Please explain DIR to me...

[Seabear70]

Ok, I understand the need to organize your gear.

I also more than understand the need to organize your head, skills, and additude.

What I do not understand is that many people who discuss DIR tend to take the approach of gear Nazis.

I remember reading one post about a guy who had bought several BCD's to get in compliance with DIR standards. How he's spent a small fortune on dive lights so he could fit the standard.

It seems to me that by focusing on skills and additude, you would acomplish far more than any piece of gear ever could.

Seriously, some of the best divers I know dive with horse collar BCD's because that was what they trained on, and they still work.

I myself carry some gear that probably does not fit anyone's Idea of Ideal DIR gear, but I feel comfortable making any dive short of extreme cave penetration with what I use. But this is gear I am comfortable with and short of the new BCD I bought, it is the gear I have used and understand the capabilities of and limits of thoroughly.

I'm really not trying to troll here, I just want to understand what your system offers that I can incorporate into the diving that I do.

 

[HammerNoMore]

Ok, I understand the need to organize your gear.

I also more than understand the need to organize your head, skills, and additude.

Then you are ahead of most.

What I do not understand is that many people who discuss DIR tend to take the approach of gear Nazis.

What you have to realize is that most of the people who "claim" to be DIR really aren't. I am admitedly not "DIR" but I respect and understand the system so I feel I can comment with a somewhat unbiased opinion.

There are a lot of people who beleive, if they read this book and/or take this class and/or use this gear, they are the epitome of a DIR diver. Some, not all, of these people are cyber divers who do nothing but quote manuals on this and other forums. They are what we like to call the "vocal minority". They bash other people for not following a standard they only wish to achieve.

I remember reading one post about a guy who had bought several BCD's to get in compliance with DIR standards. How he's spent a small fortune on dive lights so he could fit the standard.

If you are interested in DIR, fist get the fundies book then, take a class. Don't trust what you read on the internet. For example, the only light that is required for a DIR rec diver is a backup light that costs about $50.

I'm really not trying to troll here, I just want to understand what your system offers that I can incorporate into the diving that I do.

I hope not, becuase it's easy to see that trolling in the DIR forum is not allowed. If you are really interested, I'd suggest you post specific questions to someone like MHK who is a GUE instructor.

James

 

[Seabear70]

I put in the part about trolling because I had heard the DIR'ers were rather excitable about anyone questioning their methods.

As for the book, from what I've read on these forums, it sounds like a sales brochre for the class, giving a lot of hype while avoiding offering any skills.

 

[HammerNoMore]

I put in the part about trolling because I had heard the DIR'ers were rather excitable about anyone questioning their methods.

That would be those cyber divers I was talking about. The real ones will gladly answer legitimate questions that are not trolls.

As for the book, from what I've read on these forums, it sounds like a sales brochre for the class, giving a lot of hype while avoiding offering any skills.

You can't just read the book and be a DIR diver, if that's what you are asking, but it does go into the why's and how's of a lot of the fundies. You can pretty much get all the same info on the internet if you a) look around enough and b) can separate the chaff from the wheat, but it's not that costly and is a good start to decide if you want to continue with the training.

James

 

[jbd]

As for the book, from what I've read on these forums, it sounds like a sales brochre for the class, giving a lot of hype while avoiding offering any skills.

The book is not, nor was it intended to be IMHO, a be all end all definitive text on diving. It provides a sketch of what DIR fundamentals are. This covers gear, philosophy and some standards of performance of skills. It does not go into great detail on each thing.

Get a copy of the book, read it, understand the material presented and then decide if you agree with it or not. Most people seem to agree with some of it but not all. The key is to comprehend or understand the material, which seldom seems to be the case on both sides of this never ending debate.

In my case I think the book is informative for what it is except for the last part about using a scuba regualtor for rescusitation. I wish they had never printed that.

 

[Seabear70]

Yeah, that sounds a bit dangerous... Essentially your talking about using an over pressure regulator for CPR (haven't read the book, I've considered the possibility) without proper training that's can kill someone.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

Too frequently lost in the "what is it" discussion is the reason why and from where. It was born out of the necessity to safely and efficiently execute extremely demanding and team oriented cave dives in warm water. Skills needed to be top-notch and gear standardization facilitated a team approach.

Much of the DIR philosophy can be adopted in other venues and for other purposes but like anything else you need to make certain what you are about to do (or adopt) is going to work in your environment. For that comment I'll probably be roasted and told "it works in any environment".

As with most any other equipment intensive sport, sloppy skills will not be made better by (DIR) gear. Good skills can be more easily learned in well fitting and excellent gear. If you are always "fighting" your equipment it makes it that much more difficult to focus on the objective of learning how to ...
(whatever you are trying to learn).

Am I "DIR"? Not by a long shot; my knife is too big and I dive solo. There's probably some other stuff that will prevent me from joining the club as well but that does not mean I cannot appreciate much of what they have to say about the necessity of having excellent in-water skills and that those skills can be more easily learned by selecting gear that will help, rather than hinder, you.

Read JJ's book. Read other books. Learn from anyone and everyone willing to share knowledge. Hook up with some excellent divers (DIR or not). If the spirit moves you take a DIR-F course and concentrate on learning, not passing or failing.

G_M

 

[roakey]

Exactly what part of the "What is DIR" sticky at the top of the DIR forum do you not understand or want further amplification on?

Roak

 

[Seabear70]

Exactly what part of the "What is DIR" sticky at the top of the DIR forum do you not understand or want further amplification on?

Roak

Basicly I wanted a multi faceted view of DIR. I wanted to see it from all angles, not just on commentator's opinion. In order to do that I had to draw as many people into it as possible. I'd actually like to draw a few anti-DIR people in to get their viewpoints.

Basicly the wider the perspective I can get on DIR, the better I can understand it.

 

[LUBOLD8431]

... I'd actually like to draw a few anti-DIR people in to get their viewpoints.

Basicly the wider the perspective I can get on DIR, the better I can understand it.

Bringing in the "anti-DIR people" into the DIR forum would be a catastrophe (and it is also advised against in one of the stickys at the top of this forum). Many a thread have gone down in flames from this exact situation. Read the book, talk to a DIR-F instructor in person, and then decide for yourself. Balance that with talking with another Instructor that you respect. Hang around here for a while, and you will learn alot...
Also, check out the GUE website, and other forums for diving for more info.