Read JJ's book - What's all the fuss about?

[xiSkiGuy]

If you take away the "internet BS" the DIR philosophy has a lot to offer.

That is the way I see it.

What I do know is that drills and exercises and good trim and self awareness is a very good and safe thing. Divers who choose to do DIR-F are divers who want to improve skills.

Are there any classes other than Cavern/Intro Cave, Deco Procedures, or 5thD X's "Essentials" that teach this stuff? It doesn't seem to me to be "technical" skills, but "essential" or "fundamental" skills (as the name suggests).

 

[H2Andy]

Are there any classes other than Cavern/Intro Cave, Deco Procedures, or 5thD X's "Essentials" that teach this stuff? It doesn't seem to me to be "technical" skills, but "essential" or "fundamental" skills (as the name suggests).

are you familiar with GUE's DIR-Fundamentals class?

it's a very worthwhile workshop (with two days of diving) on the DIR
approach, methods, skills, and philosophy.

it's referred to as DIR-F and taught through GUE:

http://www.gue.com/Training/Recreational/index.html

 

[TSandM]

They ARE fundamental skills.

DIR-F is a very good class, although equipment requirements make it difficult of access for some people. There are many Fundies reports on SB that you can read to get an idea of what the class is like.

 

[xiSkiGuy]

are you familiar with GUE's DIR-Fundamentals class?

it's a very worthwhile workshop (with two days of diving) on the DIR
approach, methods, skills, and philosophy.

it's referred to as DIR-F and taught through GUE:

http://www.gue.com/Training/Recreational/index.html

Well, I haven't taken Fundies yet, but I've read many a report from the likes of SeaJay, Rick Inman, and TSandM.

My question was perhaps better phrased: Why do most agencies wait till "technical level" training to introduce these concepts?

 

[countryboy]

I took a "Buoyancy I" class from Ed Hayes, he is a GUE Instructor candidate.. I believe he will be finishing his internship this spring.

The class focused on: Trim, buoyancy, propulsion, gas management, use of long hose (my wife and I had just converted), s-drill, v-drill, (regular and modified), basic 5, situational awareness, team skills, dive planning.... and on and on... 4 classes, 4 pools, and we still need to finish with 2 open water dives.

This was an awesome class, and served as the basis for the improvements for my wife and I on our past trip.. She averaged a SAC of .45 and I averaged .5 (down from .65). I completed my first real 60 minute dive, can't remember the exact number but it was like 70 ft. max depth, 45 ft. average. (started with only 2800 psi in alum. 80, ended with ~650)

We ended the trip with little to no "disagreements" that weren't discussed / looked at on what we did good, what we could improve, etc.

All this and we can even apply for the PADI buoyancy specialty since he is a PADI MSDT as well. ha ha .. (got the training, don't need the card)

Most all of the assistants in the pool were GUE DIR-F graduates or provisionals, and PADI DM's, AI's or Instructors.

This was just an awesome bunch of people to be training with.. never heard the stroke word once.

From what I have seen... RESULTS that made our diving FUN!

 

[herman]

I have also read the book, taken DIR-F and have even had the pleasure of meeting JJ on one occasion. From what I have seen, at least here on this board, the real problem were the few individuals who went DIR crazy. If you were not dressed in black with certain exact pieces of gear you were a stoke, totally unsafe and were to be avoided at all cost. They seemed to take great pleasure in berating anyone who did not follow the DIR line to the letter. They reminded me a lot of those who join cults, either you join them or you were to be hated. I can think of several people who are/were on this board that pretty much had that attitude but most of them have gone or cooled off a lot.
There are many things that DIR teaches that I completely believe in and others that I see no need for in the type of diving I do. By far the DIR-F class was the best class I have taken if for no other reason than to be given the opportunity to see what a truly good diver looks like underwater. The GUE instructors I had were very impressive, their trim and buoyancy control were unbelievable and to top it off, some of the nicest divers I have had the pleasure of diving with. The problem with DIR is not the method or the real DIR divers but the full of BS DIR wannabees that are on an ego trip.

 

[ShakaZulu]

I just finished reading Jarrod Jablonski's Doing It Right: The Fundamentals of Better Diving. What is all the fuss about? If this is the basic textbook and blueprint to the DIR philosophy of diving, why are so many people upset with DIR?

No-one is upset with DIR, it's just the attitude of a few DIR graduates that acts like everyone around them are idiots........and maybe they are, but that is besides the point. I have that attitude, and I haven't even drank from the kool-aid fountain yet.

 

[Hyper-limits]

To get that side, you had to read George Irvine posts on the techdiver list. (Which unfortunately is no longer available)

Right here

http://cisatlantic.com/trimix/gmism/gmiindex.htm

 

[isurus]

saw JJ talk last year at London International Dive Show. Considering he was talking for about an hour with no notes on a range of subjects some of which quite scientific I thought he was one of the most impressive speakers I've seen. I don't dive DIR but couldn't argue with any of his logic or thought processes. I did get the feeling he may have preferred if some of the initial publicity around DIR hadn't been created in quite the way it was.

 

[JeffG]

Right here

http://cisatlantic.com/trimix/gmism/gmiindex.htm

Awesome. Saved it