I've been trying to sit down and figure out how I wanted to write my trip report for my DIR-F class, and decided that I've got a serious case of writer's block. Quite ironic for someone who has a degree in its intimacies. I'm just going to type, and we'll see where that gets us.
Thursday Mar 17th
I arrived at Ft. Lauderdale slightly behind schedule, the flight was delayed due to strong turbulence in Northern FL (from what I understand, they had a tornado rip through there, a buddy of mine was there for cave diving at the same time I was in South FL). Having only seen a few smallish pics of Cody on dir-diver.com, I wasnt 100% sure what he looked like. I called his cell phone, but it went right to voicemail, and the voicemail cut me off within 10 seconds. A few minutes later I notice a guy wearing a GUE cap, I figure it has to be him, and sure enough, it is.
My bags finally make their way around the conveyor belt, and I grab them. Incidentally, I used neon yellow zip-ties on my luggage, and they worked like a charm for identification and security purposes. Cody and I make small talk on the trip from the airport to his place. It is interesting because he is originally from the Syracuse NY area, as am I. During our commute, it starts to rain. This rain eventually turns into a deluge a little later that night and has me worrying about the weather for the rest of the week (leave it to me to be in South FL the only week that it is totally crappy out). Seeing as it was St. Patricks Day, Cody decided to whip up some Corned Beef Hash for dinner. Being part Irish I surely didnt complain, and found out firsthand that the legends are true, this guy can cook!
Friday Mar 18th
We woke up Friday morning and after a delicious breakfast of eggs and Canadian bacon, got right down to business. Cody gave an overview of the course, his expectations of himself as an instructor as well as mine as a student, and started going into a little history of WKPP/GUE/DIR. Most of it was stuff I had already read about before on the internet, but it was still cool hearing it. He wanted to impress upon me the importance of leading by example. He is not happy with the bad rep that DIR divers have received lately as being elitist arses who patently label everyone who isnt 100% with the DIR program a stroke. He did mention that yes, there may be times where the term applies, dont bother using it because it simply alienates people and we would rather have someone come over to the dark side after seeing us hang motionless on a deco stop for 3-5 minutes or to hover nary a few inches from the bottom not stirring up any silt whatsoever than to push someone away forever because we called them a silly name.
Next we went over buoyancy, trim, weighting, and balance. Ahh my arch nemeses, for I know them well. He explained that so many divers overwork themselves needlessly, all because they carry extra weight. I was relieved when he rationalized that it isnt entirely new divers fault. He said that most new and relatively new divers will have incorrect balance and trim and the fact that some instructors purposely overweight their students definitely exacerbates the issue. Cody said that by the end of the course I would not be wearing a weight belt. At first, I was skeptical at best, but he was right.
We discussed the finer points of Gas Blending. It really is quite simple, and as long as you are paying attention, it is virtually fool proof. Im not sure Im quite ready to start jumping into making my own Trimix just yet, but it is nice to know I have the ability. After that, we threw in the swim test for good measure.
Saturday Mar 19th
Saturday started with us heading over to Fill Express to get our tanks filled. It is owned by Dive Rite, and quite the place. Think of a gas station, only they are selling air fills. Hyperair, EANx, Trimix, Argon, you name it, they have it. Im still kicking myself for not bringing the camera with me, but they might have some pics on their site fillexpress.com. After that, we were on the road to Miami to head to The Scuba Shop. Catchy name notwithstanding, TSS is a great LDS. They have quite a selection of gear on hand, are friendly and know their stuff. I picked up:
Scubapro MK25 DIN 1st stage (I need a second one for my doubles anyway)
Scubapro 300 Bar DIN adapter
Drysuit pockets
150ft Spool
SS Boltsnaps
Halcyon 80lb closed SMB
Wetnotes
We arrived back at Codys place to find that the UPS shipment from Barry Miller had made it there. I was really stoked to know I was going to help Cody beta-test these lights, and couldnt wait to get them in the water. I had to put my excitement over the HIDs on the back burner for the moment as we started to get into equipment configuration. We started with my backplate and harness. As with most other people, there would be quite a bit of adjusting over the next few days. My shoulder straps were too tight, my crotch strap was too loose (although not always 100% apparent until I was in the water), and my belt needed to be cut as it was too long. I dont know why I never got around to trimming it, but it is nice and trimmed now. He knew that I was planning on going doubles in the very near future, so he suggested I take the class in a spare set of AL80s he had ready to go. I agreed, and have never been happier.
