What is DIR Misinformation?

[Adobo]

I could give you a partial list of "qaulified" DIR instructors in NAUI Tec. These are people who have been "DIR" since before the term was coined or GUE was a glimmer in JJ's eye.

I'm one of them.

No doubt.

Does this mean that if one takes a Naui Tec class, his or her instruction is DIR regardless of the instructor?

 

[chickdiver]

Given that NAUI Tec currently requires a specific equipment protocol (we call it "NTEC, but it is a standard hogarthian setup), and that the standards require all the usual team related functions and drills- you should. I can't speak for what other instructors are doing (beyond the ones I know personally), but that's certainly what you get from me and those I have personally observed.

 

[Otter]

No doubt.

Does this mean that if one takes a Naui Tec class, his or her instruction is DIR regardless of the instructor?

I guess that would depend on your intent for taking the course. If its to say you have been trained in the tenants of DIR, then if the instructor so trained you -- you would. If the instructor did not, you would not have received DIR instruction.

Stated differently, if you desire to take DIR instruction and choose a GUE instructor, you have a 99.999999% chance of receiving DIR instruction. If you choose a PDIC or Naui Tech instructor, then the probability is lower -- but not zero....be a thinking student and choose accordingly.

 

[rjack321]

Does this mean that if one takes a Naui Tec class, his or her instruction is DIR regardless of the instructor?

Definately not. We have several local NAUI tech instructors who are not DIR, and some that are.

"Not DIR" examples IMHO:
E.g. first experience dive is to 150ft on air
use of "best mix" vs. standard mixes
use of wrist computers for deco
Buhlmann deco with various permutations on the deep stop concept.

These are just a couple of "not DIR" tidbits I have picked up hearing about NAUI Tech classes in the past 2 years. As with anything, some pointed questions and research can easily point you towards the "DIR" Naui Tech instructors.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

It's very simple. When you've been trained to be a good buddy and dive as part of a team, doing so is natural and reflects good manners. Do proper planning and pre-dive checks, equipment matching, S-drills, and bubble checks, etc. Mantain awareness of teammates remaining close enough for emergencies, but not too close to crowd and take away the enjoyment for another buddy. When not specifically looking at something allow your light to be in a position to be referenced by others. Periodically scan teammates in detail for anything out of place and check for light cord issues, hose issues, and the like during switches, if a buddy transfers or clips a light, etc. Signal your intentions, mark intersections properly, don't violate rules of accident analysis, etc.

Solo diving is a completely different animal and doesn't confuse the two.

To compare, I've been a lifeguard for 20 years. When I take my place in a tower, I begin to scan the water while being aware of the activities on the sand to prevent accidents before they reach the water as well. I swivel my head back and forth covering a zone looking for different kinds of behavior. I have done this successfully 40 or more hours a week at times for the past 20 years full-time or part-time depending upon whether I was a full-time lifeguard or part-time instructor and vice versa. Yet, the moment that I go to a beach myself, I don't continually scan. I check my surroundings, sit on my surboard, watch for waves, watch for gorgeous women, occasionally check for everyone's safety, but I'm not practicing the same awareness that I would be if on duty.

In a team, I maintain "on duty" type vigilence. Alone, I maintain a different type of awareness, but I check on the status of passing teams. Once, going into Little River before the chimney on a solo dive carrying a buddy bottle, a team of two was exiting with one diver on a backup light. I paused to let the exiting team have the right of way, but asked, "Are you okay?" with my light. I received an "Okay." Had I not, I would have asked if they wanted me to buddy and exit with them. I knew these divers weren't in a class because I knew them. After my dive, this same team told me thanks for checking on us. They had passed others that we knew who practically ran them over with scooters not giving them the right of way to exit and not being aware that the lead diver was on a back up light. You can be even more clueless in a team. I knew the second diver in that team had been trained to be completely aware of environment, team, buddy and self because I trained him in AOW and he suffered far more drills and critique than most of you have had in GUE classes. Their excuse, Yeah, yeah... we didn't care about you guys, we just wanted to wall out the cave and we were on a strict run time." Nice! Goal-oriented dives... always a good time had by all!

Again, that sounds good on paper, but does it work in practice?

Solo diving requires a different type of situational awareness and I can't see how realistically someone could go from "Team mode" to "solo mode".

I'm not saying it is impossible, but I believe it would be improbable.

 

[Adobo]

Definately not. We have several local NAUI tech instructors who are not DIR, and some that are.

