Posted by AADIVER on August 01, 2001 at 10:29:55:
In Reply to: Re: q about the use of gators. For local rec diving!? posted by tleemay on July 31, 2001 at 21:30:30:
My tongue was placed squarely in my left cheek!
But while we're on the subject, I think I know why universal acceptance of DIR/GUE is going to be next to impossible: conformity. Most divers would identify themselves as individualists, choosing to select and dive gear to their own specifications. That's why there's such a diversity of gear on any charter dive boat, from Chris' simplicity to Kevin and my perceived "cluster f***k". Pure DIR/GUE on the other hand ultimately demands rigid conformity: buddy teams equipped identically, on the fly computing sans computers, et al. Most of us agree that the DIR/GUE system is the safest way to dive, but if safety were the paramount issue, none of us would be diving in the first place. I personally have chosen elements of DIR/GUE that suit my particular individualistic diving style and disregard the rest.
However, the one DIR/GUE item that all of us will ultimately accept is a pre-dive, pre-planning safety attitude/mindset; an acknowledgement that "s**t happens" so be prepared for it.