Posted by Glenn on August 16, 2001 at 16:19:25:
In Reply to: You are uninformed, go LOOK at a BP sometime... posted by notevenclose on August 16, 2001 at 14:06:07:
"The DIR: Try to get this. DIR is not Halcyon. Halcyon is made with DIR in mind during the design. "
Exactly what I said earlier, a marketing strategy. It's like trying to argue that a Jaguar is not a Ford, it's a Jaguar. Yet Jaguar is owned by Ford, therefore it is a Ford. But enough on symantics...
As far as any oversight/quality issues with the product these are not actually bad things. Address the issue with the company and see what they do. When there are problems with the product or service a customer received a company be judged in a way that can champion them or bury them based on their actions.
"Other brands not affiliated with either are ALSO DIR i.e., the knife is not made BY DIR it is made to BE DIR Other knives are ALSO DIR (not many) DIR recommends gear not by brand but by utility, QUALITY and design. "
Funny, everytime I see a DIR sheet it mentions a Halcyon backplate as requisite. Why not a ScubaPro plate? Everything is so brand oriented within DIR I find it difficult to look at it as a holistic approach and not a marketing campaign.
Rather than simply state what brand of equipment must be used, how about listing things that the equipment must have, must not have, or be capable of doing. Perhaps then parantheticially stating equipment make/models that have been found compatible with such requirements. Certain items that might appear compatible, but for some reason or another are not when inspected more closely, could be listed by make/model as to why they are not suitable. DIR would accomplish two goals with this. First it would make the manufacturers take note of how they can improve the safety of their equipment. The second would be education of the public. Isn't that one the primary concerns of DIR is education in safety to the diving public?
"D.I.R is a method, philosophy and configuration (training is a BIG part of DIR) it is NOT a company"
When I first tuned into the whole DIR thing around a year or so ago, it seemed like a excellent safety push. But the general attitudes of the DIR proponents left others looking at them as some sort of over-the-edge, we're-too-good-for-you types that nobody really cared about. And a lot of the DIR folks did take an elitist attitude towards others which furthered soured the milk to many others. DIR is supposed to be about safety and not elitism, right?
From what I see now, it is developing more and more into a marketing strategy. In all reality there is nothing wrong with that. Halcyon sees DIR as a cash cow waiting to be milked. Any business would, their in business to make money and take advantage of opportunities.
In the end there is nothing wrong with what Halcyon is doing. I'm sure they make a good product and I would like to try them out some day.
As for what DIR is doing, it just needs some honing and refinement on how it presents itself. I've spoken to a couple of divers who were turned off immediately when watching some "DIR video" where some fool gets up and calls everybody a stroke. It's not much different than going to store where the salesmen directly insult you. It's at that momement they loose their business. If DIR does things to turn away its audience it makes it that much more difficult to spread its message.
Glenn