Let me say this, Barry Miller is the man. His lights are literally identical to the Halcyon ones, yet they are more affordable, Barry actually warranties the HID bulbs, and his top of the line 21watt light is more powerful and $300 cheaper than Big Hs competing product. When I tell you these lights are identical, I mean, they are virtual carbon copies of each other. For those who dont know, Barry Miller used to work for Halcyon and basically created their lights. He decided to strike out on his own, some unpleasantness ensued, but now everything seems to be okay. Needless to say, I will be in possession of a Salvo 21watt HID within a few weeks.
We then started setting up my new MK25 DIN 1st stage, as well as inserting the DIN adapter into the MK25 Yoke 1st stage I already had. My SPG hose is a hair too long as I found out, so I just zip-tied it for the remainder of the course. I was going to get a proper length one before I left, but I forgot. Ill be heading to the LDS by this Saturday to pick up a proper length hose. Cody showed me how to take cave line and properly attach a bolt snap to my long hose. I then took a bolt snap and attached it to the Goodman handle on the Salvo light. We then took some zip-ties and did the time honored 1st stage(s) to backplate/harness trick and headed outside to do some land drills.
We practiced handling and stowing the long hose as well as the Goodman handle. It took a few times, but it became almost instant after a little practice. We then practiced S-drills and air-sharing. It was a bit of a cluster, but I got the hang of it and after our 3rd or 4th try, Cody said Id done well and that we should head back inside. Once inside, Cody grabbed one of his 40lb Explorer wings and I put together a set of the AL80s using my BP/Harness.
He set it on a chair and I slid into it. I tried my first ever run at a valve drill on doubles, and it went well. He said we were done for the day, and I asked if I could get up and walk around with the doubles on just to see what it felt like. It was great. They didnt feel really any heavier than my ST95 setup, and even out of the water I could feel the stability that doubles provide.
Sunday Mar 20th
I woke up very stoked Sunday morning, as it was going to be our first time in the water. Cody suggested we use the pool. I agreed. This particular pool had a maximum depth of 6 feet, thus making it more difficult. We went over pre-dive planning, which consists of the tried-and-true SADDDDD. Again, for those who arent familiar:
S-Sequence
A-Air
D-Deco
D-Distance
D-Depth
D-Direction
D-Dive
Seeing that it was a pool dive we really couldnt conclude the SADDDDD completely, but I definitely wanted to engrain the practice, so it was good to practice it anyway. Once that was out of the way, we did our pre-dive drills (modified valve, modified S-drills, and equipment checks). It was time to venture out into the pool and find out what I was made of. I had been telling Cody from the moment we met how bad my buoyancy and trim was so that I didnt completely surprise him the first time we got in the water. Almost immediately I could feel the difference diving the double AL80s as opposed to my single ST95 tank. I felt so much more stable and secure.
Im always the first to admit that I am my own toughest critic, and I was very frustrated with myself. It seemed like no matter what I did I didnt feel like I had good buoyancy, trim or balance. Cody would later tell me that I am being too hard on myself and that my buoyancy and trim was actually pretty good. Next we worked on the frog kick. I was doing it, but wasnt getting the technique or propulsion quite right. From what Cody told me, I had my left foot cocked slightly and it was really affecting my skill. I should have been able to make it from one end of the pool to the other in about 3 kicks, it was taking me more like 10-15 kicks. I kept working at it, and had a few kicks of brilliance, but for the most part, things just didnt feel right. Cody felt that I was forcing the kicks and that I needed to let them just flow. I practiced for a bit longer, but by then, wed been in the water for over 2 hours. I was tired and Cody was cold. We decided to call it quits.
