Florida - good tec spots for continuing training

[Andy in Gap]

Would you be so kind as to explain what DIR doesn’t translate well to a wreck environment?

Most of my experience is on NJ wrecks and most charters require you to carry additional gear. Even when we dive in teams, we dive independently. I’ve not found a way to take everything I need on a dive in 2 pockets. As a DIR diver, how do you carry multiple reels, an up line, lift bags, smbs, Jon line, lobster bag, hammer, chisel, strobes etc?

 

[scubadada]

Most of my experience is on NJ wrecks and most charters require you to carry additional gear. Even when we dive in teams, we dive independently. I’ve not found a way to take everything I need on a dive in 2 pockets. As a DIR diver, how do you carry multiple reels, an up line, lift bags, smbs, Jon line, lobster bag, hammer, chisel, strobes etc?

Yeah, a hammer and a chisel Required, or just desired?

 

[Andy in Gap]

Yeah, a hammer and a chisel

Lol, I knew that was coming too . Not part of my personal gear setup but it’s a fact of life up here. A lot dives are made for artifact recovery purposes. Might be for a trophy, might be to ID a wreck.

 

[grantctobin]

Most of my experience is on NJ wrecks and most charters require you to carry additional gear. Even when we dive in teams, we dive independently. I’ve not found a way to take everything I need on a dive in 2 pockets. As a DIR diver, how do you carry multiple reels, an up line, lift bags, smbs, Jon line, lobster bag, hammer, chisel, strobes etc?

Reels and spools on the butt. Sisal uplines are twenty years outdated, but that would go on butt dring as well. People don’t still use it do they? Lift bags or SMBs in backplate pouch or in pockets pre tied to spools. If you’re intending to use it from a deep wreck and drift deco, I have it pre tied to the reel and clipped to butt. Strobes on butt or in pockets. Spare mask and wet notes and mouthpiece in pockets. Needing these things doesn’t make a dive DIR incompatible.

I wish artifact hunting and breaking stuff off wrecks would be outlawed, but it sadly doesn’t seem to be the case in the northeast. It’s grossly inappropriate or illegal in most other jurisdictions. That said, if you’re hellbent on such a thing, put boltsnaps on each end or chisel and hammer and stroke mount it as if it were a stage.

Suggesting high level functional skills, finesse, a streamlined gear config, and a functional team doesn’t translate well to wreck diving is pure nincompoopery.

If anybody would like a first person view of classes with him and evidence to support TBone’s post, there’s videos aplenty on YouTube.

 

[tbone1004]

Most of my experience is on NJ wrecks and most charters require you to carry additional gear. Even when we dive in teams, we dive independently. I’ve not found a way to take everything I need on a dive in 2 pockets. As a DIR diver, how do you carry multiple reels, an up line, lift bags, smbs, Jon line, lobster bag, hammer, chisel, strobes etc?

If carrying those as needed on a dive are not incompatible with the philosophy

 

[johndiver999]

that analogy proves the point, though I'll say he's definitely not the GOAT of wreck diving. His fundamentals are nothing short of abysmal while he is a very accomplished wreck diver that does not mean that he has any business teaching it. IF you want to go take courses from him after you are an accomplished wreck diver and can absorb the subtleties that only come with immense experience then absolutely go take a course, but if you're trying to learn from the beginning? All you are going to do is develop bad habits that may cause you problems down the road.

I don't want to instigate a negative discussion about any individual, but I would be curious to learn more specifically what you consider to be abysmal fundamentals. Hard to understand how you feel someone could have developed immense experience and mastered subtleties, but someone missed the fundamentals?

 

[tbone1004]

I don't want to instigate a negative discussion about any individual, but I would be curious to learn more specifically what you consider to be abysmal fundamentals. Hard to understand how you feel someone could have developed immense experience and mastered subtleties, but someone missed the fundamentals?

buoyancy, trim, propulsion

If you ever see him or his students in the water, it is abundantly clear

 

[scubadada]

Lol, I knew that was coming too . Not part of my personal gear setup but it’s a fact of life up here. A lot dives are made for artifact recovery purposes. Might be for a trophy, might be to ID a wreck.

Yeah, arifact recovery, lets destroy all the wrecks so future generations cannot enjoy them. Sorry, but you are f*****g a******

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Yeah, arifact recovery, lets destroy all the wrecks so future generations cannot enjoy them. Sorry, but you are f*****g a******

I'm not usually one to come between blows, but he did say "Not part of my personal gear"? How does him seeing other divers doing it make him a ******* *******...just curious.

 

[PfcAJ]

Most of my experience is on NJ wrecks and most charters require you to carry additional gear. Even when we dive in teams, we dive independently. I’ve not found a way to take everything I need on a dive in 2 pockets. As a DIR diver, how do you carry multiple reels, an up line, lift bags, smbs, Jon line, lobster bag, hammer, chisel, strobes etc?

I’ve carried a hammer and chisel before. Just clip it off to a d ring and go. A long pry bar might get two loops tied toward the front and rear with a constrictor knot so you can add and remove double enders as needed or shove it in stage bands. Replace a backup light with a strobe if need be. I don’t really see much value to strobes but whatever.

Jon line in pocket. Reel on ass dring, smb or lift bag in backplate pouch. 150’ spool and backup smb/lift bag in pocket. Lobstah bag and stick on left dring when I lobster.

Ain’t no thang.