Dives Where DIR fails?

[SeaJay]

*jealous* Have fun...

 

[SeaJay]

The Pirate once bubbled...

I suggest you think about this stmt again. Giant leg knives are not dir.

The Pirate

Really? I must have missed that page, that book, or that video. Can you tell me where to find that information?

Where are you guys getting this stuff? It's like it's being made up by people as they go along. They take a basic concept like, "Most divers don't need an ungainly leg knife" and then run with it. From then on, leg knives are "not DIR."

That's just not what's being taught here by those who really ARE DIR.

 

[Duncan Price]

Hoppy once bubbled...
Seriously though, I have read extensively about the WKPP teams explorations and while they are awesome I wonder how many of these people have been cave diving over here ?

As far as I know - none - although there are UK based cave divers who have been through the whole GUE syllabus.

Generally speaking, the standard backmount DIR rig is only suitable for very few UK sites as the caves are too small. In continental caves the situation is different and you will find DIR teams operating with considerable effectiveness (e.g. the .EKPP at the Doux de Coly).

Furthermore, the visibility in UK sites is usually abysmal. This, combined with restricted access prefers solo diving rather than teams.

Finally, there are not many cave diving sites in the UK that are particularly deep which really require the use of helium containing mixtures or advanced decompression procedures.

That is not to say that teamwork, good gear (minimalism, streamlining) etc. are not essential to UK cave diving. Forgetting the 20% about specific equipment the rest of DIR is equally applicable to the UK. Differences of opinion arise through misunderstanding arising from the backgrounds' of the proponents. The UK cave diving population is drawn from the ranks of cavers (cave diving in the UK is like caving underwater) whereas the situation is generally reversed in Florida. Forgetting the petty bickering about (for example) whether to wear helmets, I feel that both sides have a great deal to learn from one another.

There are a number of DIR divers operating in the UK in the context of open water diving in the sea on deep wrecks. I believe that DIR-F courses will soon be offered in the UK now that GUE has obtained HSE approval.

Duncan

PS. Regarding computers - there are a lot of up/down profiles in UK sumps which are very difficult to plan for using pre-cut tables. When you are conducting original exploration it is impractical to plan for every eventuality and most divers will wear more than one computer and go with the most conservative.

PPS. Giant leg knives are not CDG either - everything goes on your arms where you can reach them - not even in a pouch on your belt.

 

[AquaTec]

JeffAustin once bubbled...
The computer is fine, until it locks up because it doesn't agree with your deco plans. That's when they let you down. Put it in gauge mode, plan your dives, folllow your plan.

Buy a better computer, and like your regulator have a redundent one

 

[Hoppy]

for an informative post !

I am in total awe of anyone who will go diving in caves over here.

You guys are barking mad, in the nicest possible way.

I remember a few years ago watching a prog on tv about two guys working both ends of a system in Yorkshire. They got to touch hands through a tiny gap, which I believe was called Dead mans handshke thereafter, as one of the guys came out of the system on so little air he should have been dead.

Myth or fact I wonder ?

Still an awesome programme.

Best wishes for continued safety and success.

Hoppy

 

[Duncan Price]

Hoppy once bubbled...
I remember a few years ago watching a prog on tv about two guys working both ends of a system in Yorkshire. They got to touch hands through a tiny gap, which I believe was called Dead mans handshke thereafter, as one of the guys came out of the system on so little air he should have been dead.

Myth or fact I wonder ?

I went there a couple of weeks ago - in fact we reversed the dive shown on the TV (1.9 km) - took nearly two hours in 2 m vis. There are lots of scratches on the wall in this area left by divers squeezing through this section. Over to one side is a piece of wire that was used to hook out a dive light lost by the diver during the incident that gave the place its name.

A comprehensive description of this "incident" can be found in the 1991 edition of "The Darkness Beckons" by Martyn Farr.

The place has a lot of history to it.

Duncan

 

[mynitrox2]

What is DIR

 

[Spectre]

What is DIR

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=44823

 

[MikeFerrara]

What ever happened to Divesherpa anyway?

 

[boomx5]

What ever happened to Divesherpa anyway?

Good question Mike...I was thinking the same thing.