Are you a DIR-like Diver?

[ElectricZombie]

I do beleive in the DIR style of diving and consider myself to be a DIR diver.

I chose to be DIR because I am the type of person who requires a logical explanation as to why something is done a certain way. Efficiency and logic is my goal and DIR provides on both accounts. If you can't give me a sound reason for why you do something, there is a problem. Diving can potentially be deady, sound reasoning is important. There is sound reasoning behind DIR despite what some critics claim. DIR is not simply "do as we say because we said so".

I've done my research, read a ton of DIR info, practiced constantly and taken the DIRF class. I have come to the conclusion that DIR is "the way to go". The hollistic approach to diving that is DIR simply makes the most sense. I teach my basic students the same skills that DIR advocates and can attest to the great difference it makes. If you start a basic student out with the DIR principles and skills, you will have a diver that is far better than any of the other OW Instructors that I have ever met.

I take my diving extremely seriously, I'm harder on myself than anyone else could ever be. I practice extremely hard and am looking for perfection. DIR is not the place for mediocrity and I like that. I dive for fun, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to settle for poor skills.

As for DIR guys being jerks, all I can say is that has not been my experience. When I did my DIRF class, the GUE Instructors were some of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet. They never called anyone a stroke and were always professional. There are some DIR guys that have an attitude, but that is not typical of most DIR divers. Everyone complains about George, but I have heard from people that have dove with him that he is actually a really nice guy in person. Don't make assumptions about all DIR divers just becuase there are a few morons.

Before you come to a conclusion about DIR, do the research first. Look at the DIR system with an open mind and give it an honest try. Most people who try DIR like it. If you don't like it, no one is going to make you become DIR. Decide for yourself, but evaluate logically. Based on my experience, I choose DIR.

 

[paulwlee]

ElectricZombie once bubbled...
I teach my basic students the same skills that DIR advocates and can attest to the great difference it makes. If you start a basic student out with the DIR principles and skills, you will have a diver that is far better than any of the other OW Instructors that I have ever met.

ElectricZombie, so how do the students do? I'd think that doing things like mask removal/replacement while hovering horizontally will take a fair amount of pool time for OW students to do right.
It would be nice to know that it can be done within a reasonable class framework.

 

[ElectricZombie]

They do quite well actually. It really depends on how long the class is though. With an average length class of about 2 weeks (around 30 - 40 hours total I guess), you can get students to exhibit all the basic DIR skills including the mask removal. Their bouyancy changes a bit since they are new to the skills, but they look good...100X better than the average student you usually see.

This one guy I taught was just a natural. He has probably 30 - 40 dives now, but if you saw him in the water, you would think he was a cave diver.

People seem to have the notion that DIR concepts are hard to teach or transition to...it's really not.

 

[Diver0001]

paulwlee once bubbled...
With respect to yet another DIR-bashing at the beginning of this thread, I find it very interesting, because:

Every DIR diver(or diver adhering to 'most' of its tenets) I met in person, or interacted with in a local BB, were very nice people, and had done much experimentation before settling on DIR.
After taking DIR-F a couple weeks ago, I am also convinced that they have a system that really works. (And no, they haven't invented each and every aspect of it. They just put things together to work well. Nothing wrong with that.)

<snip>

That's not my experience. With notable exceptions who I do in fact respect despite the negative circles they move in, the small DIR community in Holland overrun by intollerable pricks. Their verbal abuse is not limited to internet forums, they "buzz" other divers with their scooters and laugh about stressing out the strokes they go on and on about how bad the strokes dive even though I think, no I'm sure, I personally know at least a dozen divers who could dive circles around virtually the entire Dutch DIR community, they've even tried arranging boycots of certain stores to force them to stop selling OMS wings. And that's just to name a few. I could go on but in short, they're completely sociopathic and the arrogance is absolutely unbelievable - with a few exceptions. It's not the other way around here. Thankfully they tend to dive at one particular location (which for me has a complexity factor of zero) so you can avoid them to a certain extent.

But I don't blame them. I dislike them and I want nothing to do with them and I'm loathe to even remotely look like them in terms of configuration but I don't blame them. They're only emulating their heros.

R..

