DIR: God's gift to diving or Hell spawn?

[El Orans]

Most of us strive to be the best.

Would that include spelling?

So you want a spell checker...

 

[taopitek]

I know what can I say. Thats why they keep a reg in my mouth and keep me away from the general public

 

[OE2X]

The same is NOT true of divers with other interests. It is...rather odd..to argue that a person interested in, say, compiling an extensive collection of nudibranch photographs is better served by spending their limited money and time on a DIR course compared to an underwater photography course and a good strobe. It is...rather odd...to argue that a person interested in observing and learning about reef ecology is better served by spending their money on a dual set of Atomic regulators rather than a two week stint in PNG.

I agree with Lamont and Steve here. DIRF will teach you ways of finning and buoyancy control that other classes do not. Very, very important while taking pictures. Then there is task loading like getting the shot, maintaining buoyancy control, keeping your light from blinding the critter and most importantly keeping track of your buddy. Thanks to my training I can do all of this.

I regularly dive with a DIR buddy. We both take pictures. We haven't lost each other yet.

Lamont is right about the expense. Since going the DIR route I have not had to waste any more money on inappropriate gear.

 

[RoadWarrior]

For instance, I dive a simple Oceanic alpha rig and Triple-L BC...the setup works very well for what I am interested in and I am able to direct other resources to the parts of diving that interest me.

:monkeydan Blueeyes_austin......... This is so cool. You're proud of your Triple-L BC and proud to be a rec diver. My-my how that irks some of the people around here. If you don't see it their way or use the gear they like it's like you've challanged their manhood and they have to lash out.

:icon10: See... a few posts back it got you this comment: "I'll wave to you next time I'm hovering above you while your lost in your cloud of muck."
I bet either of us :lol2: could out dive that guy in our sleep.

 

[blueeyes_austin]

WOW
I'm diffantly not DIR **** I can't even spell and I'm the first to admite that I'm dum farm *** stupid. I have spent way to much $$$$$$$$ in diving. Just ask the people who know me what kind of trucks I drive. BUT I can say I'm the best. Why can I say that. Because I have trained my *** off and still do. Is DIR-F for everybody yes. Is PADI peak performace for everybody yes.

I'm sure you're a talented tec diver (although remember the proverb about the first insight of true wisdom). But *I* don't aspire to be the "best" tec diver. I aspire to be a competent OWD who excels at wildlife spotting and observation and who takes good-to-excellent underwater photographs. If I spend all of my time/effort on technical training, then I cannot spend that time/training on learning waht I really want to learn...which is the point of my post.

In your examples that you mention are both perfect reasons for those classes. How can you take a good picture of something if your scaring it off clouding the place up and can you enjoy a reef if you can't hold your postion in the water collum by backing up or turning while being suspended without a bottom.

And only DIR folks have those skills? Sorry, I don't buy it. And I have plenty of "good" pictures, thank you very much. (By the way, A marginal increase in trim isn't going to overcome an inability to understand the principles of composition and framing.)

Have you ever wanted to be the best in something. If you have then you know it takes a lot of hard work investment of time and money. Some of are not satisfide with being medoker. Most of us strive to be the best.

In your own field you may be the "best." I have no interest in tec diving, as I mentioned above.

I'll wave to you next time I'm hovering above you while your lost in your cloud of muck.

Amazing how you can judge dive skills by message board posts.

 

[blueeyes_austin]

I agree with Lamont and Steve here. DIRF will teach you ways of finning and buoyancy control that other classes do not.

And I've certainly played around with helicopter kicks and reverse frogs. But those are techniques, not this "holistic" diving philosophy that, frankly, isn't necessary for the dives I do.

 

[blueeyes_austin]

:monkeydan Blueeyes_austin......... This is so cool. You're proud of your Triple-L BC and proud to be a rec diver. My-my how that irks some of the people around here. If you don't see it their way or use the gear they like it's like you've challanged their manhood and they have to lash out.

:icon10: See... a few posts back it got you this comment: "I'll wave to you next time I'm hovering above you while your lost in your cloud of muck."
I bet either of us :lol2: could out dive that guy in our sleep.

I'm sure he is a much more technically adept diver than I am. He should be if he is doing the dives he claims on his website. Still, I'd bet a dollar to a doughnut that my basic photographic skills are more advanced than his/hers simply because it is a field I have been interested in and worked to improve my skills in for over ten years.

 

[RoadWarrior]

Oh, I'm sure he's a good diver.

I'm sure he is a much more technically adept diver than I am. He should be if he is doing the dives he claims on his website. Still, I'd bet a dollar to a doughnut that my basic photographic skills are more advanced than his/hers simply because it is a field I have been interested in and worked to improve my skills in for over ten years.

 

[boomx5]

I'm really failing to see why there needs to be an argument on this issue one more time. Can GUE classes improve one's ability to be a better buddy and be a more competent diver? You bet. Does GUE teach an underwater photography class? Nope. So why are we discussing this? If you choose not to take a GUE class than fine...just don't come on the board and pontificate about something you really have no clue about. Why don't you be productive and give us some tips on photography or something?

 

[radinator]

I'm sure you're a talented tec diver (although remember the proverb about the first insight of true wisdom). But *I* don't aspire to be the "best" tec diver. I aspire to be a competent OWD who excels at wildlife spotting and observation and who takes good-to-excellent underwater photographs. If I spend all of my time/effort on technical training, then I cannot spend that time/training on learning waht I really want to learn...which is the point of my post.

The point you're missing is that DIR-F is not tec training. It doesn't ever claim to be. Instead, think of it as the things you should have learned in your OW class - but didn't.

If you don't want to take it, then don't. But to be fair, please don't criticize whether or not it is worthwhile without really knowing what it's about.

Personally, I don't care if other divers want to dive DIR or not. I'm only concerned about my (rec, not tec) diving. I found DIR-F the most intense and worthwhile dive class I've taken. I struggled. And FYI, if interested, I didn't pass. But now I know what kind of skills I want to possess for my rec diving.