Thursday Mar 17th
I arrived at Ft. Lauderdale slightly behind schedule, the flight was delayed due to strong turbulence in Northern FL (from what I understand, they had a tornado rip through there, a buddy of mine was there for cave diving at the same time I was in South FL). Having only seen a few smallish pics of Cody on dir-diver.com, I wasnt 100% sure what he looked like. I called his cell phone, but it went right to voicemail, and the voicemail cut me off within 10 seconds. A few minutes later I notice a guy wearing a GUE cap, I figure it has to be him, and sure enough, it is.
My bags finally make their way around the conveyor belt, and I grab them. Incidentally, I used neon yellow zip-ties on my luggage, and they worked like a charm for identification and security purposes. Cody and I make small talk on the trip from the airport to his place. It is interesting because he is originally from the Syracuse NY area, as am I. During our commute, it starts to rain. This rain eventually turns into a deluge a little later that night and has me worrying about the weather for the rest of the week (leave it to me to be in South FL the only week that it is totally crappy out). Seeing as it was St. Patricks Day, Cody decided to whip up some Corned Beef Hash for dinner. Being part Irish I surely didnt complain, and found out firsthand that the legends are true, this guy can cook!
Friday Mar 18th
We woke up Friday morning and after a delicious breakfast of eggs and Canadian bacon, got right down to business. Cody gave an overview of the course, his expectations of himself as an instructor as well as mine as a student, and started going into a little history of WKPP/GUE/DIR. Most of it was stuff I had already read about before on the internet, but it was still cool hearing it. He wanted to impress upon me the importance of leading by example. He is not happy with the bad rep that DIR divers have received lately as being elitist arses who patently label everyone who isnt 100% with the DIR program a stroke. He did mention that yes, there may be times where the term applies, dont bother using it because it simply alienates people and we would rather have someone come over to the dark side after seeing us hang motionless on a deco stop for 3-5 minutes or to hover nary a few inches from the bottom not stirring up any silt whatsoever than to push someone away forever because we called them a silly name.
Next we went over buoyancy, trim, weighting, and balance. Ahh my arch nemeses, for I know them well. He explained that so many divers overwork themselves needlessly, all because they carry extra weight. I was relieved when he rationalized that it isnt entirely new divers fault. He said that most new and relatively new divers will have incorrect balance and trim and the fact that some instructors purposely overweight their students definitely exacerbates the issue. Cody said that by the end of the course I would not be wearing a weight belt. At first, I was skeptical at best, but he was right.
We discussed the finer points of Gas Blending. It really is quite simple, and as long as you are paying attention, it is virtually fool proof. Im not sure Im quite ready to start jumping into making my own Trimix just yet, but it is nice to know I have the ability. After that, we threw in the swim test for good measure.
Saturday Mar 19th
Saturday started with us heading over to Fill Express to get our tanks filled. It is owned by Dive Rite, and quite the place. Think of a gas station, only they are selling air fills. Hyperair, EANx, Trimix, Argon, you name it, they have it. Im still kicking myself for not bringing the camera with me, but they might have some pics on their site fillexpress.com. After that, we were on the road to Miami to head to The Scuba Shop. Catchy name notwithstanding, TSS is a great LDS. They have quite a selection of gear on hand, are friendly and know their stuff. I picked up:
Scubapro MK25 DIN 1st stage (I need a second one for my doubles anyway)
Scubapro 300 Bar DIN adapter
Drysuit pockets
150ft Spool
SS Boltsnaps
Halcyon 80lb closed SMB
Wetnotes
We arrived back at Codys place to find that the UPS shipment from Barry Miller had made it there. I was really stoked to know I was going to help Cody beta-test these lights, and couldnt wait to get them in the water. I had to put my excitement over the HIDs on the back burner for the moment as we started to get into equipment configuration. We started with my backplate and harness. As with most other people, there would be quite a bit of adjusting over the next few days. My shoulder straps were too tight, my crotch strap was too loose (although not always 100% apparent until I was in the water), and my belt needed to be cut as it was too long. I dont know why I never got around to trimming it, but it is nice and trimmed now. He knew that I was planning on going doubles in the very near future, so he suggested I take the class in a spare set of AL80s he had ready to go. I agreed, and have never been happier.
