Posted by MHK on December 29, 2000 at 10:37:24:
In Reply to: If a stroke is one with an unsafe attitude, what is DIR? posted by Wayne on December 29, 2000 at 09:48:28:
I was going to stay out of this thread, but I feel that I should jump in now..
To answer Frank's original question first. The term *stroke* was coined by Parker Turner, the original project director of the WKPP. Parker, much like Irvine, had a no-nonsense approach to diving and running the WKPP. Parker had his rules as to the team and one either followed them or they weren't on the team. It was as plain and simple as that. But what Parker found over the years that there were so many people trying to get on the team without the willingness to put in the requisite work. Instead they would come up to Parker and tell him how they had done this dive or that dive, blah, blah, blah and Parker said that he was sick of these guys *stroking* him to get on the team.. That's the evolution of the word.
It has since been expanded to include diver's that approach diving with an unsafe and/or cavalier attitude towards diving..
I've tried hard to avoid using that term but since this thread is going it appears that some wanted the information..
Now as to Wayne's point[s], while some are fair points and other's I disagree with I would simply make the point that the heated debates and discussions are two way streets and it is all too easy, and happens on all too many occasions, that the DIR crowd gets a disproportionate amount of the blame..
If you look at this list alone as a microcosim of the DIR -v- anti-DIR debate you'll notice that there are many that have taken shots at me and/or DIR, but there are only a small handful that take a DIR stand.
Kendall does probably a better job that I do at keeping his temper under control, John Walker got fed up with the attacks and no longer posts and Terry tends to stay mainstream.. I would invite you to go back and look at the DIR attacks ad nauseam...
And as to your point about newbies being afraid to ask a question I would remind you that we NEVER flame a newbie for asking questions.. My approach, and I'm only speaking for myself here, has always been to explain the position first, hanlde the follow ups and then if I'm flamed and/or the poster has a history of flaming me I'll respond in kind.. But I NEVER EVER flame someone for asking a question. I'm on several scuba forums and I simply do NOT see anyone from the DIR camp flaming someone for asking a question.. It's simply disengenuous to suggest otherwise..Moreover, I get probably 10 e-mails privately per day and I respond to everyone.. Over the years I have found it strange that some want to take a heightened posture on the NG's but yet take a much different approach during the personal e-mails.
And as for being on boats with us and having a macho attitude, I would suggest that you get on a few boats with us because you are 100% dead wrong... I'd venture to guess that a DIR diver is more likely than anyone to call a dive.. We don't need to impress anyone and full well recognize that our team is only as strong as our weakest link and we simply would skip the dive before jeapordizing the team..
Wayne, you've been a level headed guy and I've enjoyed our discussions, both private and public, but I strobgly believe that you are off base in certain respects with your comments. Overall I would agree that we could all tone down the attacks, but to simply lay this at DIR's feet and not recognize the contributions of the anti-DIR crowd is disengenuous at best..
And lastly I would add that the overwhelming majority of the *debates* stem from the fact that many want to piecemeal the DIR system and then argue that it is still DIR.. The fact of the matter is that DIR is a holisitic approach and any deviation alters a carefully crafted balance.. DIR is what it is and those that want the information we are more than generous with our time and will explain it, but after having the same discussions and the same debates with people that simply want to argue against something, rather than for something, it gets tiresome after a while..
Just my 2 cents..
Later