Hog and DIR gear configurations not welcome :-(

[arthurmnev]

However, it doesn't answer the question as to what somebody with this sort of rig is doing in a rec rescue class? If they have been trained (by gue or any other agency) to use the equipment they should have no need to be in the class, no?
Jon

I'm not sure I'm on board with you on this. Some people invest in their equipment and before going up the cert ladder and in doing so, they do some research. I, personally, do not subscribe to all of DIR kool-aid, however, I do read the reasoning VERY carefully as some of the ideas make absolutely perfect sense while others are highly specific to the type of diving done (i.e. technical/cave in its vast majority).

Long hose makes sense unless you want to give your buddy a good hug on ascent in OOA situation. I have seen people use their primary regulator for donation but keep the 24" hose. Donation of 24" is, in my limited view, applicable only in very simple rec diving where the other diver does not panic. It is too easy to yank on 24" as it is short. So if upgrading your primary reg hose do you go to 36" ? 48? What about 60? What color do you make it out to be?

BP/W setup also makes sense, if you are investing in a setup, might as well get the one that would allow you to put a larger wing and go double instead of wasting your cash on the second rig 2 years after.

No metal-on-metal rule also makes perfect sense, so if I show up for my class and an instructor doesn't understand why things are the way they are, perhaps he/she should go read up a bit, or at least, ask questions instead of bashing the setup.

The challenge that I found with majority of LDSs is that they want to sell you more expensive outfit and thus bash anything else. Just last weekend I had one of the instructors asked me why I got Mares Puck air computer instead of the advanced $1300 unit they were pushing -- the answer was : price and when I will need multistage I will sell this and get another. The comment back "if you pay crap you end up with crap" -- classy.



As far as PADI style training -- well, I have it, and I do find it lacking in depth, I had to pull information out of all my instructors but 1 and half the time I got 'wel...." type of answer. AOW in PADI training, in my opinion is a money generating thing and has little to nothing to do with real training (rescue is a bit different though)

 

[Hoodie59]

I don't know about everyone else here, but my OW instructor taught us to donate the primary, and advocated the Octo on a necklace. He explained to us the benefits of that setup, and that is how we practiced. I'm glad I learned that way, because it honestly makes so much more sense. I just placed an order for a long hose and some shortened hoses for my SPG and octo.