On Friday, September 05, 2003 10:35 PM, Lee Bell wrote:

(snip)
> > What's your excuse for not being fit?

> How do you know I'm not fit?  Does DIR have a definition of fit that we
can
> all apply?

As a matter of fact, they do! :-)

Pointers, together with some of the criteria, are listed in the
'Fundamentals of Better Diving' book.  (In order of the four listed. I rank,
"maximum"; "minimum"; "minimum" and - yet again - "minimum".) :-)

But since I've just returned - knackered - from the Tech 1 programme with
J.J. and AG, I'm not going to list them lest I collapse at the keyboard!
(The book's well worth buying and studying, by the way!)  :-)

 > > Or failing to follow elementary procedures when bent? :-)

> One time I did, one time I didn't.  I don't need an excuse.  I made an
> informed choice the second time based on reasons that seemed good enough
at
> the time.  I was wrong, but not because I didn't think it through.

> What are the DIR procedures for being bent?

> You asked the wrong question here.  The right question was what is my
excuse
> for not checking each and every tank of gas before each and every dive.  I
> don't have an excuse for this either, know why I chose not to, and have a
> frequent reminder of how wrong that decision was too.

No!  I asked the right question!  Hits happen - some are "deserved", others
are often classed as "undeserved".  But the fact remains that because the
mechanics of bubble formation are still not well understood it's not a sin
to get bent.  It's knowing what to do when a bend is suspected - and doing
it immediately - that's important.  That's part of d.i.r. (or DIP)!  :-)

(snip)

> > > Were you so rational and immune to marketing hype back when you did
your
> > > first dive?

> > Yep! :-)

> Right.  Remember, I've read all your stories, well, all of them I could
get
> my hands on.

And ... ?   :-)

> > When that happens, then - and only then - I will be vocally opposed to
it!
> > :-)

(snip)
> > No, it doesn't drive me nuts.  I just see it as part of a constantly
> turning
> > wheel.  In that regard the term DIR is, to me, as meaningful as
Aqualung!
>  :-)

> Hey !!! Watch it buster.  That's my former religion you're talking about
> now.  8^)

"Former"?  What caused you to change?  That's a rhetorical question, by the
way, and put in to emphasise the fact that a registered trademark/brand name
does not, nor ever will, control diving, or the attitude that people adopt
towards it.  And to re-emphasise one of my earlier comments in this thread,
as an evolving activity, d.i.r. (DIP) - as a practical philosophy - will not
be affected by somebody's registration of the name DIR!  :-))

Strike