DIR-F Question

[DivingPrincessE]

Hi-
I am very new to diving but really enjoy it so far. I have my PADI OW and AOW certs. I am interested in learning and trying out the DIR style of diving and have three questions.

1. Are there any dive shops in the Northern VA/DC area that offer the DIR-F Course?

2. By late September I will have roughly 25 dives under my belt. Do I need to have a lot of experience and good trim/buoyancy before I take the course? Should I wait until I have completed more dives before I take it? I realize there is an arguement to wait...but I think if I take the course early it could help me avoid developing bad habits.

3. I want to get a BP/W setup, do they show you how to put it together and adjust it during the course?

Thanks for any information you can provide.

 

[Jason B]

There are no shops with resident GUE instructors in the Va area but you can bring one in very easy. We brought one to NC and it was rather painless to do.

Without some buoyancy control, the rest of the class will more than likely be frustrating. I'd worry about buoyancy rather than dive numbers.
They will show you how to adjust your BP/W harness during class but hopefully you won't wait until then to dive it. You need to get used to the gear before class.

Do you ever go to Lake Rawlings? I'd be happy to do a dive with you. Help you get started in the right direction.

 

[amascuba]

Hi DivingPrincessE,

You can take the class at any point that you want. Whether you pass the class the first time or not will really depend on how comfortable you are in the water and buoyancy will play a huge part in that. Overall though, don't go into the class with a pass/fail mentality. There is so much information in the class and you will get alot out of the class regardless of whether you pass or fail or even when you decide to take the class.

As far as specific shops in the DC area. I have no idea actually. There are quiet a few "DIR" oriented divers in the Atlantic North East though, Soggy immediately comes to mind. Maybe he could better answer that question. Beyond that most GUE instructors are more than happy to travel to teach. They usually require that you pay for their travel expenses and require a minimum student count to make the trip worth their wild. I made a road trip out of my class and drove to Colorado last March. I had a blast.

The class will indeed show you how to properly fit the BP/W. I would suggest finding somebody locally to help you out and start diving with it, because the more comfortable you are with your gear by the time you take your class the more that you will get out of your class.

I hope that I answered your questions.

 

[jjones9527]

DIRF will teach you all about buoyancy control and trim, however if you have some modicum of control going into the course it will make it easier. Don't be afraid to take DIRF at the earliest opportunity, as even if you don't pass, or come away with provisional, you will learn a ton of stuff that will make your diving so much more enjoyable. I did Fundies with almost 200 dives, and I still learned a lot. Plus the sooner you do it the less bad habits you will develop.

You will go through an intensive class on gear, which includes fitting the back plate and wing, as well as all the other gear.

There are likely people on here who would be glad to get together with you and show you the basic gear, as well as help you in buying the proper stuff and getting if fitted. You may even find someone with a spare plate and wing who will go for a dive with you so you can try it out. A big part of the GUE philosophy is mentoring, which will help you before and after the course. Good luck.

 

[DivingPrincessE]

Thanks for the responses! I am renting a BP/W setup and diving with a DIR diver at Lake Rawling on Sept 19th but I figured there was so much more to it that I want to learn. David (The DIR Diver) has been super helpful and even sent me some information from the GUE website. It was very interesting...but it was an information overload and I didn't really understand it all. I figured if I took the class I could get a better grasp of it.

I hope to work on my buoyancy a lot before the season ends. I am diving sat and sun this weekend at millbrook, next saturday at rawling (plus my first night dive) and then a dive trip the last week of September (Ft. Lauderdale, Belize, Cozumel).

 

[Meng_Tze]

1. Are there any dive shops in the Northern VA/DC area that offer the DIR-F Course?

2. By late September I will have roughly 25 dives under my belt. Do I need to have a lot of experience and good trim/buoyancy before I take the course? Should I wait until I have completed more dives before I take it? I realize there is an arguement to wait...but I think if I take the course early it could help me avoid developing bad habits.

3. I want to get a BP/W setup, do they show you how to put it together and adjust it during the course?

1: I can not help you with this one, I am in central FL.
2: Everyone learns buoyancy control during Fundies. Many of us thought 'we could dive', but a bit of stress and a camera reveal a lot. Don't worry too much about buoyancy and trim, you will learn. But if you show up with some hesitation with exercises ....... you may struggle. Stress builds up quickly. There is a basic assumed comfort in the water. From this angle having done some dives would help. But try to relax and enjoy the ride.
3: Yes they will and if you have your own, it will be pretty much set for life. But don't just go out and buy something, talk to the instructor or DIR divers out there.

 

[Bob Sherwood]

pm sent. best, Bob

 

[*Floater*]

I'd recommend the Dress for Success book. It's available to order from GUE's website. Also, it's good to take DIRF early on in my opinion, but it's even better if you buy the basic gear (backplate, wing, hog harness, long hose for primary, SP jet fins or similar) and get used to diving that setup first. Otherwise DIRF may be overwhelming if you are being asked to learn new skills when you are just getting used to a new BCD and fins. But before you buy anything check with your future DIRF instructor and people in this forum to make sure it's not crap gear and ask for reasoned opinions and alternatives too.

 

[edparris]

We have a group of 4-6 GUE divers in the MD-DC area (the southern contingent of NEUE; some of Bob's students). If you'd like some local advice or dive practice send cmalinowski or me a PM and we'll get you the team's contact info.