Posted by Max Bottomtime on May 05, 2001 at 21:56:51:
In Reply to: Re: is it possible yor really that stupid-continued posted by MHK on May 05, 2001 at 15:05:30:
It seems to me that some on this list want to turn it into a tech vs. rec fest. Some posters get on here and write about physics and protocals that are over the head of the average recreational diver, then call them ideots for not embracing the new way to dive. Then there are the dinosaurs who believe that any new information is just a passing fad, and since they haven't been hurt diving the way they did 30 years ago, they don't need to learn anything new.
We need to balance these extremes on this list. There is much that we can learn about dive safety from the proponants of tech diving. On the other hand, insinuating that those that refuse to embrace their ideas 100% are idiots and are statistics waiting to happen only widens the gap. I have learned a lot about streamlining and buddy team safety from this and other BBS and newsgroups. I am wearing gear that two years ago would have thought is a waste of money. However, I believe that someone who has been diving with the same setup and procedures they have used for years are still relatively safe divers. Would divers be safer if we were all DIR? Probably. Will the anti DIR divers all drown? Of course not. SPGs did not become common practice right away, yet you wouldn't see a diver without one now. So for the divers who are far to one side, think about you diving habits and what you can do to improve them. For the ones far to the other extreme, continue to spread your gospel, but don't castigate everyone who disagrees with you. We all enjoy diving. The guy going for lobsters without a BC and too much lead probably enjoys his dive as much as the guy looking for a Spanish anchor at the bottom of the Matterhorn. Dive gear is a lot like divers; we're all different. Now shake hands and come out diving!