"Not DIR" examples IMHO:
E.g. first experience dive is to 150ft on air
use of "best mix" vs. standard mixes
use of wrist computers for deco
Buhlmann deco with various permutations on the deep stop concept.

These are just a couple of "not DIR" tidbits I have picked up hearing about NAUI Tech classes in the past 2 years. As with anything, some pointed questions and research can easily point you towards the "DIR" Naui Tech instructors.

I dunno man. I'm sure there is a thinking diver out there who could come up with an intelligent argument around why deep air and best mix makes the most sense and therefore should be DIR. Heck, they almost have me convinced that for me to be a really good teammate, I need to take up solo diving. Anybody got any recommendations for who teaches the best solo diving class?

 

[TSandM]

It's this idea that one step out of line and you're excommunicated that really bothers me.

I spent 15 minutes alone in the water under a boat in the Virgin Islands. Is that enough solo diving to make me "not DIR"? I went crabbing a couple of weeks ago, and flung myself gleefully around underwater with minimal awareness of team, no attention to positioning, no light discipline . . . am I not DIR now?

I'm with Jeff. There aren't DIR divers. There ARE DIR dives. There are divers who have adopted the core ideas of DIR for the majority of their diving. I'm one of them. But you may well find me in warm water somewhere trying monkey diving. I'd love to learn to hold my breath well enough to try some freediving. DIR is not a straitjacket.

 

[deepstops]

It can be very enlightening to live around the corner from George.
He very much still has his finger on the pulse of what's going on.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Yeah, I'm with you. For some, strict discipline to DIR even in 10 feet of water is enjoyable. For others, being controlled is too much like an Orwellian Big Brother invasion of something that they started out doing for fun. Watch the DIR 2004 DVD's and listen to George and JJ talk about "Getting Started" in diving for 27 minutes. A lifetime of joy and adventure bursts forth and they've had nothing but fun with diving. They were able to experience a learning curve that was frought with the joys and sorrows the risks and the rewards of both personal and professional growth as divers. Now, they have all of this learned advice to pass down and divers are listening, but how many of us would have had all the fun we've had in life in-general and grown into the people we are today without self-discovery, experimentation, and without going against the advice of our parents? DIR has become like a surrogate parent and while the practice may keep divers safe, many of you will never know the joy and the freedom of the world of diving in which I grew up, and I feel sorry for you. From now on everyone will be living under the cloud of judgement. We've bitten the apple.

It's this idea that one step out of line and you're excommunicated that really bothers me.

I spent 15 minutes alone in the water under a boat in the Virgin Islands. Is that enough solo diving to make me "not DIR"? I went crabbing a couple of weeks ago, and flung myself gleefully around underwater with minimal awareness of team, no attention to positioning, no light discipline . . . am I not DIR now?

I'm with Jeff. There aren't DIR divers. There ARE DIR dives. There are divers who have adopted the core ideas of DIR for the majority of their diving. I'm one of them. But you may well find me in warm water somewhere trying monkey diving. I'd love to learn to hold my breath well enough to try some freediving. DIR is not a straitjacket.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

It's very simple. When you've been trained to be a good buddy and dive as part of a team, doing so is natural and reflects good manners. Do proper planning and pre-dive checks, equipment matching, S-drills, and bubble checks, etc. Mantain awareness of teammates remaining close enough for emergencies, but not too close to crowd and take away the enjoyment for another buddy. When not specifically looking at something allow your light to be in a position to be referenced by others. Periodically scan teammates in detail for anything out of place and check for light cord issues, hose issues, and the like during switches, if a buddy transfers or clips a light, etc. Signal your intentions, mark intersections properly, don't violate rules of accident analysis, etc.

These things aren't necessarily DIR ... I teach most of 'em to my AOW students. They're just basic good diving protocols.

I'm sure there is a thinking diver out there who could come up with an intelligent argument around why deep air and best mix makes the most sense and therefore should be DIR.

Most thinking divers I know don't do things because "they're DIR". Even when they are DIR, they can come up with better reasons than that. Those who dive deep air and best mix probably aren't interested in what the DIR folks think anyway.

It's this idea that one step out of line and you're excommunicated that really bothers me.

Me too.

For some, strict discipline to DIR even in 10 feet of water is enjoyable. For others, being controlled is too much like an Orwellian Big Brother invasion of something that they started out doing for fun.

Then there are those of us who just want the skills. I'm willing to put in my time in 10 feet of water practicing them ... I just don't want to spend an inordinate amount of time there. It's not why I dive.

I don't get why "being DIR" is so important to some people. I'd prefer to avoid the label ... and all the excess baggage that goes with it.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)