Let me say this, Barry Miller is the man. His lights are literally identical to the Halcyon ones, yet they are more affordable, Barry actually warranties the HID bulbs, and his top of the line 21watt light is more powerful and $300 cheaper than Big Hs competing product. When I tell you these lights are identical, I mean, they are virtual carbon copies of each other. For those who dont know, Barry Miller used to work for Halcyon and basically created their lights. He decided to strike out on his own, some unpleasantness ensued, but now everything seems to be okay. Needless to say, I will be in possession of a Salvo 21watt HID within a few weeks.
We then started setting up my new MK25 DIN 1st stage, as well as inserting the DIN adapter into the MK25 Yoke 1st stage I already had. My SPG hose is a hair too long as I found out, so I just zip-tied it for the remainder of the course. I was going to get a proper length one before I left, but I forgot. Ill be heading to the LDS by this Saturday to pick up a proper length hose. Cody showed me how to take cave line and properly attach a bolt snap to my long hose. I then took a bolt snap and attached it to the Goodman handle on the Salvo light. We then took some zip-ties and did the time honored 1st stage(s) to backplate/harness trick and headed outside to do some land drills.
We practiced handling and stowing the long hose as well as the Goodman handle. It took a few times, but it became almost instant after a little practice. We then practiced S-drills and air-sharing. It was a bit of a cluster, but I got the hang of it and after our 3rd or 4th try, Cody said Id done well and that we should head back inside. Once inside, Cody grabbed one of his 40lb Explorer wings and I put together a set of the AL80s using my BP/Harness.
He set it on a chair and I slid into it. I tried my first ever run at a valve drill on doubles, and it went well. He said we were done for the day, and I asked if I could get up and walk around with the doubles on just to see what it felt like. It was great. They didnt feel really any heavier than my ST95 setup, and even out of the water I could feel the stability that doubles provide.
Sunday Mar 20th
I woke up very stoked Sunday morning, as it was going to be our first time in the water. Cody suggested we use the pool. I agreed. This particular pool had a maximum depth of 6 feet, thus making it more difficult. We went over pre-dive planning, which consists of the tried-and-true SADDDDD. Again, for those who arent familiar:
S-Sequence
A-Air
D-Deco
D-Distance
D-Depth
D-Direction
D-Dive
Seeing that it was a pool dive we really couldnt conclude the SADDDDD completely, but I definitely wanted to engrain the practice, so it was good to practice it anyway. Once that was out of the way, we did our pre-dive drills (modified valve, modified S-drills, and equipment checks). It was time to venture out into the pool and find out what I was made of. I had been telling Cody from the moment we met how bad my buoyancy and trim was so that I didnt completely surprise him the first time we got in the water. Almost immediately I could feel the difference diving the double AL80s as opposed to my single ST95 tank. I felt so much more stable and secure.
Im always the first to admit that I am my own toughest critic, and I was very frustrated with myself. It seemed like no matter what I did I didnt feel like I had good buoyancy, trim or balance. Cody would later tell me that I am being too hard on myself and that my buoyancy and trim was actually pretty good. Next we worked on the frog kick. I was doing it, but wasnt getting the technique or propulsion quite right. From what Cody told me, I had my left foot cocked slightly and it was really affecting my skill. I should have been able to make it from one end of the pool to the other in about 3 kicks, it was taking me more like 10-15 kicks. I kept working at it, and had a few kicks of brilliance, but for the most part, things just didnt feel right. Cody felt that I was forcing the kicks and that I needed to let them just flow. I practiced for a bit longer, but by then, wed been in the water for over 2 hours. I was tired and Cody was cold. We decided to call it quits.