - those who also may interpret this as a challenge to their belief system, and a defensive posture is made. But as in religion and philosophical argument, the ideology is to build an argument that wins others to that side. Yet, as in all philosophy, there is an argument that can equally counter, who wins? The winner would be able to tell us where the circle begins and where infinity ends…

I’m not sure people who are whole DIR understand, the controversies heart lies not in the gear, it’s in the way in which SOME folks have perpetuated a negative aspect in which they view non-DIR divers or themselves before becoming DIR. It makes those who are not DIR understandably as defensive as those who are. “What do you mean tell me I’m not doing it right?”

The name/label DIR itself isolates all others as “doing it wrong”.

DRE you quote” There was no leap of faith involved, just a lightbulb that went on when I realized I had been a stroke for all these years, jeopardizing my life and that of others by my decisions and actions, luckily never without any real consequences.”

Perhaps you might understand that the controversy is more avoidable (but not entirely) when you remove certain aspects of that comment. “I realized that what would work better for me was to keep the same mindset and gear configuration throughout all the ways I dove, this worked better toward my concentration of my own safety, enjoyment of the sport, and exploration, and those around me who did the same as I”

Instead, your previous statements sounds like, “I was a stroke waiting to happen, those of you who aren’t DIR are strokes waiting to happen. You can’t dive with me because you are a stroke. Don’t be a stroke, come join ‘the club’, the rest are idiots for not following this – they will not know perfection, they don’t know how to do it right, they all do it wrong.”

Notice the difference in edge and tone? This shouldn’t be the way it is approached, you sound angry with others who question it? Facist’s, whimpy, gay, all words used in the wrong contex – which is helping to perpetuate the wrong viewpoint of who may or may not be DIR.

Is DIR a self-prescribing elitist mentaility that the rest of those who are not 100% DIR are subbordinant and inferior – simply strokes waiting to happen?

Yes, DIR has fulfilled the void of which you feel was missing from your diving. Others may not share that same feeling of void needing to be fulfilled, but why are the wrong, why are they strokes? Until you see how your wording and the outlook that others are inferior, you will mis-represent what can be a more remarkable kindling of future growth for DIR.

For DIR to succeed in limiting controversy and gaining acceptance, they need not be a George Irvine.

(This is no personal attack on you DRE, or anyone in particular).