Posted by Chris on November 20, 2001 at 00:01:20:
In Reply to: And The Dive Police Are ... (long) posted by Bill Johnson on November 19, 2001 at 22:37:13:
1) Your self-righteous "I'm a cave diver therefore I'm holier than though attitude" is juvenile at best.
Get off it.
2) I believe in education, and I have advanced certifications (NAUI & IANTD), and plan to get more.
However the oh so prevalent self-righteous attitude of the DIR crowd makes the appeal of GUE courses just about zero.
That being said I have still learned more over the years from other divers than in courses.
True education never stops and is gleaned from both real and classroom experience as well as reading and understanding new approaches.
If you believe that dive education is only you found in certification courses, you are sadly missing one of the richest resources available to you.
3) It is a very sad state of affairs that allows people who can barley dive become instructors.
An instructor should be a good diver first.
That is why when people ask me whom they should get certified from, I recommend instructors whose diving ability I know and respect.
4) I agree with your final statement "I submit that personal responsibility is diving within your limits and seeking out a good challenging course for those who wish to extend those limits."
However I am sure we disagree on the interpretation.