DIR Equipment Question

[SeaQuest]

I am relatively new to this site, and have found it to be a very interesting read to say the least. Until I had logged on I had not heard of DIR setups.

DIR sounds quite interesting and I would have to agree with most of what is said, about type of diving and location of equipment. It does however bring up the following question.

Has anyone experienced a primary hose failure on a DIR Setup?

I have witnessed the results of both a drysuit inflator whip failure that was secured under the BCD, and a 02 cutting line failure that the diver was lying on. In the first case the rib cage was bruised, and in the second case the almost broke the ribs of the diver.

Is securing a low pressure air line in your waist strap and around your neck a good idea? (I understand that the line is not secured around the neck, it is just positioned there).

Looking forward to the response

SeaQuest

 

[nickjb]

I never seen/read about a catastrophic failure. Failures tend to start slowly at the join. DIR is not just about equipment configuration, a part of it is regular maintainance and inspection (and some of the configuration stuff is aimed at doing this) and ensuring your equipment is in good working order.

It certainly isn't something that keeps me awake at night.

PS I'm not DIR but I do lean that way.

 

[runvus4]

I'm not entirely a DIR fan, actually I disagree with a few fairly minor points, but I do see the value of standardization of equipment configurations. Because of this, my gear is configured to "DIR configuration standards", even the slight bits I disagree with. The benefit is that if I have any problems diving, pre-dive checkout non-withstanding, as long as my buddy de jour or even some random punk who happens to be on the same dive boat as me who is familiar with the DIR setup, they know where to look for anything on my carcass, no fuss, no muss, and hopefully the familiarity and lack of fumbling around will help save their or my respective asses.

As nickjb said, DIR is much more than just equipment and gear config, so I wouldn't be considered a DIR diver, perhaps "Hogarthian gear setup" would be beter term

I have never seen or heard of a catostrophic hose failure on equipment with even a minimal amount of maintanence/inspection that wasn't induced by accidental cuts of some nature.

 

[madmole]

I've seen several failures of HP and MP hoses over the 28 years I've been diving. All on School equipment that was abused. In all cases the inner hose punctured and was retained by the outer hose that started doing an impression of a balloon sausage.

I was wearing one of these on one occasion and its worrying when your trainees all start pointing at your shoulder and running away

I've seen one outer hose burst like this and it flailed around but was easly controlled and the tank turned off.

I've never seen this on a dive, its allways been turning the unit on in in the boat or in the pool. Also all of the units had hose protectors

I never use hose protectors now, I believe they stress the hose more (and prevent rinsing and inspection). No problems on my own kit ever doing this

 

[salty]

as long as my buddy de jour or even some random punk who happens to be on the same dive boat as me who is familiar with the DIR setup,

Best thing i read all day:rofL:

 

[detroit diver]

One of our board members (Scot) had a hose failure situation last week during a GUE ITC session. One of the training directors removed the long hose from the reg in his mouth and Scot told me that it was the torrent of bubbles that was the problem, not the hose flying around. Ever try to donate a reg to someone you can't see??!!!

 

[wb416]

detroit diver once bubbled...
One of our board members (Scot) had a hose failure situation last week during a GUE ITC session. One of the training directors removed the long hose from the reg in his mouth and Scot told me that it was the torrent of bubbles that was the problem, not the hose flying around. Ever try to donate a reg to someone you can't see??!!!

I think a big problem would be donating to someone that is still "chomped" down on the mouthpiece of his "hoseless" reg.

hmmm..... "hoseless" regulator... ya suppose that'll catch on in the market some day? Get rid of all those nagging failure points!