 

[Albion]

was this guy who threw all the non DIR gear out of the way so he could set up, - fuming

But during the dive, we was showing us all his unimaginable skills which involved holding scooter with one hand, video with the other whilst his G/F held onto one of his legs whilst he was circling the funnel of a wreck

 

[SeaJay]

That's awful.

Well, I can also vouch for the DIR guys that I've met... They're really nice people; especially the GUE instructors.

Funny how the ones doing the teaching - those that "really know, and know that they know" - are the nicest ones. I mean, the people that actually have justification for arrogance - aren't arrogant at all.

I'm sorry that that is your impression of DIR. Let me be the first to say that "They might not be the best example of DIR."

Albion once bubbled...

But during the dive, we was showing us all his unimaginable skills which involved holding scooter with one hand, video with the other whilst his G/F held onto one of his legs whilst he was circling the funnel of a wreck

I... Uhhh... Am pretty sure that wasn't taught in DIR-F class.

Man, so much for those people being "ambassadors." :angry:

I'm surprised that the non-DIR types haven't taken a pigsticker to their wings. I would have. Maybe a handful of monofilament in the prop of their Gavin?

So much for "me" being a good ambassador, eh? ut: The truth is that I would never do anything like that, but it certainly is fun to consider.

Some people are just jerks - DIR or not.

 

[detroit diver]

paulwlee once bubbled...


ElectricZombie, so how do the students do? I'd think that doing things like mask removal/replacement while hovering horizontally will take a fair amount of pool time for OW students to do right.
It would be nice to know that it can be done within a reasonable class framework.

Paulwlee,

Like ElecticZombie, the Scubaguys are teaching OW classes with skills from DIR. Check out their site:

www.scubaguys.com

These are standard length PADI OW classes.

They've found that if you show the students what to reach for, they will take it upon themselves (with help of course) to emulate the instructor. If the instuctor is hovering horizontally, the student will try to do likewise. On the other hand, if the instructor is kneeling or sitting on the bottom, guess what the student will aspire to?

It works. You just have to 1. Want to teach to a higher level, and 2. Know the difference.

 

[Saturation]

Karl_in_Calif once bubbled...


This poll has not worked too well, Doc.

You may want to try it again.

Maybe title it:

POLL OF GEAR CONFIGURATIONS: PLEASE PARTICIPATE

1) GUE/DIR

2) OTHER CAVE DIR

3) PARTIALLY DIR

4) UNCONCERNED WITH DIR TO ANY DEGREE

Definition: DIR -- a cave diving related configuration that has become know among even non-cave divers in modern times.

Thanks Karl, but the poll is working fine. The trend in distribution has not changed since the poll began, and the numbers are building.

Its similar to this older poll:
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31934&highlight=Poll


Most polls in SB rarely go over 50 votes for the entire run, that we have this in 24hr is good. Few have over 100 votes, and a handful are near a 1000.

Thanks to SeaJay for being the spokesperson, of good humor and diplomat for the DIR set.

 

[Big-t-2538]

detroit diver once bubbled...

They've found that if you show the students what to reach for, they will take it upon themselves (with help of course) to emulate the instructor. If the instuctor is hovering horizontally, the student will try to do likewise. On the other hand, if the instructor is kneeling or sitting on the bottom, guess what the student will aspire to?

It is sort of like mokey see...monkey do....you know...monkeys are much like students...unwise...un-educated...and looking for a role model...

God help all students that look to me.

 

[VTernovski]

ok, I think I have enough of this DIR vs non-DIR BS. So, I am considering flying down to San Diego to take the DIR-F too see for myself. So far, I have only heard opinions of others on how DIR folks are, most of those opinons and comments are not very positive, which is unfortunate, but I am not going to take this negativity without checking it out for myself. So far I haven't met anyone wh is DIR and is exactly like being described...

THis is one notion that I heard that kinda bothered me in regards to DIR pepople, I actually heard this from one instructor (Hogarthian, but non-DIR); Here is how he described DIR people:

non DIR person comments - "Hey man, you gear configuration is wrong"

DIR person comments - "Hey man, you gear configuration is wrong and you are going to die"

Anyway, I will post my report after I take the DIRF class to see if the common notion is indeed true or not.