Posted by seahunt on February 02, 2001 at 11:43:52:
In Reply to: Re: I think he answered you just fine. posted by MHK on February 02, 2001 at 09:46:24:
>>First off John is well within his provience to discuss PADI's failings, because
sadly there are plenty.
He didn't attack PADI. He attacked a person name of Michael Timm who,
by the way, sounds like a nice person and a really qualified diver.
Probably more qualified than JW.
>>I understand from your numerous posts that you dive off your own boat
How many dives on how many boats do you think I've done? There are few boats
in LA, Ventura or Santa Barbara that I haven't spent a fair amount of time
on. Heck, I used to go on the Golden Dabloon regularly... I hate driving
all the way to Nic...
I never said Sport Chalet DM's were the best. I never thought this was a
sport that competed to see who is best. What I said was that on my trips
sponsored by Sport Chalet, I was repeatedly surprised by the experience of
the DM's. Most times, I found them to be what I call experienced senior
divers. I really can't say much about their duties. I go on advanced trips
where divers don't need much help, but the DM's were always good at looking
out for divers having trouble, made sure everyone got to the boat and they
were very leary and aware of less experienced divers on advanced trips.
They were very scrupulous about pre-dive discussions. Really, I expect that
they were very helpful to those who needed assistance as well... I thought
they had the potential to get bossy.
>>I spent a wealth of time discussing all your concerns
No, you evaded them.
You ignored my observation that about 70% of your statements and the
statements on the the George's and JJ's web sites are not applicable
to CA sport diving.
You have never told me what all this unnecessary gear is.
You' have never explained how against the laws of engineering and nature,
the DIR system is unadaptable.
You have never explained why convenience and function is irrelevant to a
divers methods and gear.
You have never answered the issue that DIR would exclude most divers and
dive buisnesses just due to costs.
I've let much drop while waiting for input from you or GUE, but telling
divers not to use a computer for NDL sport diving is irresponsible. I
described a dive of mine at Eagles Reef and the Isthmus High Spot as an
example of a typical hunting dive profile and asked how you would evaluate
it better than a computer could. I'm still waiting for the response beyond
that you would dive with me and come up within tables every time. Of
course you would. Just follow my lead and you'll always be within the
tables. My typical two day dive trip includes 11 tanks. Tell me you can
calculate that better than a computer and then tell me the big how.
No one gets on the board from PADI saying what you say. If they got on and
said that I must have PADI training, PADI Gear Configuration and always
buddy dive or I am an accident waiting to happen, I would challenge them
as well. If anyone PADI, GUE, ZAUI or JW gets on the board and levels an
unprovoked personal attack on some diver visiting our BBS community, they
are likely to get a rebuttel from me. This is not about PADI or DIR or GUE,
it's about people.. Something you should remember about diving.
Also, my conclusions are that the diving community in CA is just fine
as it is without it becoming DIR oriented. While there is some technical
diving and the DIR proponents as well as local tech divers are expanding
that, most CA diving is NDL sport diving and that present practices and
gear configurations are fine for that. Many divers are mediocre, but that
does not stop them from enjoying diving. The truth is though, that most
divers in CA, with any experience, are very good divers, just because of
the demands of local diving. DIR is a pain in the butt as a dive system.
Diving is supposed to be fun and easier than you envision and that's
fine. Conditions here just do not require the extreme methodologies of
DIR. So why bother... and don't read me a list of dead divers... please.
And that is a consideration of DIR without bringing in the poisonous
personality issues involved.
I've been told that in person that you are a fairly nice guy and as
such, I have avoided picking on you or your DIR project. DIR has some
good ideas for the dive industry to consider. I haven't seen
you attack anyone or come up with the wacko, hostile posts that JW
likes, but PADI never pissed anyone off like you DIR guys regularly
do and they didn't get where they are by dising everyone else. It
just doesn't work. PADI says dive and have fun. DIR seems to just to
just come out with a primal scream of indignation at anything non-DIR.
I'm sick of hearing DIR claims when you won't back them up. I'll wait if
necessary for your deco method, but I am really skeptical.
Enjoy, seahunt
PS. I may be off the net all weekend. HD crash and all that.