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Anyone actually start with DIR training right after OW?
Reading the DIR/GUE website they say that their Fundamentals course is for people of all levels--beginners as well as experienced divers, as long as you have the OW. But reading this site I get the impression that everyone who does a DIR course has quite a few dives under their belt.
For those of you who did the DIR F course, approximately how many dives did you have?
My main question: does anyone actually do the DIR F course with ONLY the OW course dives behind them? This would amount to, I believe, 5 confined water dives and 4 open water dives if you're PADI trained.
Last edited by Polpessa; December 21st, 2003 at 04:15 PM.
I'd be thinking it would be a good idea and give people a good chance to evaluate both "rec" and "good" hehe jk, so called "tec" equipment in a learning, rental environment before choosing your gear as well.
The dive shop through which I was certified is DIR oriented and myself and most of the people that I dive with are new divers (less then 50 dives) and trained in the DIR philosophy of diving. One that I know of has taken DIR-F and I intend to take DIR-F within the next several months. The recommended (required?) number of dives for the course is a minimum of 25 dives.
The shop's dive program is structures along these lines:
BOW (7 dives including Nitrox)
AOW (24 dives, 4 specialties: Deep, Night/LimVis, and Nav (Nitrox already))
DIR-F (25 dives)
Master Diver (50 dives, Stress and Rescue, CPR)
I'd think that you would want at least enough dives under your belt to be comfortable with your bouyancy, other than that I don't see any real reason to wait any longer.
Take it, don't worry about pass/fail, just enjoy the learning experience.
I've seen people who were very natural underwater - looked awesome after just 10 dives.
And i've seen some with 100s dives that were struggling wiht the basic skills in the class
It may not be a bad idea to take DIR-F soon after open water - just don't expect to pass, don't even concentrate on passing - just take it as an great learning opportunity
My DIR friends tell me that GUE actually prefers people with little experience since it's easier to teach them the DIRF techniques... you just have to be REALLY dedicated and serious about diving... not just a "oh, I wanna dive every now and then, don't really care" ... it's more about your attitude towards diving.
If your buoyancy sucks, they'll fix it... that's why you're taking the course.
I'm scheduled to take the DIRF next year when the boys from FL come here to the Philippines!
One of the things that I recall in my technical career, is an instructor that used the book as a guideline and taught how to really resolve problems. As I progressed through my career, I used that philosophy giving seminars and teaching Various courses. Teaching strong basic skills and how it is in the real world. We all differ in our peception of what is the right way do do things, but should all agree on the values of the basic skills. In our sport the rock bottom thing to pass on is SAFETY. That is where it all begins and ends. My .02.
In my DIR-F class (last June) the experience ranged from thousands of dives to a new OW diver with about 5 post OW dives. If you are comfortable in the water I see no reason for you not to take the class. The mask off drills are more of a concern to me than the bouyancy/diving skills. If you are not comfortable removing your mask underwater, that's what you need to work on. It's not an easy thing to do for a lot of people.
My LDS runs a buoyancy specialty that we use to help prepare students for their DIR-F course. Students are encouraged (and required) to practice until they've mastered the skills. Accordingly, the number of required dives varies.
We recommend this course follow O/W.
We've sent students to DIR-F following this course. I believe that 20 - 30 dives is about the minimum number that our students usually have before they take DIR-F.
I took my DIRF after my 25th Dives and never regret doing so. Personally I felt that the earlier one take DIRF the lesser bad habit to change
But now I'm :thinkingo .given my current equipment config and etc, will I have problem with the Rescue course I'm planning to take next year :33:
afterall not many people dive the way I do and uses the gears I use :33:
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