Well, I deviate from it and I do have a very good reason. here it is so get ready to take notes. I deviate from it bacouse I Chose to.
I could really care less what people choose to do, but choosing to do something differently is not "a very good reason" unless that choice has been diligently made and the consequences of that choice weighed carefully. I could choose to go diving solo with a spare air as my "redundant" gas, with a single tank, and to 150 feet on air, but that doesn't make it a good reason to do so.
My advise to all divers is don't just be a follower. Don't ever take the stance that because most other people do "it" a certain way that makes their way the only and most correct way for "you" to do "it" that is the attitude of a corpse in waiting.
At the same time don't just do things and see what happens. Think about what your are doing and have a reason for it, no mater where the idea came from. You don't need to prove your reasons to anyone but your self. This goes back to it is your life and you damn well better take the responsibility to keep it.
Everyone should understand the "why" and "why not" behind all gear choices and configurations, and decide for themselves based upon that knowledge. We agree on that.
Most people going on doubles are going deep or long. Either way you are likely leaving behind the recreational diving safety of NDL and quick ascents to the surface. There are those that just dive in (forgive the pun) without learning anyting and there are those whom go through some wonder class but don't ever think for them selves. By the time they get out of it. They often learn to do what they are told to do but don't understand why, they don't think. They believe that so long as they have that card in there pocket everything will be fine. These classes with thier idology mills are churning out more and more divers that have no clue why thier gear is configured a certan way other than that is the DIR way, or GUE way, or some other way, but that won't stop them from propagating their faith, or attacking anyone that deviates. These are the bodies we are asked to retrieve. and if you look around in there stuff you will usualy find that magic card.
I take issue with this, as others have done. What is that "magic card"? Of all the divers I have joined underwater, and of all the ones I've talked to, DIR divers have understood more of the reasons behind their gear configuration than any others. Those bodies that are recovered from dive accidents come often from people who exceed their training and attempt things they are not trained to do. Those accidents are not a result of ideology mills.
If a diver can't explain purpose for a particular gear configuration to your, "your" satisfaction then leave some space between you and them.
I've had to deal with instabuddies who didn't understand why their gear was configured in a specific way, it was how they had it through OW training, but they didn't know why it was that way. Rather than leaving some space, I helped them out with their gear setup and stuck a bit closer than normal under water, not for my benefit but for theirs. I won't leave a less competent instabuddy solo diving just because I don't want to deal with them.
That being said, the topic of gear configuration. there is really not that much to gear configuration, there are only a small number of components and this is why most divers configure them the same, as well as most courses. They all have some good ideas and good points and you should "think" about it and "decide for your self" what works for you.
Everyone should decide for themselves what works best, that's true, but I think there are a lot more variations today then there were before. From jacket bc's, back inflates, bp/w's, pony slings and mounts, regular octos and Air2's, drysuits and semidrysuits, etc. There are a ton of choices, each one has to be individually analyzed.
you can learn alot from the internet, and courses, and other divers, heck any where you look you can learn or catch a good idea or a better one or what have you. anyone whom says that you cant is not trusting you to use your brain and think through what you are doing. I am trusting you to use your brain, in fact I am trying to point out that you have to use your brain, if you don't it is only a mater of time.
you don't have to go get a certification but I think these courses if you have access to them are a good idea. but take your brain with you, remember that your best buddy is your brain.
Expose your self to anything and everything you can then decide for your self. don't be narrow minded be open minded and critical. don't believe that just because some idea is not part of the "system" you where tought that is is inappropriate or nonviable, think for your self (I feel like Brian)
That I agree with.
This roled into a bit of venting obviously. so I apologize for that, my intent is not to make people mad. but I am still posting it. I also mentioned GUE and DIR a couple of times in examples but please understand that I am not saying that those methods are not good ones. I dive a combination of these methods depending on the dive, as Tom pointed out most divers gear distills down to very similar setups, as I said thier is not that much gear to be configured.
I am trying to point out that no method is a good one if you don't understand it and believe in it, it doesn't mater if it is a popular one with a name such as GUE or DIR or if it is just what your local dive instructor teaches you. And I refuse to take the responsibility to tell you what the "right" way is (that would be arrogant at best), but I will show you my way AND EXPLAIN WHY I DO IT THAT WAY. I am trying to point out to all that you have to determine the right way and once you have, have faith in your decisions. But not rigid faith, if someone comes up to you and shows you a way that YOU determine to be better then by all means adopt it. If you are afraid to, if you don't' think you could make good decisions like this just to deviate from your tought gear configuration or anything else then please don't dive at all.
It seems like you're trying to have it both ways, using some of DIR's concepts but bashing it for producing ideological zealots. It's obvious that each diver has to take care of their own choices and understand each aspect of their equipment. I'm still wondering what that magic card is.
