What event made you head toward/away from DIR?

[gfmayhew]

I consider myself a really new diver.  I only have ~70 dives under my belt, and only a handful of those are sub-100.  I first heard of DIR though discussions with a local dive shop owner, and then in further discussions within our club.  Recently, a friend of mine loaned me his Fundamentals book, which I've begun reading.

Here's my simplistic and rather uninformed take on DIR:
1.) It's not really out in the open as an advertised alternative to the Big 3.  Its obscurity makes it more "mysterious" to new divers.
2.) There is a HUGE amount of information to be gained from DIR training, but this information can be very overwhelming; enough to be intimidating to new divers who are very uncertain of themselves in the water.
3.) [flame-retardant undies on] DIR finally gives specifics on the generalities mentioned in every OW and AOW class.  This isn't NEW stuff.  However, it is GOOD stuff; and by that I mean it's very much worth learning.
4.) DIR seems to be about efficiency to me.  With that in mind, an efficient diver is one that can perform further tasks while diving without constantly futzing with his trim, equipment, buoyancy, etc.

So, I want to be a better diver.  I think everyone who takes this seriously wants to be a better diver.  It makes the experience much more pleasant and safer.  I think the DIR approach is a potential way to make that happen.  I'm still not entirely convinced, yet

BUT...I do _not_ appreciate DIR divers looking down on non-DIR divers, which seems to happen quite a lot.  Nor do I think it constructive to criticize good instructors from the Big 3.  I challenge every DIR diver to look back at your own career and find your first certifications.  With the exceptions of some of you "old dogs" out there, I'll bet every one of you has PADI/NAUI/SSI in your log books.

So, I guess to summarize:  I'm attracted to DIR because I want to learn new skills and how to make my body and my equipment work for me while I'm diving.  DIR provides a nice package to do this.  But, I'm repelled from it because of the elitist attitudes of some of the people involved.  That being said, I can ignore some people, take what I can get from the training, and steer my own course.

I'm just here to have fun.  ;D

Peace