NWGratefulDiver once bubbled...
But I have to wonder about some of the terminology that seems to be a part of every DIR discussion ...
battery box?
poodle jacket?
death clips?
bondage wing?
I don't think I've heard the term "battery box" before... I thought I made that up myself.
I thought I was being witty and creative.
If it offends someone, I'm sorry. For reference, I happen to own a "battery box" of my own. That doesn't mean, of course, that I stake my life on it, though...
I'm not sure where I heard, "poodle jacket" before, but I've heard it in numerous places, most of which weren't DIR specific.
By "death clips," I think you mean, "suicide clips." I always thought they got their name from the concept that if you swim by a net or monofilament or even cave line, they tend to catch easily... Thus facilitating an entaglement, which can be lethal if the wrong series of events follows. I don't know where I first heard the term, but do you not find the name descriptive and entertaining?
I think the term "bondage wings" was coined as an equally lighthearted poke at the bungee wings that some manufactures make. In and of itself, the name does not imply anything derrogatory. To the best of my recollection, someone once said and "bondage wings" sounded kinda kinky and the name stuck.
Heck, I'm not even going to tell you where my name "SeaJay" came from. You'd think my friends were horrible people.
Yes, people really do call me that in real life.
Where do you guys come up with this stuff? And why are terms that are meant to disparage the way other folks do stuff such an integral part of the DIR way of explaining things?
It's really distracting to what is otherwise a good message.
Hm. Sorry 'bout that... DIR instructors regularly tell newly DIR trained divers to resist trying to teach DIR to others, but instead recommend pointing inquisitive people back to the original instructor. An explanation is quick: "You may not be the best representation of DIR." Agreed, DIR has had some half-informed individuals claim to be "DIR" and thus it's possible that DIR's reputation - which has been associated with these people - has suffered.
Thus, it's "possible that I might not be the best representation of DIR." If I used a derrogatory phrase which clouds the message, then by all means, I accept responsibility for it. DIR did not train me to refer to a computer as a "battery box." I thought I was being witty. There is no reference to a "battery box" in the DIR-F manual.
Simply put, a dive computer is nothing more than a tool ... and like any tool it can be used or misused. As you say, understanding the concepts is the key. To my way of thinking, that's why every agency teaches their open water students how to use dive tables. It's as much about teaching the concepts of decompression theory as it is about actually using the tables to plan a dive.
Exactly.
The Rule of 120 is simply an easy way to remember the tables to some degree of accuracy. Like a computer, it's simply a tool to keep you safe. Plus, it impresses the girls at parties.
No, just kidding.
So how does GUE teach the person who doesn't have the requisite skills to do math in their head? And there are many of those out there. The simple answer is - if the "battery box" goes blank, you do a slow ascent, perform your requisite safety (or deco) stops, and end the dive. To my knowledge, everybody teaches that.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Well, that's true... All agencies do teach that, just as they teach proper buoyancy and trim control and even encourage a healthier lifestyle, quoting cardiovascular fitness as a tenant to uphold. In fact, my PADI OW manual specifically made a point to mention the avoidance of alcohol and tobacco use, especially on a regular basis. Of course, it also mentioned the avoidance of alcohol altogether prior to the dive.
Also, for reference... To the best of my knowlege GUE does not offer a certification course. In other words, if you want to learn how to dive, you must first do it through PADI, SSI, NAUI, YMCA, or the like. Then, after being certified, DIR-F is the basic course which GUE offers. While it's not the case now, there was a time very recently where DIR-F had no certification attached to it (you do get a card now for successful completion).
My point is that GUE is not a replacement for PADI, SSI, NAUI, etc... GUE simply offers a course that has a rather "focused" approach to skills that are only touched on by other agencies. They also introduce a new set of skills - which are basically a different approach to the same activities underwater. These skills include primary second stage donation, trim and buoyancy control, positioning in the water column, and body control. Simply put, it's a different approach to the same activities that were taught by the mainstream agencies.
...And after having taken the course, I've found that I prefer their methods, and subscribe to them. Not everyone feels this way, but those who have been introduced to them usually adopt some of the skill sets that they would not have been aware of otherwise.
Why does GUE teach these differing skill sets? Well...
GUE was borne of the underwater cave systems in Wakulla. After some successful and not-so-successful dives, a group of divers was formed that developed a method of diving - a skill set - that emphasized those skills which would be most applicable in their particular situation. These skill sets addressed the problems which they found most common in the world record breaking dives that they were performing. Therefore, it can be said with some accuracy that not every diver needs the skill sets... Not every diver needs to have perfect buoyancy, use a rule of thirds, plan the dive and dive the plan, be able to reach his/her valves, or deploy a long hose in an OOA emergency. However, after having been exposed to the skill sets, I personally feel that the skill sets enhance my enjoyment of the sport... And significantly raise my level of safety in all diving situations. Understanding the Rule of 120, deploying the long hose, practicing my skills regularly, and even changing some of my bad lifestyle habits have never been a detriment in any diving situation that I've ever been in. Instead, these skills have always increased my control, added to the safety margin of my dive, and generally allowed me to enjoy diving more - and more safely.
For this reason, I find myself often recommending the class, even to those people who never plan to cave dive. At this point in the refinement of the skills being taught, there is so much benefit to having the extra skill set that the actual diving environment plays a much less significant role in my diving. I dive easier and safer, enjoy more, and understand more than I would if I did not have the skills.
...And to think that I'm still a baby at this... How exciting...
Oh yeah... You asked me about how GUE teaches someone who does not have the math skills to do the prerequisite math in their head. The answer is, "I don't know." Everyone I took the class with was capable of subtracting their depth from 120, especially if they rounded their numbers. What's left is bottom time. Simple.
If the person can't do the math, then I suspect that the "DIR way" would encourage that person to learn to subtract one number from another... But I'm speculating - because I have not seen them address the issue before.
