Dir Or Not To Dir

[eios]

I have read about Doing it wright ( DIR ) Diving, and i am interested in joining them and gue as an organisation, but they seem a bit excluding, are they?
Only that sort of gear ......
Only halcyon products / ( money money profit org.?)
No smoking!! ? ( i dont, by the way)
etc.

someone out there with opinion and maybe experiens!

 

[Martin]

I'm not a member of GUE, but I do use DIR-system in my diving, so I have some idea of what it is about. You have to understand that DIR is a system, not only a equipment configuration. It consist of buddy system, preparation for diving (including mental and physical fitness), equipment and dive planing. For more detailed info visit www.gue.com or read the book Doing It Right: The Fundamentals of Better Diving by Jarrod Jablonski.

First "that sort of gear": Idea is that divebuddys or preferably hole dive team has the samekind of gear. Samekind meaning wings with metal backplate and nylonwebbing; primary regulator on a longhose (1.5m-2m or 5'-7') that you use breathing and giving it to out-of-air-buddy; backup regulator on a short hose, hanging around your neck from shockcord, used when primiry is given to buddy. For more info see above.

"only Halcyon", not true. Halcyon endorsed because it is manufactured to be DIR-compatible. It does not however limit the use of other equipment. Some witch is good as it is, some requiring little modification. For example Dive Rite backplate and harness is totally usable and so is some of Dive Rites wings.

No smoking comes from health issues. As a diver you should look after your own healt via physical fitness, nutrition, rest, no drug use or smoking and limited or nonexistent alcohol consumption. This way you will be better equiped to handel a stressfull situation and you will be less prone to have DCI. Also you will be abel to help your buddy in a problem situation. Besides smoking and pure oxygen do not mix well together.

Remember that it all begins with yourself as a diver; your own diveskills and experience. Next youe equipment; everything is functioning fully and you know how to use it; your dive gear should be streamlined, no dangling consoles or 2nd stages. Third your buddy and your buddyskills; are you both commited to the buddysystem or do you do "same day-same ocean-buddydiving"? Do you both have samekind of equipment so you are better equiped to help him or vice versa in a problem situation? Are you both comfortable with planned dive? Can you both call of diving when everything is not OK, without the fear of riddicule or blame? And last, not least plan your dive, dive your pland. And it's gotto be better than just "lets go and hangaround about in 25m until our air runsout".

This is by no means complete disclosure on subject. Here I hope to illuminate some of your questions. If you truly are interested in DIR vist GUE's hopepage, read the book and finaly take the DIR Fundamentals course with GUE.

P.S. Sorry about the spelling errors, english is not my native language.

 

[crpntr133]

My first question would be " do you have a big enough ego to dive DIR?" I do agree that their system of diving is great but I have never met a DIR diver that doesn't have an ego the size of the ocean.

 

[FreeFloat]

They're not really excluding - everything they do and say makes a certain amount of sense.

I just went through my DIR Fundamentals course this last weekend. Best money I ever spent on a scuba course, despite the above average expense.

I guess you could say some DIR divers seem to have an ego...... I don't know if I'd agree. I think the main reason that DIR divers seek to dive only with other DIR divers is because doing things the prescribed DIR way saves them from having to explain themselves to non-DIR divers.

You have to admit, with the certification standard set so darn high they do tend to be a more specialized, - some might say "elite" - style of diver. Perhaps it's not really ego you're seeing, but a lack of patience. Whatever. My local GUE shop has been nothing but great even before I expressed any kind of interest in taking DIR.

 

[londonsean69]

Yes, some DIR divers do have an ego, but then again so do a lot of the 'techies' we get in the UK, you know the kind, black drysuit shaved head.

DIR is a good system, but a little too holistic in its approach for me. The team system is a good idea, when the vis is OK, but when you can't see your fins, let alone the team, then I'm ot sure how much help it would be.

