DIR "Approved Equipment" ?

[jonnythan]

Missed point here Joe, your buying something dir like and have to purchase some thing extra to make it work, or modify it. Also the 25$ saving is no longer a point as you just had to buy another hose.

I think you missed the point. You don't need to change any hoses on an Oxycheq wing.

 

[Tom R]

You do on the OMS, Dive Rite, Outdoor Adventures etc, the Oxycheck wings I have seen all have long hoses on them, but Scubaroo has already corrected me on this.

 

[jonnythan]

Well, don't buy OMS or Dive Rite wings

 

[d33ps1x]

And in the red cornerrrr....from parts unknown....

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Hmmmm ... I know several DIR-trained divers in Dive Rite wings ... I don't believe any of them changed the inflator hoses before taking Fundies, Rec Triox, Tech 1, etc.

In fact, the Dive Rite Classic is well represented in our local DIR community.

Is this a real issue or an internet issue?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[VTernovski]

I think you missed the point. You don't need to change any hoses on an Oxycheq wing.

well, actually I had to... my original oxycheq wing (first batch) had a really long hose that I changed to halcyon hose instead, which I admit I like better.

 

[Charlie99]

If you take a GUE course, you'll find that - as you noted with the book - DIR is less 'manufacturer-specific' and more 'feature-specific'. Equipment that performs to certain standards and criteria is acceptable; manufacturer is less important.

I remember something about Halcyon trying to trademark "DIR".

Did Halcyon get it?

If they did, that confuses things a bit and makes DIR, at least as a label on dive gear, rather manufacturer specific.

Charlie

 

[WJL]

I remember something about Halcyon trying to trademark "DIR".

Did Halcyon get it?
Charlie

As of 5/5/04 the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has not granted Halcyon's application (serial number 78235834) for use of the term "DIR" as applied to goods in services in the areas of "Diving, snorkeling and scuba equipment, namely, tanks, fins, hoses, wetsuits, dry suits, regulators, buoyancy wings, back plates, lift devices, life rafts, weight release systems, weight systems, lift bags, rebreathers, alert markers, buoyancy compensators, lights, valves, personal flotation devices, wraps, pockets, dry suit inflation kits, bottle rigging kits, knives, clips, snaps, gear bags, hose units, bucklers, tank bands, manifold, snorkels, masks, flippers, weight belts and parts therefore, prerecorded videos in the field of scuba diving and diving techniques."

 

[ams511]

OK AMS5111, I'm sure you mean well and all, but I have a copy of "Fundamentals of Better Diving" sitting right here on my desk. Please reference a page number for me.

I don't have the book in front of me at the moment, but look at page 72.

 

[ams511]

Go easy on the slams... )

I don't mean to slam. I was responding to a post from a fellow member.

I doubt many reputable dive instructors deliberately sell less than optimal equipment and junk. Some do, perhaps. But likely not the majority.

I am not talking about conventional BC's and unbalanced regs. I agree there is a place for them in diving. I also believe because of the liability issue that no brand name manufacture would sell poor quality (junk) dive gear. In fact I think the dive industry is better than most industries in producing quality products. What I am refering to is lies told to sell gear and produce commissions. For example:

1. Telling me if I add a delta 1 octo to my conself 21 reg I will have a class A reg. Never noticed any difference between either second stage going down to 80 ft. Although I don't generally suck a tank dry.

2. You need the expensive scubapro log book instead of the cheap one. I forgot the reason for this.

3. You need the expensive defog instead of the cheaper kind because the cheaper one will sting your eyes. I have used many brands of defog and none have ever stung my eyes.

4. You need the expense dry snorkle rather than the cheap one you are using. Snorkles are not used for diving, in fact the DIR book advises against them because they represent an entaglement hazzard.

5. You need a quick release snorkle clip. It broke after my second dive and I lost the expensive snorkle. Luckily my buddy came up with it because he saw it floating down. When I went to purchase another clip the person behind the counter laughed and asked why would you need one and showed me how to attach the snorkle correctly.

These are the things I am talking about. Actually the dive instructor refered to the US Divers Equipment as junk. Even though it was bottom of the line I found it worked well and was reliable. I don't think he got full commissions on sale items.

But that's a function of using the right tool for the job, not of either tool necessarily being 'junk'.

I refer use the word junk to refer to equipment that is not needed. Personally, I would rather see a diver spend money on a better reg or more lessons than useless stuff.

Also I forgot to mention the amount of attention you received in the OW class was directly proportional to how much equipment you bought from the instructor.

Also you are right that most dive shops are reputable, I have never been to one as bad as the first one. By the way it was a chain store that was quite popular in Florida for a while then went out of business.