I know this is nothing new for the DIR divers on this board, but maybe it'll be helpful for another newbie like myself investigating the DIR philosophy of diving.
Just an observation in support of the 100 ft. Equivilent Narcotic Depth DIR encourages.
I did my AOW deep dive today (IANTD) down to 103 feet. The instructor told me ahead of time that would ask me 2 multiplication questions I was to answer the first with my left hand and the second with my right. He told me 75% of divers do not get the right answer. So we hit the water, this being only my third boat dive (I now have 16 shore dives and 4 boat dives) and being a little sea-sick (boats and I are not on the best of terms) I was a little out of breath when I hit the water, instead of relaxing for a few minutes at 10-15 ft. to compose myself (as I should have) I signalled and we began our decent to 100ft (plus 3) about 80 ft I noticed that my shortness of breath was actually worrying me - odd I thought, I know my reg supplies enough air, and I'm not breathing overly hard, just slightly. by 100 ft it was about all I could think about. All of a sudden I realized that what I was feeling was the same thing I felt when I entered the water, just magnified. I told myself I was ok - and to relax (it didn't work on my emotions, but at least my mind believed me) then my instructor asked his two questions - I actually did get both answers correct, but I thought it was odd that I was having trouble counting his fingers - (rather funny I think now) as we ascended this part of the DIR philosophy really hit home - What if there was an emergency, would I be able to help my buddy in time to make a difference in this state of mind? I know I'm very much a newbie at all this, but this little experience showed me the importance of this at least in "my" diving.
Now I'm understanding what my BOW instructor meant by the following conversation "[student] 'What was your deepest dive?' [Instructor] '300 ft.' [student] 'On air?' [Instructor] 'yup' [Student] 'And you actually remember it?' [Instructor] 'Not really. . .'"
The experience also taught me not to just "follow along" when I need to stop and just relax)
If anyone is curious, we are doing navagation excercises on all dives, our second dive was a drift dive, Monday I get to learn to shoot a lift bag, DPV dives (dacor scooter) and then hopefully both a low vis dive as well as a night dive - I can't wait!
Tim
P.S. afterward the instructor commented that I did pretty well on my air consumption - it just reinforced that my breathing rate was not excessive even though I felt it was. (I have "average" air consumption with a SAC of about .45-.55 on most of my dives)
Just an observation in support of the 100 ft. Equivilent Narcotic Depth DIR encourages.
I did my AOW deep dive today (IANTD) down to 103 feet. The instructor told me ahead of time that would ask me 2 multiplication questions I was to answer the first with my left hand and the second with my right. He told me 75% of divers do not get the right answer. So we hit the water, this being only my third boat dive (I now have 16 shore dives and 4 boat dives) and being a little sea-sick (boats and I are not on the best of terms) I was a little out of breath when I hit the water, instead of relaxing for a few minutes at 10-15 ft. to compose myself (as I should have) I signalled and we began our decent to 100ft (plus 3) about 80 ft I noticed that my shortness of breath was actually worrying me - odd I thought, I know my reg supplies enough air, and I'm not breathing overly hard, just slightly. by 100 ft it was about all I could think about. All of a sudden I realized that what I was feeling was the same thing I felt when I entered the water, just magnified. I told myself I was ok - and to relax (it didn't work on my emotions, but at least my mind believed me) then my instructor asked his two questions - I actually did get both answers correct, but I thought it was odd that I was having trouble counting his fingers - (rather funny I think now) as we ascended this part of the DIR philosophy really hit home - What if there was an emergency, would I be able to help my buddy in time to make a difference in this state of mind? I know I'm very much a newbie at all this, but this little experience showed me the importance of this at least in "my" diving.
Now I'm understanding what my BOW instructor meant by the following conversation "[student] 'What was your deepest dive?' [Instructor] '300 ft.' [student] 'On air?' [Instructor] 'yup' [Student] 'And you actually remember it?' [Instructor] 'Not really. . .'"
The experience also taught me not to just "follow along" when I need to stop and just relax)
If anyone is curious, we are doing navagation excercises on all dives, our second dive was a drift dive, Monday I get to learn to shoot a lift bag, DPV dives (dacor scooter) and then hopefully both a low vis dive as well as a night dive - I can't wait!
Tim
P.S. afterward the instructor commented that I did pretty well on my air consumption - it just reinforced that my breathing rate was not excessive even though I felt it was. (I have "average" air consumption with a SAC of about .45-.55 on most of my dives)