I know some people would say "Well you shouldn't dive if its that bad" but that means I might only be able to dive 4 months of the year from the South Coast.

*Long hose and backup placement - excellent idea
*Wings and backplate - perfect, modular and upgradeable
*One piece harness - bit tricky for use on a RIB (Rigid inflatable boat) where you take your kit off in the water first
*Lots of helium - good idea (and a funny voice on the boat always makes people laugh), but a little narcosis is not such a bad thing, I find it helps to focus one's attention

I hope this whole thread doesn't kick off into a big slanging match "I'm a better diver than you because I dive DIR" type thing. I think picking the name Doing It Right might have been the catalyst that peeved a few people off, ie. suddenly inferring they had been Doing It Wrong all their lives.

At the end of the day, when assissting students, I wear normal scuba gear, but I have my wing, backplate, 7ft hose (and dreaded one piece webbing) for when I am out on the boats with me mates.

So whether or not we should all be Doing It Right, or not, I prefer to JDI (Just Do It - bet Nike wants me for copyright infringement on that one!!!)

 

[tom yerian]

Money and profit are the motivation behind all sport/ athletic endeavors,as is with all diving organizations, anything you do reflects money and profit in some forum everywhere! So, to DIR! This is somewhat of an elitist organization, and Im proud of it.GUE DIVERS, and those divers that take up the DIR diving philosophy are more anal in their practice of reaching for perfection.When your a hard core DIR diver, you have a tendency to be better than just good. They have perfected diving and associated skills to as far as technology, knowledge, and equipment allow.These divers tend to be the MARINES of the diving world. Yes, they have an inflated ego, but, true DIR divers are as good as you can get at this stage of the game.Their physical and mental regimen is quite strict, almost militaristic, noteably:JJ/GI,BD,etc.Three of the best there is, to respectfully mention a few.Remember, I said," a true dir diver". Then there are those who have been diving for decades, and realize the beauty of the DIR philosophy and adopted to themselves. There are many of you out there that dive DIR. and are not of the fanatical side of the game.Speak up! let this diver hear from you. ...... YID.....Capt. Tom Yerian....(anal dir).

 

[FreeFloat]

I find that there are two types of "DIR divers" - the freshly-painted fanatical zealots, generally just graduated from their firts DIR-F courses; and the quiet, humble, dead-perfect-in-the-water really solid DIR divers. Of the two groups, I have seen many of the first types, and generally as they become more experienced in diving the zealotness wears off - and in fact divers of the second group are often much more professional and approachable. They are also the ones more friendly toward the beginning diver or one with honest questions about GUE and DIR. They are the least likely to be spouting that "if you don't dive DIR you will die" crap (which truth to tell I've never heard from a true DIR diver!) or to use the word "stroke" other than in private jest amongst themselves. They also don't pick apart another diver's kit and tell them what's wrong with each piece, and are more readily able to offer assistance in skills practice etc rather than just looking down their noses the way the fanatic do.

Of course, for every dozen good DIR divers out there quietly doing their thing, there is 1 or 2 loudmouth fanatic who will give the dozen DIR divers a bad name......

 

[Amphibious]

reading stuff from George Irvine really put me off from DIR for a long time. after I started meeting more and more DIR types, and had a discussion at DEMA with JJ, I started to get interested in it. as long as you can get past the wackos it's a very good system.

 

[tom yerian]

Freefloat/amphibious..... you are both absolutly correct!!! Mr.GI,is a one of a kind person. He is one of those few breed of super achievers; incredibly anal, health fanatic,high end intellect.But, he is one of the most superbly skilled divers around. You cannot deny his accomplishments as an organizational leader, inflated ego or not! He lives on his mt. top with those of like orientation, and lives for perfection in what ever he does. I am glad he did come along and add knowledge and skills to the dive community,even if he cares less about contributions to the rest of the diving community.He must obviously, live in a far loftier place in his mind than we.

yid.... Capt. Tom Yerian