DIR for recreational divers?

[ScoobyPat]

Thanks Waterlover! I sent him a PM.

Do you recommend DIR/F to newly certified divers?

 

[Big-t-2538]

ScoobyPat once bubbled...
Do you recommend DIR/F to newly certified divers?

Well, I can't speak for Scooby, but I can say it is a highly recommended course for anyone wishing to further their diving knowledge and ability.

 

[ScubaScott]

ScoobyPat once bubbled...
Thanks Waterlover! I sent him a PM.

Do you recommend DIR/F to newly certified divers?

Any diver who is not already above the level of Tech 1 or Cave 1 will learn from DIRF.

That being said, you should be fairly comfortable with what you learned in your OW class, and your "watermanship" must be good - how comfortable you are in the water. There is a pile of information, and these guys will come to you if you get a few students together.

There are other agencies/instructors who teach very similar to GUE DIRF, but since there are only a handful of instructors, the course is not watered down and every instructor is commited to the agency and making you a better diver.

You can't go wrong taking this course no matter where you plan to go with diving in your future

SS

 

[detroit diver]

ScoobyPat once bubbled...
Thanks Waterlover! I sent him a PM.

Do you recommend DIR/F to newly certified divers?

I'll chime in a little here.

The earlier you take the DIRF class, the better. That way, you don't need to "unlearn" skills.

My dive buddy, WJL (on this board) took the class about 8 or 10 dives after his OW certification. He'll tell you that it was a great move on his part, and the instructors will tell you that they were very pleased with the way he handled the class.

Send him a PM and he'll be glad to respond.

 

[SeaJay]

Mo2vation:

Yours is one of the best commentaries I've seen on DIR.

Great stuff.

Mo2vation once bubbled...


Welcome to the board.

I am an average Joe, that just wants to dive on a recreational basis. I went DIR.

It was the destination, not the journey. I read hundreds and hundreds of posts here for about 4 months, got the Fundy's book and read it a few times, got a BP/W rig, took the DIR/F and never looked back.

For me, it just made sense. You'll hear a hundred people tell you DIR isn't about gear config, and it amazes me how many people get hung up on the that one. Just amazes me. The whole "you can't tell me what to wear" thing. Uh, OK. That argument is just so lame its pointless. Its not about gear.

DIR isn't just for techies and wreckies. Its not just for skinny, pasty vegans. Its not agency specific. I have my OW thru PADI, my AOW thru SSI and I dive DIR.

DIR is about a commitment to safe diving. Its about team diving. Its about being alert, aware, and involved in the dive. Its about developing precision watermanship. Its about respect for the environment and respect for yourself. It changed my diving.

I'm not an a-hole (can I say that Dee in reference to myself?) who puts down other divers who are not in the camp, who didn't drink the kool-aid or whatever sophomoric cliché you want to attach to it. Like everything, there are people who take it way over the edge - but for their style of diving (generally the cavers and wreckers) the stakes are much higher with a much narrower margin of error.

For my recreational diving, its driven me to better skills, better dive awareness, better buddy awareness and has delivered greater confidence on each dive. I simply enjoy it more.

On a trip this weekend, someone asked me about my rig - as its simply the most noticeable out-of-water differentiator. We talked a little about the rig, and then we talked about DIR. When I rolled through the things above, he asked me "well, isn't that the goal of every agency - safer divers, better buddy skills, etc.....?" So I asked him to join us on a dive.

We did a thorough pre-dive plan. We did an equipment review, we used the SADDD. We descended horizontally, we stayed in trim, we took long, slow, controlled, planned ascents. There was communication throughout the dive, etc, etc. When we got back on the boat, I asked him if there was anything different about this dive. Apart from the control (high praise, because I still need a lot of work ) he said he saw a plan, he saw confidence and he felt more comfortable with our group.

This wasn't a set up. He saw it, and he felt it because we (my buddy Arnaud and I) are committed to it. For me, its a no brainer.

Don't get hung up in the gear. Don't get hung up in the "you can have my splitfins when you can pry them from my cold dead feet...." thing. Hook up with some DIR guys. PM us. Talk to us. I'm still new at this (only since Feb this year) but you gotta see if its for you. I wear a computer. Usually in gauge mode, sometimes (on multi-day trips) its in AI mode as a computer...no biggie. They don't strip you of your DIR badge for that. I never use it to the exclusion of thorough planning or as a way to turn off my mind and let the little wrist box do the thinking.

There's a lot of hot air from within and from without the DIR circle. But make your decisions on a level playing field. Read up, ask questions, and most importantly, dive with some of us and see if its for you.

I have no immediate plans to move beyond recreational diving. I'm a lummox for triox. I don't crave the cave. I see no need to creep deep - I'm fine at reasonable rec depths. I dont want to teach. I just want to be a confident, competent rec diver with mad skills. I got the former, still working on the latter.

K

 

[animian2002]

ScoobyPat once bubbled...
Do you recommend DIR/F to newly certified divers?

I highly recommend newly certified divers to take DIRF
I'm talking from experience, I took DIRF after clocking 15 dives (out of which 9 were from OW and AOW course) . And it sure makes a difference.

Initially, I have some doubts abt newbie taking DIRF.
Can you imagine someone who had problem with bouyancy, had problem with 5m safety stop doing the course (err....that happened to be me ) and to make things worst, everywhere I read, it is always people with don't know how many hundreds or thousands of diving experience taking the course and how much they have suffered during the course and these sure freak me out. ;-0

BUT at the back of my mind, I hunger to learn more and know more and so I posted a thread , and with all the encouragement and assurance from the members, my friends aka DIRF mates and my DIRF instructor, I took the course and I never regret it

Just take the course with an open mind and you will have fun and lots to knowledge

 

[Arnaud]

I don't know if I qualify because I have never taken the DIRF. I read everything I can, dive and talk as much as I can with real DIR/tek/cave divers (as opposed to the cyber kind). I decided freely to adopt the holistic approach because I reached the conclusion it was something for me.

I've changed my rig (that was the easy part), changed my nutrition, increased my workout and worked on my skills. The last piece of the puzzle was achieved 7 days ago when I put out my last cigarette.

ScoobyPat, the first step is to get a copy of JJ's book. When you read it, you'll probably be surprised that the book supports the main skills taught by the major agencies without being antagonistic. The difference is elsewhere...

 

[carebear]

I never even considered DIR because I am just starting out recreationally as well...but Mo2vation, you have enlightened us! Thanks! I especially like that DIR is concerned about the enviornment and you pretty much know what to expect. I too was mistaken in that I figured DIR was all about gear setup. Thanks again, you may have converted a recreational diver.

 

[Sham_ba_la]

carebear once bubbled...
I never even considered DIR because I am just starting out recreationally as well...but Mo2vation, you have enlightened us! Thanks! I especially like that DIR is concerned about the enviornment and you pretty much know what to expect. I too was mistaken in that I figured DIR was all about gear setup. Thanks again, you may have converted a recreational diver.

I totally agree and found what I think is a good website which explains quite a bit.

http://www.dirquest.com/about_dir.shtml

 

[kwesler]

I was glad to read those comments...I have been thinking of the DIRF course at Dutch in December, but did not feel ready...perhaps I should just go for it

Ken