I was thinking that DIR was crap......

[TSherman]

I am presently taking a NAUI Tech/Advanced EANx class and was ambushed by friends of mine with the gear config ideas at the first night of class. To this point we have only finished 8 hours of class instruction and I think I have 10 hours of questions in to my instructor. He has been great at answering them.

I presently dive a Zeagle tech, I have over 100 dives in NJ on it and have grown very fond of the config. The more I read, the more I get some of the DIR guidelines. My instructor is not one the normal yahoo type divers I seem to meet that goes with the group (sheep) and can give me reasons why "his" is better than mine. Most of these make great sense. Some...not so much.

I was looking to hear from some of the more intelligent people that like to sway other divers into their DIR world about how they set up their gear.

My gear list includes:
manifolded double 100's (or 120's for deeper stuff)
3 lights (no can light yet)
2 reels
3 lift bags (i like to bug too)
1-2 catch bags depending on the dive
the my comp (on my wrist) and bottom timer
and my gauges, lines etc

I know that many people have their own way to do things, but I want to hear from some who dive this on a regular basis in the NE USA in my type of conditions. For example we went to 70 FSW on Friday (4/11/2008) We had 1-2' of viz, decent surge on the bottom and overcast sky which made it kinda dark. The viz was better with no light on due to the particulate in the water, so my not so bright back up to the back up light was my light of choice.

I have a shiny new creit card and I am just itching to get it all set up with a nice new BP/Wings set up and 7' hose etc.

Thanks in advance for your ideas. And please do not respond if you want to tell me how much I don't want to dive this system...I am already that guy, with the guys I dive with now.

 

[Rick Inman]

And please do not respond if you want to tell me how much I don't want to dive this system...I am already that guy, with the guys I dive with now.

The thing is, you are asking an equipment configuration question in the DIR forum, and you are going to get GUE/DIR answers.

There are pages and pages of discussion on this subject right here in this forum for your reading enjoyment. I would start with that (search engine is your friend). Also, a general explanation can be found HERE.

Otherwise, I'm not sure what you're asking. Are you asking if it's DIR to carry 2 catch bags?

I'm sure others who understand better what you're asking will chime in.

As to your thread title... It's like inviting yourself to thanksgiving dinner and then insulting the cook. Even if you're joking, not everyone is going to laugh.

 

[dsteding]

I agree with Rick. Not so sure what you are asking. Can you please rephrase it?

People in here are happy to answer questions, but they'll need to know what that question is.

Cheers,

-Doug

 

[Jasonmh]

I am also not quite sure what you are asking.

I am presently taking a NAUI Tech/Advanced EANx class and was ambushed by friends of mine with the gear config ideas at the first night of class. To this point we have only finished 8 hours of class instruction and I think I have 10 hours of questions in to my instructor. He has been great at answering them. .

Are you saying that your friends (people in the class) and instructor ambushed you with trying to get you to switch to a BP/W?

I presently dive a Zeagle tech, I have over 100 dives in NJ on it and have grown very fond of the config. The more I read, the more I get some of the DIR guidelines. My instructor is not one the normal yahoo type divers I seem to meet that goes with the group (sheep) and can give me reasons why "his" is better than mine. Most of these make great sense. Some...not so much..

What did your instructor tell you abou the BP/W that you didn't agree with?

I know that many people have their own way to do things, but I want to hear from some who dive this on a regular basis in the NE USA in my type of conditions. For example we went to 70 FSW on Friday (4/11/2008) We had 1-2' of viz, decent surge on the bottom and overcast sky which made it kinda dark. The viz was better with no light on due to the particulate in the water, so my not so bright back up to the back up light was my light of choice..

I am not from the NE (did grow up in Jersey though ), so I will let others answer your question. But, don't overlook the fact that many on here dive in similar conditions in other parts of the country (PNW). Are you wondering if there is anything about a BP/W, long hose, dir config that is not compatible with low viz diving?

I have a shiny new creit card and I am just itching to get it all set up with a nice new BP/Wings set up and 7' hose etc.

Thanks in advance for your ideas. And please do not respond if you want to tell me how much I don't want to dive this system...I am already that guy, with the guys I dive with now.

Are you looking for advice on which BP/W to buy, or advice on why get one at all, or why people might recommend one over the BC you have?

 

[lamont]

Basic DIR system is listed here:

Equipment Configuration | Global Underwater Explorers

The basic system should look like this:

Equipment Images

Or like this (god help you if you have the fashion sense of the 'model' here though):

Irvine's Harness Assembly Images | Global Underwater Explorers

To your specific concerns, I'm not sure why you've got so many reels, lift bags and catch bags, but...

