DIR is cheap! On what planet?

[grouchyturtle]

It was a real question really!

The reason I asked is because I just got a BP and wing and my credit cards are hurting!

I know just because Halcyon has DIR on their gear doesn't mean you need to buy Halcyon to be DIR. I also know that diving Halcyon doesn't mean you are DIR!

Mo2vation - I kind of figured a BIG part of it was all those useless retractors and zingers that you waste money on. I have a whole stack of those just waiting to go on ebay!

Never even thought of the versatility factor though.

Uncle P - the old Kmart rig did come with an unlimited supply of clips and D rings though!

 

[jonnythan]

It's a lot cheaper to buy the gear once. Trust me, I wish I had

 

[Northeastwrecks]

FWIW, my BP&W, with Pioneer 36 and a pocket, cost far less than my Zeagle Tech. My spring straps and Jets cost less than my Volos. And my bottom timer cost much, much less than my Aeris 500 AI.

None of its cheap, but it is worth it. Except for adding new gear as I progress, I haven't needed to replace any of my DIR gear. The other stuff will be going on Ebay soon.

 

[diverbrian]

I have to agree on the gear. I am not in a position to put my recreational gear on E-Bay as the LDS owner expects to see me in it and in a recreational set-up when I assist with classes (if I am DM'ing certified divers, he just asks that the gear be sold from his shop, he could care less about the configuration. He expects classes to see his staff in the same approximate rig though.)

My backplate set-up that I use with my doubles will out-last me, that is for sure.

My issue with expense would be gas fills. I understand that DIR requires dives 100 ft. or greater to use Helium of a precise mix. Also diving to 100 ft. would require EAN32.

I insist on nitrox as well. The difference is that like many non-DIR divers, I use "best mix". That means using Nitrox and risking the minor narcosis (I still haven't gone below 130 ft. and wouldn't go below 140 without a minimum of a normoxic tri-mix cert.) That also means possibly topping off my tanks with air, analyzing and continuing my dive day (albeit in a less agressive manner) if I have only used say a half a tank rather than draining my tank and paying for another nitrox fill. If and when I get into tri-mix, you can bet that I intend to make the most of my (expensive) tri-mix fills in the same manner.

I am not critisizing anyone for their philosphy. Helium for the 100-130 ft. range adds up fast with the recreational diving that I am currently doing. This is not part of the equipment costs which I feel are actually less than the gadgetry that I see (and sometimes use myself), but it is a cost of diving DIR that could be mentioned in all fairness.

Diving is not a cheap sport, no matter how you slice it. Let's all live with it. If I am not spending money on gear, I am spending it on trips, LOL! I haven't travelled so much in my life as when I took up diving.

 

[ColdH2Odvr]

It doesn’t matter where you start off, that’s where you end up.

 

[ElectricZombie]

Ok, I'll use myself as an example. (I'll compare only single tank rigs for simplicity.)

Pre-DIR Rig:

X-Tech BC w/ 55lb wing w/ all accesories sold - $800.00
Sherwood Fins - $60.00
TwinJets (The Sherwood fins didn't work well) - $200.00
Mk20/G500/R190 - About $700.00 at the time
Giant console w/ air computer - $500.00
Nitrox computer - $500.00

Total: $2760.00 (This does NOT include all the other random tidbits of gear I had to purchase to keep this mess operable. Nor does it include the multiple masks, snorkels and other junk I ended up buying.) This whole setup, with the exception of the regs, was a complete waste of money.


DIR Rig:

Halcyon 27lbs Pioneer System (Complete BC) - $500.00
Same regulator setup except upgraded to Mk25/S600 - $700.00
No computer - Bottom Timer - $100.00
JetFins - $100.00

Total: $1400.00


So, with the DIR setup, you save $1360.00. That's about enough to buy a nice drysuit. Plus, with the DIR setup, you get a BC that will actually work and won't have to be replaced in a few years or as industry trends change. A DIR setup will basically last forever and will do everything you need it to do. If you can manage to break a BP, you have problems.

DIR is cheaper upfront and in the long term.

Yes, it is cheaper to do things right the first time, but some of us didn't know any better when we first got into SCUBA. (An LDS owner's dream come true)

 

[paulwlee]

DIR gear configuration does not cost less per se. With BP/wings, the wing still wears out, and the cost to get another one is not too much different from getting a new BC. The only real difference I see is the non-use of computers.

I think some of you are confusing people by comparing money wasted on poor personal gear choices with the cost of what you eventually settled on.

 

[flw]

Northeastwrecks once bubbled...
FWIW, my BP&W, with Pioneer 36 and a pocket, cost far less than my Zeagle Tech. My spring straps and Jets cost less than my Volos. And my bottom timer cost much, much less than my Aeris 500 AI.

None of its cheap, but it is worth it. Except for adding new gear as I progress, I haven't needed to replace any of my DIR gear. The other stuff will be going on Ebay soon.

Mainly agree - 'cept I ended up selling most of it when I got a RB, so it didn't last forever - however I still have the backplate and wing which transfered

F

 

[cornfed]

Hallmac once bubbled...
I've seen them say cleaner, and more diving for the buck but never recall them saying it was cheaper.

I've heard people say a BP/Wing is less then a BC. When you compare similar BCs its the same and often less. One nice thing is that you can piece it together for less the most BCs. The harness will cost you less then 20 bucks, you can get the backplate on ebay for 50 (and you can't tell the differnce between it and a new one) which leaves the wing at around $250. Or you can buy a Halcyon setup for an extra 200+ dollars and whine like a troll that DIR is too expensive. It's up to you.

 

[Northeastwrecks]

paulwlee once bubbled...
DIR gear configuration does not cost less per se. With BP/wings, the wing still wears out, and the cost to get another one is not too much different from getting a new BC. The only real difference I see is the non-use of computers.

Actually, not really. The cost of the wing, by itself, is far less than the cost of a decent BC.