a retreat from DIR

[aquaoren]

No really. Its wrapped as much as my light cord ever is. Lets see, comes from the right side, behind the neck with the primary in the mouth. At least 3/4 turn around the neck. Seems wrapped to me.

Not from here.

 

[aquaoren]

Oh course, I wouldn't want to dive with anyone whose skills were so bad he needed air donated, then paid it back with a "world of pain".
I haven't taken fundies, so I just have to assume that is somewhere in the book.

Oh, wow! I can talk about DIR in this forum!

Ouch, I take it personally.
Ever heard of equipment malfunction, freezes and freeflows?

 

[abysmaldiver]

Seems like the hard core dir guys dont like change, that must mean they know it all. That is exactly what will kill you under water. As soon as you THINK you know it all is when the monster will bite you. Keep an open mind, change is good. You never can tell, you might like the change but you have to try it.

 

[Storm]

I can tell you though that if you'd blind me with your light in your right hand while donating me air, you'd be in a world of pain once I can see again. .

I'm not DIR but....

You had better hope that your vision would return AFTER you needed my air. You smacka me, I take a de air back

Just kidding.

 

[Dan Gibson]

Therein lies a difference in philosophy. I'm not saying one must do it a certain way or they will die. This is just the way I have learned. I like to keep things the same and just add or subtract gear as required. That is easier for me. It's also the way my instructors and most of my dive buddies today practice their diving habits. I dare say that is so they don't screw up on the bigger dives where small problems can add up quickly. Those dives are less often than the less gear intensive dives for most of them.

I still believe the left hand is better as it leaves the right immediately free for an OOA. I have practiced an OOA with an early JJ trained student who still wraps the light cord around the right arm. Needless to say, the OOA wasn't the prettiest. He actually used some sort of left handed manuever to deploy. For a couple of seconds, all I saw was a free flow because he turned it mouth piece up. It also didn't end up with the best handoff of the reg because of the way it was held by the doner; upside down and with a hand entirely over the purge. However, I do know it can be done without a freeflow and the mouthpice turned down by using a left hand deployment. As for wrapping on the right and using the right to donate the reg. All I can say is close your eyes or you will likely get blinded at some point.

I also find running a reel and carrying the light both in the left hand easier; especially in high flow.

I am more of a proponent for proper configuration and team management for the dive at hand. I actually subscribe to most of the DIR philosphy about team management, communications and dive planning. I just don't subscribe to the same idea's in equipment configuration. (still hogarthian though)

To be honest, if I get to the point I am doing serious exploration diving, I will subscribe to the specific protocol developed for the project. Until then, while I am recreationally diving caves, I want my equipment configuration to work with the dives I do. I don't scooter. At this point, I am a lot more interesed in some of the smaller and less visited passages closer to the opening than I am in finding the end of line. Scooters can be nice but by the time I would get one, I'd be diving a CCR.

Now, I will ask again. Is there a reason for the left hand other than scootering? I am not dismissing scootering as its a valid reason. Just is there another?

 

[eandiver]

FWIW I used to clip the SPG off to my right upper chest D-ring......changed it to my lower left hip D-ring and now just tuck it into my waist strap. Works better there.

The light head is on the right hand with the cord done in two wraps around the same arm. If I'm taking pictures it's on the left but it does feel awkward there.

 

[OneBrightGator]

How do you deal with the excess length with the light in the right hand?

I used to make a loop and hold it against the goodman, it worked ok. Since, I have "tied" the cord in a lose knot (5" in diam, give or take) so it lands just below my right shoulder D-ring then tuck it under my shoulder strap. It runs the cord right up my body then out my arm, should I need more length I just pull, even if I want to swap to my left hand.

I posted a thread once on another board about what DIR would be like without the scooter, considering how few divers actually use a scooter I wonder how many divers are diving a sub-optimal setup for the diving they actually do.

 

[Jasonmh]

Seems like the hard core dir guys dont like change, that must mean they know it all. That is exactly what will kill you under water.

Yeah, you should let this group of beginners know that:
http://www.wkpp.org

There have been and will be changes to the DIR system. But those changes don't come about because some just feels like doing it differently one day.

Andy wanted the answers from a DIR perpective, but as i'm sure he already knew, the answer was going to be: "It's not DIR"
But, if you like it and the people you dive with are ok with it, hey, it's a free world.

If you think that the cord was an issue, I bet if you talked to a GUE instructor they would have had some fine tips on how to change/improve technique to make it a non-issue.

 

[H2Andy]

thanks everyone for the responses. first off, i want to stress that i did not intend
this to be a DIR bashing. i think we're all mature enough to discuss gear configuration
without calling each other names.

The light on the left hand, keeps the right hand free for scootering and tying line while running it, among other things, so......

this was my biggest concern. however, i found that an elastic handle on my
DiveRite light keeps the light secure, and i can lay line and reel line without
difficulty.

 

[H2Andy]

Point 1, what kind of narrow passages are catching the cord?

i've had problems going through the Devil's Eye into the mainline, particularly
where there are deep drop-offs (two of them). also, i've had trouble on the Ear,
particularly on exit, with the cord catching on the rocks.

Point 2, what kind of task loading is getting in the way of checking your gauge?

particularly in a high flow system (such as Devil's), you're either moving into the
current or it's pushing you back. having to run the line, keep bouyancy, keep
forward progress, and check my gauage by clipping and unclipping is a lot of
things going on at once for me. glancing at the gauge is simplicity itself.

Another question, do you ever dive with a stage bottle?

yes, on the left. part of the problem with the SPG on the lower d-ring was messing
with the darn stage bottle clip. now that it's up top, the SPG does not interfere
with the bottle and vice versa.