Hi Loredana,
I sent you a PM. I am with you.
However in this sport it is like anything else, you have good people and you have some less good ones
.
I for one thing, I cannot have an attitude, my DB is far away and I have to dive with people that are not DIR. I have found out that the best way to have them come towards me, was being open and nice and explain why I do things like this and what I expect from them. Patience and being nice pays much more than acting arrogant. Frankly people that act arrogant is because they have an inferiority complex.
It's easier to make fun of people than to explain and educate. If people think they are DIR because they monkey George, they are pretty wrong.
Well, after two years being back to France, I must say I think I have helped in changing attitudes and even if none of my friends have taken a DIR-F yet (but it's more of a money issue - diving is almost free here, so people are not used to paying normal prices for training), they have changed quite a bit in their equipement configuration, diving procedures, gas choices and mental attitude.
The other thing too, is that technical diving is dominated by men and they have this urge to express their testosterone :D.
I am definetely looking for a female dive buddy, so if you happen to be not too far from Nice, give me a shout !
Cris