HOG Questions/Musings

[Nemrod]

1. I saw in a thread started by somone called Boogywooogy or such concerning what is HOG and what is not and an answer was given by one poster that HOG is a cave rig. If HOG is a cave rig then when your not cave diving what is it called. Especially if you drop the long hose per WHM's page where I read the correct set up is an aluminum 80 and a 40 inch hose.

2. Thanks for the suggestions on the bike tubes, it is working nicely

3. I just picked up a DR mesh pocket, does it go on the RH waist strap? and is that where the SMP snd safety reel go or should I continue to carry them clipped to my aft crotch D-ring?

Since I no longer cave dive per "she who controls my life" I have come to think the somewhat less rigid constraints of HOG fit my diving approach better than the rigid DIR concepts. If WHM's thought was to always seek the simplest configuration for a particular dive profile then HOG cannot always be DIR because DIR does not evolve or adjust but always force fits itself to the profile. Example--oh God--the long hose---not needed outside of a cave (maybe wreck). So, the OW profile adapted HOG rig is a 40 inch hose per WHM. BUT, that would never be DIR because they never alter their rig. (JFYI, when I use OW for open water I an not referring to the PadI ridiculous cert levels, I mean it as no overhead environment diving and including no deco diving since deco is a sort of overhead) Another example is the can light. I assume a non can type light could be HOG but never DIR. Just some thoughts. None of this meant to cause a feud. N

 

[Michael Schlink]

Said it before, HOG is NOT DIR is NOT HOG. They are similar but things like hose length and routing differ.

 

[MarcG]

Example--oh God--the long hose---not needed outside of a cave (maybe wreck). So, the OW profile adapted HOG rig is a 40 inch hose per WHM. BUT, that would never be DIR because they never alter their rig.

Nemrod,

That is not exactly true. It is true that most of the DIR types will use the 7 ft hose, however, you will find an occasional 5 ft or 40" hose in open water. There is nothing, as of now , that says you need to use the 7 ft hose in open water.

 

[Soggy]

When did HOG become an acronym?

 

[Nemrod]

So given the above statement and including the obvious things like my faithful non black BC wing and a few other oddities please feel free to tell me how badly non HOG I am. This is not intended to cause an argument, it is a sincere question and Ihave taken many things I have seen on this forum to heart--not always but often. I don't dive just one configuration, I often dive vintage but this rig is my main OW (non PadI compliant non overhead rig). I have owned this soon to be retired wing since about 84 and it has served well but I will soon get a DR or similar. Almost ordered a Halycon until I heard about the thread with a leak after ten dives. This wing has hundreds and hundreds of rigorous dives completed without failure, big shoes to fill. My main concerns here are the small UK light stowage, the new DR pocket and the clipped off SMB and reel. Where do those things belong? Also, for your benifits, I have my smallest and least threatening knife displayed---lol! Yeah, I do use a scooter, a Tekna DV3X that I just rebuilt so I do use the crotch strap and scooter ring. The regulators are Tekna 2100B with DIN capable MKV first stage, circa 1980. The long hose is a swivel fitted 40 inch with protective mesh sleeve and the bungee backup is on a 24 inch hose. The Mini-ScubaPro console--all rubber--circa mid 70s is fitted with a 1976 USD SPG and a Tekna super accurate adjustable 240 foot expanded scale depth guage and a little Tekna compass strappped to it. On my wrists I wear my faithfull DOXA Sharkhunter watch, Ikelite/Suunto compass and sometimes a Princeton Tech mechanical dive timer. No computer, tables are in my onboard gray matter and I compute on the fly (er--uh--swim).

Please feel free to post pics of ypour gears or setups or how better to do something or whatever because lot's of people are still trying to figure this all out--me too. N

 

[*Floater*]

If WHM's thought was to always seek the simplest configuration for a particular dive profile then HOG cannot always be DIR because DIR does not evolve or adjust but always force fits itself to the profile. Example--oh God--the long hose---not needed outside of a cave (maybe wreck). So, the OW profile adapted HOG rig is a 40 inch hose per WHM. BUT, that would never be DIR because they never alter their rig.

DIR does evolve, they have people testing different equipment which may at some point be added to their configuration or replace former equipment. The point of using the long hose even in open water is so that you get comfortable and familiar with it and all your reactions in OOG situations will be automatic. It may or may not be ideal for open water, personally I like it - the fit was better than other hoses and it's easier to share air using it.

 

[*Floater*]

I assume a non can type light could be HOG but never DIR. Just some thoughts. None of this meant to cause a feud. N

If lights develop to the point where the canister is no longer needed to get the same power and burn time as with current can lights, then those new lights will probably replace the can lights in the DIR configuration if affordable.

Hog is the equipment part of DIR, but it was all designed for cave and technical diving originally, so it's a little bit problematic to then try to apply those concepts to pure open water rec diving without accounting for the cave/tech aspect. You could argue that it's not minimalist to carry a different set of core equipment for rec and tech diving.

 

[daniel f aleman]

"Hog" is a general decription of a system used in cave diving, DIR is George Irvine's term for his cave diving system - outside of cave diving, both systems don't exist.

 

[Soggy]

"Hog" is a general decription of a system used in cave diving, DIR is George Irvine's term for his cave diving system - outside of cave diving, both systems don't exist.

I'm sure Bill Main would appreciate being called a Hog.

 

[Michael Schlink]

Hey Nemrod, your setup looks good to me but I have to admit I chuckled a little bit for two reasons
1) Any DIR folks are going to have a few comments about a couple of items of interest that I personally don't mind, hell I'd dive with you
2) But wow how long have you had those 'ole Tekna side breathers. Can you get a parts anymore??
I think you just became one of my hero's