DeepOutdoors Harness - Single Tank Use Question

[JimC]

DIR-F is offered by GUE (gue.com). The course is a holistic approach to safe diving in a uniform, repeatable and consistent manner. It is more than "how to set up a cave rig", much more. It covers equipment setup and selection, yes. But it also coveres team diving, fundamental skills and planning. It shows divers where the bar should be in and where you should be if you wish to move on to more advanced diving.

If you want more information go straight to a source. Check out the website and read the DIR-F description then find a GUE Instructor near your location and shoot them an email. It make take a while to get a response, they tend to be very busy.


If you looking for "just" information on setting up a streamlined rig, and don't care about having it the "DIR" way, you will find a plethora of good options and advice in the Hogarthian section.

Okay -

Forgive me for what seems like a newbie question. But what org offers "DIR-F"? I'm in Dallas - is this primarily a "how to set up equip to a standard cave dive rig" kinda a class or more of a certification?

My understanding is that it's a universal way to setup a rig so that you have minimal "entanglement" areas and are pretty locked down as far as your equip goes. Also, I understand that it has a great focus on buyoncy (sp?) control and not kicking up silt when moving about. Lastly, I understand that it's a standard so that even while blinded, another tek diver can locate any equipment on someone else.

??

D.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I can agree that "going and doing" isn't for everybody, but

Be so kind to explain what an experienced diver can get from such workshop.

Well, I'll narrow my answer down to what I got out of it.

First off, I had some misconceptions about how to set up my doubles rig. These had mostly to do with how I was distributing my weight ... and the end result was that I was able to drop some weight, redistribute what little weight I had left, and leave my weightbelt home.

Valve drills ... the sequence for performing them, why you do it in that order, and what your buddy should be doing while you are performing them.

Troubleshooting ... things that can go wrong, how you can determine where and what the problem may be, what you should do about it, in what order, and what you can do to assist your buddy if he/she is in a trouble situation.

Trim ... we did a lot of in-water practice, mostly in shallow water. By the end of the session my trim was much improved. Subsequent dives have shown the value of that practice ... my consumption rate on doubles is now about what it is in a singles rig.

Control ... by the end of the session I was far more confident in my ability to hold any position ... even inverted ... in my doubles rig. This part of the in-water skills was (IMO) akin to learning how to drive a semi.

Trimix ... the final dive was an introduction to trimix. This was more (I think) to introduce us to what we can learn in the next class (Rec Triox) than something aimed specifically at doubles skills, but it was enlightening to experience just how much difference to your perception of things trimix can make at 100 fsw.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[CALI68]

Well, I'll narrow my answer down to what I got out of it.

First off, I had some misconceptions about how to set up my doubles rig. These had mostly to do with how I was distributing my weight ... and the end result was that I was able to drop some weight, redistribute what little weight I had left, and leave my weightbelt home.

Valve drills ... the sequence for performing them, why you do it in that order, and what your buddy should be doing while you are performing them.

Troubleshooting ... things that can go wrong, how you can determine where and what the problem may be, what you should do about it, in what order, and what you can do to assist your buddy if he/she is in a trouble situation.

Trim ... we did a lot of in-water practice, mostly in shallow water. By the end of the session my trim was much improved. Subsequent dives have shown the value of that practice ... my consumption rate on doubles is now about what it is in a singles rig.

Control ... by the end of the session I was far more confident in my ability to hold any position ... even inverted ... in my doubles rig. This part of the in-water skills was (IMO) akin to learning how to drive a semi.

Trimix ... the final dive was an introduction to trimix. This was more (I think) to introduce us to what we can learn in the next class (Rec Triox) than something aimed specifically at doubles skills, but it was enlightening to experience just how much difference to your perception of things trimix can make at 100 fsw.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Sounds alot like the GUE Triox course I took. If you take fundies in doubles you get pretty much the same thing minus the Trimix and the valve failures.

-Chris

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Sounds alot like the GUE Triox course I took. If you take fundies in doubles you get pretty much the same thing minus the Trimix and the valve failures.

-Chris

This was a doubles workshop taught by Mark Tourtellot (owner of Fifth-D), and not a certification class. It was to help us prepare for Rec Triox and/or Tech 1.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[CALI68]

This was a doubles workshop taught by Mark Tourtellot (owner of Fifth-D), and not a certification class. It was to help us prepare for Rec Triox and/or Tech 1.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Damn, Bob now you tell me (us)? That would have been GREAT to take before Triox. Sounds very cool!



-Chris

 

[MonkSeal]

Well, I'll narrow my answer down to what I got out of it.

Sounds like pretty funny. I took DIR-F in doubles and more or less those things were covered. Additionaly, we practice valve failures during drill dives.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Sounds like pretty funny. I took DIR-F in doubles and more or less those things were covered. Additionaly, we practice valve failures during drill dives.

Well, in my first DIR-F class we had one diver only in doubles. Truth be told, he spent so much time concentrating on his doubles skills he neglected to pay attention to the other two divers on his team.

It was more of a distraction than anything ... as one of the major purposes of DIR-F is to work on team diving skills. And having one team mate who isn't on the same page as everyone else causes problems for everyone on the team.

In any case, the point is that when learning to dive doubles, it's best to do so under the supervision of someone who knows what they're doing. Whether that be done in DIR-F, a workshop, TriOx, or some other venue doesn't really matter as long as the basic skills get covered.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Daylonious]

For anyone thinking about diving doubles, my advice is to do it in a class, period. The first time I was in the water, I waaaay underestimated how much air I needed in my wings and crashed into the muddy bottom of lake travis.

I can only imagine rolling off a boat with doubles for the first time and plummeting to the bottom. I've heard that you can LITERALLY descend faster than your inflater can compensate for (remember, twin steel 90's is about 80 pounds or so).

As far as I know, there isn't a doubles certification per se.. I learned to dive them during my tek deco dive certification class.

D.

Well, in my first DIR-F class we had one diver only in doubles. Truth be told, he spent so much time concentrating on his doubles skills he neglected to pay attention to the other two divers on his team.

It was more of a distraction than anything ... as one of the major purposes of DIR-F is to work on team diving skills. And having one team mate who isn't on the same page as everyone else causes problems for everyone on the team.

In any case, the point is that when learning to dive doubles, it's best to do so under the supervision of someone who knows what they're doing. Whether that be done in DIR-F, a workshop, TriOx, or some other venue doesn't really matter as long as the basic skills get covered.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[kidspot]

For anyone thinking about diving doubles, my advice is to do it in a class, period. The first time I was in the water, I waaaay underestimated how much air I needed in my wings and crashed into the muddy bottom of lake travis.

I can only imagine rolling off a boat with doubles for the first time and plummeting to the bottom. I've heard that you can LITERALLY descend faster than your inflater can compensate for (remember, twin steel 90's is about 80 pounds or so).

As far as I know, there isn't a doubles certification per se.. I learned to dive them during my tek deco dive certification class.

D.

Which is why I first tried my doubles in 18fsw on a dive I do very often ...

I was told that some people just hold the inflator down during the entire descent. I don't quite need to do that, but it was surprising how much more air I needed in my wing to offset a simple additional -8lbs bouyancy... (I think that was the difference ...something like that anyway)

I've always been a big fan of self learning ... and it's tough finding anyone around here that dives doubles...

Aloha, Tim

 

[Daylonious]

Moderator - you can close this thread - thanks!