DIR tips and tricks

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nightwolf

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I'm a Fish!
Mermen and mermaids of the scuba world,

As a diver with a newfound respect and love for DIR (pause for applause and whistling), I have realised that a lot of DIR practitioners have little tips and tricks with their DIR setup, apart from the standard DIR setup.

For instance, the loop of bungee holding down the LP inflator, if tied to the side will place the inflator closer to the center of the chest leaving the left hand D ring free for usage without any hinderance. Whereas some would opt not to have anything holding down the power inflator to begin with.

Now this is an area of interest to me and an area of growth. Having searched near and far, far being the internet it appears that little information can be found related to this. The most amount of information collated in one place is the DIR video on youtube with George Irvine, Bill Mee and Dan Volker.

AG from UTD has some interesting blogs with reasoning and rationale behind some of the steps.
Would like to gather some insight into what you guys do differently and how it helps. :coffee:
This thread may even help a recreational diver who is moving on to DIR to better understand the reasoning and logic behind DIR.

Regards,
Matt
 
I could use some Back Kick tips...when I back kick I shot up lick a crayfish. Any suggestions much appreciated.
 
I could use some Back Kick tips...when I back kick I shot up lick a crayfish. Any suggestions much appreciated.
[video=youtube_share;kWrlXJ_EL_k]http://youtu.be/kWrlXJ_EL_k?list=UUsM5Za9Kc3DbP7Qo3-Zmz9w[/video]

This video I shot of Errol demonstrating the kick may help.....One thing, when you are trying to back up, make sure you look up, not down.....for some people, looking down connects their nervous system to a posture that will cause their feet to climb upward with each kick.

Try it with no tank in a swimming pool or shallow water....much better biofeedback without all the drag of the tank and wing.....If you can hold your breathe for 30 seconds or a minute, that is plenty of time to work on the kick....and you can do this again, and again :) ** Note....be sure to be dead neutral at the depth you will do this...maybe even one pound negative with the fill breath.

For that matter, all kicks should be perfected by freediving....it allows much better glides between kicks, and nothing will make you more aware of efficiency, than how far you can go without breathing.....

Also for the record.....I do this with Dive R freedive fins ( huge long carbon fiber composite blades) that allow awesome frog kicks where you can glide for 10 feet in between frog kick pushes.
But use the fins you will scuba with.......I just prefer DiveR's on 90% of my dives, since I video large marine life, and I go where it goes....which is rarely deep into a penetration. For deep wreck penetrations, I would use Jets or Force Fin Extra Force fins....( the extra Force will reverse kick much more easily, and faster than the jets....the Jets can frog kick forward a little faster than the Extra Force, because the jets have a little bit more blade to "PUSH" water with in each frog kick cycle. For flutter kick or dolphin kick, the Extra Force are EXPONENTIALLY more efficient, and much faster than the jets, for any high speed effort that needs to last more than a minute. Jets are good for a sprint, but the run the diver into anaerobic power quickly, by the kick shape and fin stiffness, whereas the Extra force uses a different muscle combination it their kick shape, that lets you run the same speed for much longer....aerobically.
 
[video=youtube_share;kWrlXJ_EL_k]http://youtu.be/kWrlXJ_EL_k?list=UUsM5Za9Kc3DbP7Qo3-Zmz9w[/video]

This video I shot of Errol demonstrating the kick may help.....One thing, when you are trying to back up, make sure you look up, not down.....for some people, looking down connects their nervous system to a posture that will cause their feet to climb upward with each kick.

Try it with no tank in a swimming pool or shallow water....much better biofeedback without all the drag of the tank and wing.....If you can hold your breathe for 30 seconds or a minute, that is plenty of time to work on the kick....and you can do this again, and again :) ** Note....be sure to be dead neutral at the depth you will do this...maybe even one pound negative with the fill breath.

Thanks Dan.

I have tried in the pool before. Once I seem to get it and I did the full length of the pool backwards, then the next time I got the crayfish effect. So one time I did it but not knowing the mechanics behind what I was doing. I am in the pool several times a week and in the lagoon/ocean every weekend. I will practice, practice and practice.
 

Many thanks for sharing this Danvolker. This is more than an interesting read, its applicable knowledge.

---------- Post added October 31st, 2014 at 11:39 PM ----------

Also for the record.....I do this with Dive R freedive fins ( huge long carbon fiber composite blades) that allow awesome frog kicks where you can glide for 10 feet in between frog kick pushes.
But use the fins you will scuba with.......I just prefer DiveR's on 90% of my dives, since I video large marine life, and I go where it goes....which is rarely deep into a penetration. For deep wreck penetrations, I would use Jets or Force Fin Extra Force fins....( the extra Force will reverse kick much more easily, and faster than the jets....the Jets can frog kick forward a little faster than the Extra Force, because the jets have a little bit more blade to "PUSH" water with in each frog kick cycle. For flutter kick or dolphin kick, the Extra Force are EXPONENTIALLY more efficient, and much faster than the jets, for any high speed effort that needs to last more than a minute. Jets are good for a sprint, but the run the diver into anaerobic power quickly, by the kick shape and fin stiffness, whereas the Extra force uses a different muscle combination it their kick shape, that lets you run the same speed for much longer....aerobically.

I personally thought that fin type play a crucial role in the back-kick. All information I obtained pointed to the importance of having a fin with stiff side walls. The side wall acts as the propulsion point.

The aim of this thread is working well, danvolker has provided insight that any fin can be used provided proper technique is mastered.

The key of the back-kick lies within the angle of pull of the fin. if the water is not sliced properly when the fins are brought back to position you end up with forward propulsion.

I find it easier to practice the back-kick and frog kick on land, as many UTD and GUE videos posted on Youtube show. Doing this on a flat surface with a buddy assisting the movement of the fins allows the mind to better understand the range of motion required to fin correctly. Being on a flat surface ensures that your thighs are inline with your torso and keeping your arms stretched in front assumes the position when in the water.

Like field striping a weapon, its all about repetition. This of it like when you were a OW diver learning to better your breathing rates. :)

Here is an video of AG from UTD showing the finning technique which helped me alot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m8_D6FO03E&list=UUmFVUZBRJJ6gSC4inf8gM7A
 
If you move up and back when back-kicking, almost certainly you have your fin tips pointed up when you initiate the power stroke. Easy to do; tension causes most of us to point the fins up. If you keep them flat (and you are in horizontal trim) you will move horizontally backwards.

One tip I have is to put multiple loops of inner tube on your shoulder straps when you web your harness, so that when you inevitably break one of them deploying or stowing a backup light, you have a spare.
 
The one thing that stands out that I learned from my GUE instructor, was how to get out of the harness back on land.

I always struggled with sliding both shoulders out, avoiding the drysuit dump valve.

Never thought to grab onto the shoulder d-rings (or what's attached to them) to slide out of it that way.

BRad
 
Just a funny observation on the back kick....... Wanted to get back in the water a few months back and hooked up with one of my dive mentors Trace Malinowski who was teaching an intro to tec class. On one of the dives he removed a very flexible pink fin off one of the students and gave his up. Being I was just hovering close I gave mine to trace in case he needed to respond quickly to an isssue. I was truly suprized that without fins I could perform back kicks, helicopter turns, and frog kicks without to much effort even in a full kit with a deco bottle. Then when putting on those fancy pink fins I could not proform the back kick at all. So i guess my point is go stiff or naked!
 
You can back kick with split fins, helicopter turn, frog, modified frog, flutter, modified flutter

but.... I dive jet fins.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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