Just catching up.
As George Irvine said, there are only a handfull of divers he would consider DIR. The ones I see on the West Coast with scooters in open water, monkey diving and doing barrel rolls are simply playing under water.
Phil, this one ran its course years ago. The general consensus on SB back then was "Not DIR but sure looks fun." However, times change and so do peoples' perceptions. Bottom line...things evolve. What really is DIR any more...does it really matter ?
I had a nice conversation with Karim the other day. He described to me the recent changes in the Fundies course from when I took it years ago (1st generation Tech Pass). IMHO some of the changes are certainly for the better.
The course has always offered great learning opportunities, but it sounds like it is certainly more geared toward enabling people to succeed. I think that's a good thing...people will likely take more away from the course and more people will be encouraged to take it. There's nothing wrong with that.
To the OP (Leejnd), congrats on your recent gear purchase. I've owned several Halcyon products over the years and I can personally attest to the quality, longevity, and excellent customer service.
For others who have considered rocking the H, but balk at the full retail sticker price , here's a couple things to keep in mind - 1. Shop around you don't have to pay full retail price; 2. It its holds value very well; 3. e-bay is your friend (and so is SB or Deco Stop).
Best of luck in your upcoming course, Leejnd.