A single large lift bag can go in the backplate pack without an attached spool and be clipped off to the butt d-ring. Another small lift bag can be pre-rigged with a spool and go into the left pocket. If you really need a third I guess it could go into the other pocket. A reel or two can be clipped off at the SPG d-ring, the butt-dring or clipped off to the nose of a deco-bottle. I have absolutely no idea what to do with catch bags, having never used them -- at a guess I'd say one of them gets parked in a pocket until it needs to be used -- the other one could be clipped to a d-ring as a temporary hold.

 

[JeffG]

I was looking to hear from some of the more intelligent people that like to sway other divers into their DIR world about how they set up their gear.

How about...You dive what you want to dive and I will do the same. Because no one really cares, except you/your buddies and your instructor.

 

[lamont]

keep in mind the OP did say:

The more I read, the more I get some of the DIR guidelines.

[...]

I was looking to hear from some of the more intelligent people that like to sway other divers into their DIR world about how they set up their gear.

[...]

I have a shiny new creit card and I am just itching to get it all set up with a nice new BP/Wings set up and 7' hose etc.

The title of the thread is clearly an attempt at humor that fell flat in this crowd... But the thread isn't really a troll (at least not yet)...

OTOH, I'm not sure what to tell the OP. The basic gear config is very standardized and you're likely to get more out of taking a GUE Fundamentals course in learning about the why's and how's. The book Dress for Success is probably the best resource outside of a course:

Dress for Success | Global Underwater Explorers

And the benefits of using the same base system and just adapting it to lobster hunting is that all the experience with the gear translates directly to technical diving and cave diving.

 

[Scubakevdm]

The more you learn the more you'll say "A-ha!" At least that was my experience. What you are asking is pretty broad, and would require volumes to answer completely.

Luckily volumes exist. "The Fundamentals of Diving" is available (though maybe only in PDF format, as there was considerable difficulty in having the current edition printed) Also, as Lamont said "Dress for Success" is available as well, but there are some slight differences between the two on a couple of points. Don't ask me specifically which points, because I don't remember, but I do remember some extraneous conflicts in the texts.

Also, as others have alluded, DIR is not an equipment configuration. Long hoses and BP/W are smart equipment choices, but they are not limited to DIR. Equipment is part of it but there's more. If you get the texts, and even better, if you get some training you'll start to see that it is a system that has been very carefully thought out. There is nothing arbitrary.

 

[JeffG]

The title of the thread is clearly an attempt at humor that fell flat in this crowd... But the thread isn't really a troll (at least not yet)...

Really?


Just wait until he starts defending his original gear choice.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I am presently taking a NAUI Tech/Advanced EANx class and was ambushed by friends of mine with the gear config ideas at the first night of class. To this point we have only finished 8 hours of class instruction and I think I have 10 hours of questions in to my instructor. He has been great at answering them.

I presently dive a Zeagle tech, I have over 100 dives in NJ on it and have grown very fond of the config. The more I read, the more I get some of the DIR guidelines. My instructor is not one the normal yahoo type divers I seem to meet that goes with the group (sheep) and can give me reasons why "his" is better than mine. Most of these make great sense. Some...not so much.

I was looking to hear from some of the more intelligent people that like to sway other divers into their DIR world about how they set up their gear.

My gear list includes:
manifolded double 100's (or 120's for deeper stuff)
3 lights (no can light yet)
2 reels
3 lift bags (i like to bug too)
1-2 catch bags depending on the dive
the my comp (on my wrist) and bottom timer
and my gauges, lines etc

I know that many people have their own way to do things, but I want to hear from some who dive this on a regular basis in the NE USA in my type of conditions. For example we went to 70 FSW on Friday (4/11/2008) We had 1-2' of viz, decent surge on the bottom and overcast sky which made it kinda dark. The viz was better with no light on due to the particulate in the water, so my not so bright back up to the back up light was my light of choice.

I have a shiny new creit card and I am just itching to get it all set up with a nice new BP/Wings set up and 7' hose etc.

Thanks in advance for your ideas. And please do not respond if you want to tell me how much I don't want to dive this system...I am already that guy, with the guys I dive with now.

I'm thinking there isn't anyone in here intelligent enough to tell you why you'd be better off diving a different system ... that's really something you're going to have to decide for yourself.

Having seen literally hundreds of those discussions take place over the years, I'd say the truly intelligent people have concluded that they're pretty much a waste of time.

Enjoy diving as you see fit. No need at all to come here seeking other opinions ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)