how to dive with non-DIR divers?

[rjack321]

nah, that aint me. I may shake my head a few times or stare with amazement but I wont run around trying to act as if I know anything. If I ever get that notion, I only need to take a practice dive and humility hits me like a brick.

It hits all of us like a brick. The things reinforcing the humilty might change, but its always there. Don't get too down on yourself. Just aspiring to dive a tiny bit better on every dive is half the battle.

Slow and steady progress, its life afterall, just happy to be diving and having fun.

 

[Boomer7]

A few years ago I was moving towords the Dark side but some of the DIR people that I would often see while I was diving were not the least bit helpful and honstly thought they were better than every one else. They acted like they werr doing you a favor when they answered a question. The instructor was very helpful though. My thinking was to be a DIR diver you ahve to be an A hole. I have since meet and dove with DIR's that have changed my whole mindset.

Brian

 

[PerroneFord]

Ironic that they wouldn't be doing safety checks...in a rescue class.

Not really.

 

[dsteding]

Ironic that they wouldn't be doing safety checks...in a rescue class.

Well, maybe they wanted a "realistic" experience :shakehead

 

[LG Diver]

BTW, you may find this story funny: I did my Deep specialty after I took NW Grateful Diver's Gas Management seminar, which is basically the gas stuff from Fundies. The instructor was going on about checking your computer for no deco time, and paced out 120 feet on land so we could see how far it was. But he didn't say anything about gas reserves or planning, so I said something about the rock bottom for a 120 foot dive with the tanks I was using . . . and I got a blank stare. I didn't make myself at all popular with that!

I had almost exactly the same experience. Prior to taking my Deep specialty last year I posted a question on SB asking when PADI teaches gas planning because I had already taken OW, AOW, Rescue, Nitrox, Nav, and had read the Deep curriculum and had thus far not seen any substantive discussion of gas planning. The ensuing discussion was very informative, and NW Grateful Diver was kind enough to e-mail me the course information that he uses in his Gas Management seminar. I subsequently approached my instructor inquiring what the gas plan was for a 130' dive in cold water on an Al 80, what our RB and turn pressure was, and got effectively told that this type of gas planning was overkill. I promptly withdrew from the Wreck specialty I had enrolled in, where he planned to do some line drills with folks in a pool and then take them on penetration dives in the Yukon (again with no mention of gas planning, gas source redundancy, finning techniques, air sharing in confined spaces, etc).

As others have said, learn as much as you can, decide what you're comfortable with, dive with those that are like-minded, and let your diving skills speak for themselves. I still dive with buddies from my AOW class even though they're in standard setups, but only with those that are at least interested in understanding gas planning and learning about my gear configuration. Some of them have seen the benefits of the DIR system and have worked to improve their trim (for example) even though they don't have plans to go DIR.

 

[Peter Guy]

OK -- being a confirmed DIR agnostic, I'll stick my nose into this.

1. Bob's entirely correct -- don't preach, do.

2. Why do YOU dive with a 7 foot hose? Is it "just because" or ? Sometimes "DIR" divers, especially new ones, latch onto the equipment aspects of "DIR" without appreciating what I believe are the most important aspects of "DIR" -- team diving and safety.

3. DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING TSandM WRITES regarding being hasseled or made fun of by her PADI instructors -- I know, I was there!

4. I'm doing a PADI DM class right now using a 40" hose and bungied backup. My partner agreed wholeheartedly that doing air shares, especially swimming buddy breathing, was MUCH easier with the longer hose. If you are out with some non-DIR friends tell them at the beginning of the dive you may want to practice an air share with them. They will be amazed at how easy it is (back to Bob's no preach, do).

5. If your rescue class buddies don't understand the concept of SAC rates (and they've probably never been introduced to them) ask if they have air integrated computers (like the Suunto Cobra) and if they do, ask if they've ever looked at their computed SAC rate (or RMV). Either way, this become a teaching moment, especially in Rescue, for everyone to understand basic gas management. (See Lamont's PDF regarding this topic -- I printed it out and gave it to my DM buddy AND my DM instructor.)

But most of all, HAVE FUN and don't NOT dive with "strokes" -- just show them how much fun it is to be a safe(r) diver even with those blessed split fins and dangling consoles.

[Note to Doug, Bob and Lynne -- I HAVE NOT gone over to the Dark Side!!!!]

 

[SparticleBrane]

[Note to Doug, Bob and Lynne -- I HAVE NOT gone over to the Dark Side!!!!]

You sure?

 

[limeyx]

It hits all of us like a brick. The things reinforcing the humilty might change, but its always there. Don't get too down on yourself. Just aspiring to dive a tiny bit better on every dive is half the battle.

Slow and steady progress, its life afterall, just happy to be diving and having fun.

You mean like me "checking" my primary reg in the cenote by breathing it out of the water -- breathed fine, unsurprisingly.

Then Danny insisted I breathe it U/W "just in case" the membrane was folded over. Breathed it and got a mouthful of water. Membrane was folded over (first time in over 300 dives), and Danny insists he didn't touch it.

Sure, I would have discovered the problem as soon as I descended, but what if we were in a team of two and that happened on a necklace reg?

Definitely a wakeup call!

 

[TSandM]

[Note to Doug, Bob and Lynne -- I HAVE NOT gone over to the Dark Side!!!!]

No, that happens in April

 

[nilsdiver]

No, that happens in April

April 1st and for one day only?