When should someone take the DIRF / DIR-F class?

[FreeFloat]

As a very recent DIR-F "victim" (as of this weekend just past) I must agree with all teh above. Yes what is covered during the dives are very basic skills. Anything you don't already know how to do will be covered in class - they went over how they wanted us to shoot a lift bag just in case none of us had done so before, for example. But the actual skills are not really the point - I mean they are, but in a way they aren't either. The whole point of the course is to show you (or moreover, for you to learn for yourself) exactly where you stand diving-wise and where you should be headed.

I have only 58 dives as of today and even so I wish I hadn't waited so long to take the course. You will just get sooooooo much more out of your future diving the sooner you take the course.

Take it take it take it....................the sooner the better

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Dang ... I figure I'll have about 950 dives by the time I take DIR-F ... my "bad habits" are so thoroughly ingrained it'll probably require the services of an exorcist ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[cornfed]

my "bad habits" are so thoroughly ingrained it'll probably require the services of an exorcist

They come standard with the class... it's called a video camera.

 

[AndrewJD]

I agree with everybody else. Take the class sooner rather then later.

Jonathan

 

[VTernovski]

and to add a quick note.. don't try to "practice" for the class. it's not about pass or fail.

 

[MarcHall]

Good point, but is there going to be skills that are above my ability?
I think I read somewhere that I could go back and sit through the class again???? Does this mean I can work with the instructor too, or are there limits to what I could do?

The skills presented in the DIR-F course could and should be taught in an OW course. When I teach OW courses all of the skills presented in DIR-F are taught.

So the skills presented in the DIR-F course should not be above your ability. Will you have them all mastered by the end of the course, maybe not, but you will know them and
know what you need to work on. Then you can practice with your DIR buddies.

Sitting in on a follow on class is up to the individual instructor. For me it largely depends on if I have room in a follow-on class.

I typically teach the DIR-F course as a workshop. The course participants have up to 6 months to work on their skills after the course to bring them up to a level for GUE certification. I normally run Thursday Tweek dives for DIR trained divers to practice their skills. This is one avenue by which divers who have completed the DIR-F workshop can develop their skill level.

Enjoy

Marc Hall
www.enjoythedive.com

 

[MikeFerrara]

The skills presented in the DIR-F course could and should be taught in an OW course. When I teach OW courses all of the skills presented in DIR-F are taught.

So the skills presented in the DIR-F course should not be above your ability. Will you have them all mastered by the end of the course, maybe not, but you will know them and
know what you need to work on. Then you can practice with your DIR buddies.

Sitting in on a follow on class is up to the individual instructor. For me it largely depends on if I have room in a follow-on class.

I typically teach the DIR-F course as a workshop. The course participants have up to 6 months to work on their skills after the course to bring them up to a level for GUE certification. I normally run Thursday Tweek dives for DIR trained divers to practice their skills. This is one avenue by which divers who have completed the DIR-F workshop can develop their skill level.

Enjoy

Marc Hall
www.enjoythedive.com

Marc,

I hope you don't mind if I quote part of your post in another thread cuz I'm gonna. LOL

 

[Capnsnott]

HELP......

Ok,
so help me out here.
If I take the class, fail it (which I probably will). Will I have to come back take it again when I have practiced the skills? Will I have to "pass" the class in order to take the Rec Triox later on? Since I'm in Colorado and we don't have a GUE instructor "yet", how am I going to go back and sit in a class or try and pass it (assuming I have to have a c-card to do Rec T.). So am I going to be paying another $325 for a class in another state if I can find a class or can't track down my original instructor?

The GUE web page says nothing about this, at least I haven't found it yet.
Greg

 

[large_diver]

Take it now. If RecTriox is your goal, you may as well start preparing for it now. The best way to do that is to take DIRF and then after the class work hard on what you've learned.

Yes you will have to pass to take Rec Triox.

Maybe Marc or other instructors can correct me... but I believe even if you fail DIR-F, most instructors will qualify you for RecTriox if you come back and demonstrate adequate skills without having to go through the entire course again....

If there's no one in your area, that is indeed a tough one...

 

[BCS]

HELP......

Ok,
so help me out here.
If I take the class, fail it (which I probably will). Will I have to come back take it again when I have practiced the skills? Will I have to "pass" the class in order to take the Rec Triox later on? Since I'm in Colorado and we don't have a GUE instructor "yet", how am I going to go back and sit in a class or try and pass it (assuming I have to have a c-card to do Rec T.). So am I going to be paying another $325 for a class in another state if I can find a class or can't track down my original instructor?

The GUE web page says nothing about this, at least I haven't found it yet.
Greg

Hi Greg,
There's a couple of things to note here. With GUE's courses, there are three ratings. One is of course, a fail (or "non-qualification") and that means exactly that and in order to be qualified to continue training within GUE's curricullum at the subsequent levels, you must take the entire course over.
The second rating is the pass rating and that will of course, qualify the diver to prgress to the next level of education once they have done at least 25 dives to the level of qualification they have passed. For example, once a diver passes a Cave I, they must do at least 25 dives at the Cave I level in order to enroll in the Cave II course.
The rating that is a bit different than most agencies is the "provisional" rating. That is probably the most common given in the DIRf. It basically allows the diver 6 months to go practice what was given to them in the DIRf and come back to another DIRf class, or make arrangements w/a GUE instructor to be evaluated to receieve the full pass rating. After that the student must then accomplish the 25 dives to continue on to further GUE courses if that is their goal.
I believe this is in the S&P's on the GUE website.
Read in particular 1.2.3 #3 (on page 2 of the S & P's) & 1.3.2 on page 4 of the S & P's...all listed there under the classroom section on GUE's website. Also, one other suggestion, questions like these are easily (and accurately) answered by your GUE instructor, don't hesitate to call or e-mail them directly. All contact info is on the GUE website and we are all very happy to help.
Good luck in your class and have fun!!

brando
ps....need to add this, that if you have a provisional, at least for myself and I know MHK and Sonya are this way as well, we do not charge any instructor fee to come back in on a later class (within 6 months) and get eval'd for the full qualification rating. This may or may not be true w/other instructors, so I do not want to speak for them.