DIR Fanatics

[MikeS]

I was reading a thread on the General Technical Discussions that I thought deserved comment, but since I don’t have enough experience to feel comfortable posting there yet, I decided to post here. I don’t understand the mentality of DIR fanatics that treat any question in reference to DIR as heresy and immediately resort to name calling and insults. If they truly feel that DIR is a superior system why not join an open and civil dialog to help others see the benefits? Even if they were being baited, wouldn’t well thought out, insightful answers help others reading the threads to gain a better understanding? Or is one of the bad side effects of a structured system like DIR that it attracts individuals compelled to strive for feelings of superiority at the expense of others?

I’ve read “Doing It Right: The Fundamentals of Better Diving” and from the little I know DIR is a great holistic approach to diving. It was refreshing to read about an equipment configuration that left little if nothing to chance. It’s also hard to argue with a system that has such a good safety record despite diving in some of the most extreme circumstances. However, a DIR equipment configuration requires quite a financial investment that I am not ready to make yet. In the mean time I intend to keep learning and evolving my equipment configuration as I grow as a diver.

Mike

 

[JamesK]

Like I stated in the thread that you are talking about, no direct questions were asked! The questions was simply "why is DIR better?". How do you answer a question like that? You can't. It is too broad and general, and would take a novel to do. I asked if he would ask specific questions, but that was never done. Maybe questions like "why a 7 foot hose?", "why a single piece of webbing?", "why not tank mounted lights?", and the such would have been easier to answer.

He was not looking for a DIR discussion, he was looking to bait others into name calling.

 

[Wendy]

I dive DIR and have answered people's quesitons in the past when I could. Sometimes like the current thread about the manifold, someone beat me to the answer so I never joined in the posting. But I always try to help others when they are willing to learn and/or looking for answers, and if I don't have the answer I will refer them to websites where they can find the answers.

It seems that often times divers that are DIR have 'attitudes". I don't think I'm better or superior to anyone. Alot of the time when questions are asked about DIR gear configuration, the person asking the question is so dead set against DIR that they don't care if they get a real answer to the question or not, they just like getting a rise out of the DIR folks. I beleive that most people would get upset and impatient with others if they are constently being questioned about why they do something this way or that way. And sometimes its in error because the person asking the question really wants to learn. Kinda like crying wolf. If you keep asking questions to try and argue with people the one time that you have a real question no one will take you seriously.

But if anyone ever has a question and wants to learn or understand why somethng is done a certain way I will do my best to help.

 

[Jarhead]

Originally posted by Big James
Like I stated in the thread that you are talking about, no direct questions were asked! The questions was simply "why is DIR better?". How do you answer a question like that? You can't. It is too broad and general, and would take a novel to do. I asked if he would ask specific questions, but that was never done. Maybe questions like "why a 7 foot hose?", "why a single piece of webbing?", "why not tank mounted lights?", and the such would have been easier to answer.

He was not looking for a DIR discussion, he was looking to bait others into name calling.

OK. I'll bite.

Considering the diverse shapes that divers come in, "Why a 7-foot hose?" I'm short (5'7") and have been curious about this.

Thanks,
Jarhead

PS: I don't cave dive.

 

[MikeS]

James,

I thought he did ask some questions. One of which was the preference for barrel o-rings which Omar did an excellent job of answering. His answer helped me learn something. What was accomplished by calling him a troll? I think such an attitude ‘scares off’ people from asking questions, and isn’t asking questions and learning the purpose of the board?

Mike

 

[JamesK]

Originally posted by Jarhead


OK. I'll bite.

Considering the diverse shapes that divers come in, "Why a 7-foot hose?" I'm short (5'7") and have been curious about this.

Thanks,
Jarhead

PS: I don't cave dive.

7ft of hose allows the team to be able to swim through a restriction where you can only go single file, while while sharing air. A shorter hose would have the team too crunched up, and a longer hose is simply unnecassary. That way, the person who is OOA, can swim in front of the person donating, and both are able to make it through the restriciton.

 

[JamesK]

Mike,

I could be wrong, but I beleive that was the only specific question he asked. If that is all he wanted to know, why was it just not asked like that to begin with?

 

[Wendy]

Why a long hose? I got this passage from www.gue.com. I hope it helps.

"The DIR diver will also utilize a five to seven foot long hose on their primary regulator instead of the standard three foot hose. The "long hose" offers many safety advantages over a standard hose during an out-of-air situation, including the speed at which it can be deployed and the ability to maintain a comfortable distance between buddies during an emergency situation. In the place of a secondary octopus, the DIR diver keeps a standard second stage on a normal hose attached with an elastic necklace below their chin. As the long hose is donated in an emergency, the secondary regulator can be donned quickly and effortlessly."

In cave diving (and even wreck diving in some cases) divers can't be side by side in an OOA situation. The OOA diver leads out of the cave/wreck first, breathing of the long hose of the diver donating the air, who is behind them.

In ow diving the use of the long hose allows for the two divers to not have to be inches apart from each other.

Hope this answered your question.

 

[TexasMike]

Another plus to the long hose is that the 2nd stage fits more comfortably in the OOA diver's mouth since there is less "pull" from bending the hose.

Remember you're recreational OW class when you shared air? The bend placed upon the hose in order for your to face your buddy and have the 2nd stage in the correct position placed an unnatural pull on the reg. The extra length of a 5- or 7-ft hose helps to remedy this.


The other thing I like about the setup is the "comfort" of knowing my backup is right under my chin. Easy and fast to get to, with no fumbling should an OOA diver suprise me and rip out the one in my mouth with no warning. And with practice, some divers report that they are able to access the back up reg with no hands.

At this time, I'm still learning about DIR, so I'm probably no where close to a complete DIR configuration. But like many others, I do agree that many of their ideas are pretty sound.

 

[Jarhead]

BigJames, Wendy and TexasMike:

Bigjames: I didn't post ANY questions on the other thread.

Wendy: I've been going through the GUE website and haven't found that part yet. I'm sure it's there, but I haven't found it.(any hints?).

TexasMike: I like the ideal of the DIR hose config. I couldn't find if the "7ft. hose" changed length according to diver height.

To everyone esle:
Ask a specific question to get a specific answer.

Thanks again,
Jarhead