Confessions Of A DIR Virgin

[And]

Originally Posted by Colin Marriott

If GUE ever get their Open water course together, and people on holiday take it up in droves, then DIR divers can start making comparisons .... In My Very Humble Opinion.

Everybody have a merry christmas, and a happy new year.

ColinM

Hi Colin

Divers will inevitably make comparisons, whether they have 10 years of experience or 10 minutes. What we ALL need to remember is that everyones perceptions are unique and their own, and that the internet is not the best medium for putting a point across in the same way it is meant. We perhaps need to empathise a little more with how others might feel and instil a higher level of tolerance in order to discuss these things without getting personal, and I speak from experience. I count Mark Chase as one of my real friends gained from this board, but in the early days we would attack each and every post either of us made. I can only emphasise that both of us may have progressed and learnt a lot more a lot quicker if we had actually listened to each other.

Anyway, there are very few GUE trained divers in the grand scheme of things, and in that way, the divers who join are members of an exclusive 'club'. Exclusivity is a powerful attraction, and the GUE approach, being quite different from the other agencies, does create a lot of enthusiasm, as divers actually 'learn' in a course, what other divers have needed to learn from years of experience and mistakes. That is why divers like Gledders can be diving trimix after one year and 300 dives, why Mark and I were diving trimix after 3 years and 200 dives, and at the same time, outclass many on the same trips, at least in my warped reality anyway.

Maybe the other agencies will change the way they do things, maybe not, but whilst GUE continue to demand quality over quantity we shall always have this 'conflict' . We are not arrogant, but we are confident. I think there is a very subtle difference between these two attitudes, and the differences are masked by the inability to see facial expression and tonal quality which might be afforded us over a pint and a mince pie

Andy

PS It IS all bollox

[Lou]

Originally Posted by Howard Payne

There is a serious point behind this post, before it started "doing a YD". People have died this year in not insignificant numbers - it's a fact - I didn't make it up. If you look at the circumstances surrounded some of these incidents - there is a pattern whether people choose to accept it or not. We can choose to learn from that or just bury our heads in the sand and let it all happen again next year. I wouldn't want that for one of my loved ones. It wasn't a flippant remark - sorry if it came accross that way

So, what is this point then? That these people wouldn't have died if GUE trained? That the two VERY experienced UK divers who persished this year wouldn't have died if they had done Fundies?

The sheer numbers of dives done in the UK will always produce fatalites, but a single agency is not the answer. It is not the be all and end all and when - not if - we see the first fatality from the training agency you seem convinced will solve it all I am sure we will hear disgraceful cries of "I told you so" from some quarters. I will not be amongst those who do this, but please don't think that training is an antidote to human behaviour. Hjman behaviour will always break through and circumstance beyond control of man can, and do, occur.

[Howard Payne]

So - bollox it is then - agreed - I'm off to wrap some presents

Hx

[Rick Huggins]

Originally Posted by Howard Payne

So - bollox it is then - agreed - I'm off to wrap some presents

Hx

And that's a load of bollox too!

I'm half cellotaped, half covered in ink!!!!!

Pity K can't wrap her own pressy's eh!

[Lou]

I cannot belive that blokes are wrapping pressies - it isn't even Chrissy Eve - you can't have finihsed the shopping yet!

[Rick Huggins]

Originally Posted by Lou

I cannot belive that blokes are wrapping pressies - it isn't even Chrissy Eve - you can't have finihsed the shopping yet!

I've not....I've only got a bottle of Stella......



McCartney so far!

[CALLISTO]

That someone must have bought him

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by Howard Payne

There is a serious point behind this post, before it started "doing a YD". People have died this year in not insignificant numbers - it's a fact - I didn't make it up. If you look at the circumstances surrounded some of these incidents - there is a pattern whether people choose to accept it or not. We can choose to learn from that or just bury our heads in the sand and let it all happen again next year. I wouldn't want that for one of my loved ones. It wasn't a flippant remark - sorry if it came across that way

Ahhh yes but

Some of them died for reasons that had nothing to do will level of skill or training. Diving is bloody dangerous you know.

DIR is presently attracting the (shall we say) more serious diver. Such divers are unlikely to fall foul of the amazingly simple things that have killed so many in the past. The PADI tri dive in the red sea diver is not going to sign up for DIRF unless he has a close Friend who is a serious diver.

Some damed fine divers have been through the ranks of PADI & BSAC and lets not forget that. The system didn't let the dead divers who made silly mistakes down. It was the instructors who passed them or who didn't emphasis the need for assisted development. Its fair to say in a lot of cases it was the mainly the divers them selves who were incapable of assessing a dive as suitable and finally incapable of something as simple as aborting the dive safely.

If PADI is guilty of anything its making diving look like safe fun. It can be but only if your 100% confident in your abilities with 20m of water above your head and zero visibility.

Carry on saying what your saying and a few may agree with you but your going to have to get used to a s#it storm of protest from most other divers. But if thats what you believe its up to you if you go public or not.

ATB

Mark Chase

[Rick Huggins]

Originally Posted by CALLISTO

That someone must have bought him

You wanna go back to where you location states??? well, do ya, do ya...Behave and be nice Father Jack!

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by Lou

I cannot belive that blokes are wrapping pressies - it isn't even Chrissy Eve - you can't have finihsed the shopping yet!

Ill have you know I did the Christmas Tesco shop on Thursday morning at 7:15 am and I finished the prezze shoping today and picked up the Turkey. I am starting the food prep for Christmas dinner tomorow. Peeling the brussel sprouts, making up the carrot parcles and preping the chestut stuffing.

Ling helped me by buying her own Christmas present. (a dress)

Thats about as much help as I can expect from Ling. Last year she was suposed to get the kids presents. She forgot.

ATB

Mark Chase