What if DIR Evolved Elsewhere... (take two)

A potential interesting tread was begun with:

b1gcountry:

I know this question will stir up some arguments, and conversation. It's been slow around here lately anyway, and I was bored. This is a serious question, and not a troll...

Every group and region tend to have their own specific set of idiosyncrasies to the way they dive. I've often heard people knock DIR practices because "That kinda ___ would never fly around HERE!" So my question of the day is this:

If DIR evolved in a different environment, what would we now be doing differently? Would there even be any differences? What kind of environment would you see having a different effect?

...and by environment, I mean the physical, and geographical environment. I do not mean the social or political environment. Obviously, if the mindset was "certify a new diver as quickly as possible", everything would be different.

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Lamont closed the thread, I think prematurely, with:

Lamont:

okay, we're not getting into the Scripps vs. DIR axegrinding in the DIR forum, so please take it to another forum...

and the rest of this thread is tending to highlight the axe grinding of the posters rather than highlight anything useful about DIR...

and i'm sorry i brought up the whole lighthead boltsnaps thing... that's my own particular axe, but i approach it with a sense of amusement and i've got loops on the end of all my lightheads.

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So lets take Lamont's advice and continue the thread here. Since we're discussing minimalist approaches, it's appropriate.

DIR could not "evolve" from anything else than which it did - a basic understanding of evolution makes an alternate envronment a non-starter.

daniel f aleman:

DIR could not "evolve" from anything else than which it did - a basic understanding of evolution makes an alternate envronment a non-starter.

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You are of course quite correct. The question is a bit akin to wondering what would have happened if Duterostomes' balstual envagination became a mouth rather than an anus and thus made them Protostomes instead.

But it is interesting to note that alternative diving disciplines exist, some much older than "DIR," that have very similar philosophic underpinnings, and that have created similarly successful diving communities, at least one of which found a way to operate in a consensual rather than an authoritarian mold, without an appearance of conflict of interest poking out in the background.

Interesting to note, DIR is a result of amateur practice, and not due to military, scientific, or commercial needs. And, DIR is what it is because JJ and GI3 were/are so completely paranoid about dying in a water-filled cave.

GI3: WKPP Articles

daniel f aleman:

Interesting to note, that DIR is a result of amateur practice, and not due to a military, scientific, or commercail needs. And, DIR is what it is, because JJ and GI3 were/are so completely paranoid about dying in a water-filled cave.

GI3: WKPP Articles

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Can't say I blame them. I'd rather not die either.

Research diving is what it is today because it was initially designed and continuously peer reviewed by committees of experts who were trying to do the best they knew how for the institutions whey worked at.

SparticleBrane:

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Yah, I see this thread is off to a *much* better start than the other one

My guess is that any diving system which is trying to maximize safety is going to come up with some similar decisions. Standardizing gear makes checking it much faster and more efficient -- Each team member knows what the others should look like and how things should be arranged, and they are more likely to catch anything out of sorts. Building a thorough set of checks into the system, and training people to be meticulous about carrying them out, is going to nip most problems in the bud. Requiring a high degree of skill development from the divers, and insisting on frequent practice of emergency procedures, is going to make it likely that any problems which do arise underwater will be handled efficiently. Educating divers about decompression theory, and teaching careful ascent procedures and a standardized approach to deco, will make it more likely that an entire team will execute their ascent and decompression according to plan.

Some of the gear configuration decisions of DIR definitely came out of cave diving, and one can make arguments that they aren't required or possibly even optimal for other settings (although I have yet to see what the problem with a 7' hose, properly routed, in any other diving setting is). But streamlining gear and eliminating entanglement hazards is going to be beneficial in all circumstances.

So I would think that all systems designed to maximize efficiency and safety in a broad range of diving activities would share a lot of those qualities. Special circumstances, like working dives, hunting, and the like, might require very different decisions.

Thal,
I am not sure where you are trying to head with this. But I would be willing to bet that more AAUS trained divers have died on dives VS DIR trained divers. So what is your point about different training methods and procedures? Some work others don't? Yours is better than theirs? How do we measure yours vs theirs?
FC

daniel f aleman:

.......And, DIR is what it is because JJ and GI3 were/are so completely paranoid about dying in a water-filled cave.

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Ya I mean, when every dive is not a life defying event like your typical CF driven delio, IE the TDI sponsored Belle Island Mines/Barnum show where we couldn't managed to pull off a simple OC thirds dive without someone mysteriously dying alone...oh wait, his buddy found him didn't he? Like a hour later or so? Alway good to have a buddy like that.

I mean really, it makes GUE sound so rediculous doesn't it?....lol.

Sorry for the reality check