Near-DIR diving: Are there DIR things you would probably never do?

[Rainer]

What, I need to practice navigating without being able read my compass? Seriously, seeing in the dark is not a skill you can work on.

Listen, I don't know what to tell you. I mostly night dive. I do it with my can light in the hand attached to the arm on which rests my SK-7. I navigate well. There is plenty of light from the can. Worst case, take 10 seconds and charge up the compass with the can light. It'll glow brightly for 10+ minutes. If you really want to learn, come diving with me. I guarantee I can make this work for you. I'm also sure someone more local can show you as well. There's a very large group on DIR divers in your country. Try hooking up with some.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Why aren't mods keeping posts from getting hopelessly convoluted?

Just to give you an example, this thread had some 75 posts to it when I logged on yesterday. There have been at least a half dozen threads started in the DIR forum in the past 24 hours.

There are insufficient mods (particularly mods who are qualified to throw the BS flag in the DIR forum) to continuously monitor every post made to every thread in real time.

It is for this reason that we (the board) elected to make the DIR forum somewhat "self-monitoring", by first using the banner across the top of the thread to alert all responders (particularly those who simply click on 'new posts' and don't look at what forum they are entering) that they are in the DIR forum. Second, we rely on the various DIR-trained participants on the thread to try to keep the discussions focused on DIR-oriented responses.

Obviously if someone needs to step in and edit posts for content, remove trolls, or simply remove threads, then this can be done - but for the most part people object to having a lot of surgery done to their posts. Up until now we've sought to keep things focused by relying partly on the DIR divers themselves.

If this continues to prove to be problematic, we'll need to do something else. I'm personally open to suggestions from you - the users of the forum. I don't think anyone wants to see the forum go away. But I confess that there are more issues with the DIR forum than many others. It seems to attract those who wish to throw stones rather than to provide answers to legitimate questions from (especially) newer divers who are legitimately trying to learn something about the sub-field.

You guys all know how to PM me.

Regards,

Doc

 

[rjack321]

What, I need to practice navigating without being able read my compass? Seriously, seeing in the dark is not a skill you can work on.

Last night me and my buddy did a night dive, 0.35-0.4 mile scooter run each way to the reef, compass heading 165deg the whole way, no other navigational aids. Started on the beach and ended within 50ft of our entry point. My light was in my right, scooter driving, hand. Compass glowing and held across my field of view. Took us 17 mins so about 150ft min speed. Its was easy breezy and we had a great dive. Not partiularly challenging to navigate despite flying by instruments.

My vote is that BarryNL, you don't have the navigational skills you think you do.

 

[JeffG]

My vote is that BarryNL, you don't have the navigational skills you think you do.

I'm not sure. It may be that he (mistakenly) believes that in DIR you always have to have your light in the left hand. (Which would make looking at the compass a bit of a PITA.)

(Note: I have not been following his posts that closely, so I could very well be wrong in this)

 

[John_B]

We only move threads from the DIR forum that had no business being there in the first place.

Fair enough.

 

[BarryNL]

My vote is that BarryNL, you don't have the navigational skills you think you do.

Maybe, maybe not. I do know I can do an hour's diving in 2m visibility at night with a largely featureless mud bottom and still find my way back to the boat (not 50ft from it). I also know I need to look at the compass a hell of a lot to achieve this.

 

[cavediver08]

"Knowing that this is one of the foundations of DIR I would look at your first two points as possible reducing the effectiveness of donating to an OOA diver. Torch in right hand does have the potential of blinding your buddy (yeah, yeah you could train to angle your wrist to reduce the chance but come on). I've never dove a bottle on the right side but after all the S drills I’ve done and now knowing how quickly it can go to snot if you snag on something I would think that bottle on the right could introduce potential for additional stress."


I don't know if anyone responded to this it was on the first page... But I did not feel like reading through 12 pages of post. I am going to respond what my cave instructor told me, there was a couple of gentlemen in the class who held the same point of view. Thing is...To the majority of technical divers, I don't want a regulator shoved into my face when I'm in a OOA emergency, hand it to me around my chest so I can take the time to calmly take hold of the regulator and place it in my mouth myself. The putting the regulator in your face thing is very OW beginner diver oriented...I have nothing against DIR, but sometimes, things that work for some, don't work for others.

 

[nadwidny]

I don't know if anyone responded to this it was on the first page... But I did not feel like reading through 12 pages of post. I am going to respond what my cave instructor told me, there was a couple of gentlemen in the class who held the same point of view. Thing is...To the majority of technical divers, I don't want a regulator shoved into my face when I'm in a OOA emergency, hand it to me around my chest so I can take the time to calmly take hold of the regulator and place it in my mouth myself. The putting the regulator in your face thing is very OW beginner diver oriented...I have nothing against DIR, but sometimes, things that work for some, don't work for others.

According to your profile you have under 100 dives.

Not a lot of people care what you think.

 

[dbulmer]

CaveDiver08,
If the reg is directly held in front of your face so that you can see it clearly you simply take the reg and breathe from it. The S drill is practiced so frequently that the mechanics of the air share are ingrained and through frequent practice a lot of the OOA stress is removed - you don't just shove the reg into the face (unless circumstances dictate otherwise -) but even then, take reg and breathe.

 

[rjack321]

I don't know if anyone responded to this it was on the first page... But I did not feel like reading through 12 pages of post. I am going to respond what my cave instructor told me, there was a couple of gentlemen in the class who held the same point of view. Thing is...To the majority of technical divers, I don't want a regulator shoved into my face when I'm in a OOA emergency, hand it to me around my chest so I can take the time to calmly take hold of the regulator and place it in my mouth myself. The putting the regulator in your face thing is very OW beginner diver oriented...I have nothing against DIR, but sometimes, things that work for some, don't work for others.

If you are actually cave certified you'd realize that when in proper trim your chest is quite far away from the donating diver. And that in front of the face is about the only logical place to put the donated 2nd stage. The chest is only accessible if you're vertical. But hey you seem to have this calm OOA thing all worked out, thats great.