Interested in DIR

[memon1]

Hello All,
After reading the current thread that went just about to the point where I'm suprised a few people weren't meeting the parking lot, I have gained an interest in DIR. I'm living on Oahu, HI, and I just recently bought a Knighthawk when I didn't know much about DIR. Can I still use my knighthawk and do DIR? With DIR is there rules about what dives you can and cannot do? Also, is it true that you can't dive w/ people who don't practice DIR? I am looking at buying Scubapro MK25, S600 w/ an aladin prime computer, any good for DIR? I think that the practices sound good, however I don't want to be someone who tells others that the way they choose to do things is wrong.. does this DQ me from DIR?? Thanks for any help you guys can provide!

 

[Jasonmh]

The best thing you can do is to talk to some DIR divers in HI. I'm sure there will be some along shortly. You certainly don't have to be someone who tells others they are wrong. It is not true that you can't dive with people who don't practice DIR. If you want to take DIR Fundamentals you will have to use a BP&W, so that means no Knighthawk. But take your time, talk to some people, and see what you think.

 

[onfloat]

I live on Oahu and might be able to help you out. I will be diving this weekend, if you want to go.

 

[TSandM]

Take a trip over to www.gue.com and read some of the articles there.

DIR is an approach to diving that has standardization -- of equipment, protocols and procedures -- as one of its core concepts. Therefore it mandates an equipment configuration that involves a backplate and wing, and a regulator set up with a long-hose primary and a secondary bungied around your neck. So, no, your current BC does not fit.

But another part of the DIR approach is to have very strong personal diving skills, and those you can work on with your current gear. It is quite possible to learn to dive in good trim, and learn excellent buoyancy control, with what you have.

As far as dives go, DIR doesn't prescribe what dives you can do, but a DIR diver dives within his training and dives as a team. He also uses standard gases, which vary according to the depths involved.

There is no teaching that you should not dive with non-DIR divers. In fact, that question was raised during my DIR-F class, and the instructor addressed it head-on, saying that would be elitist and wrong. He did say that you should not dive with unsafe divers, and I think most of us would agree with that. In practice, I think people who go DIR eventually tend to gravitate more and more to diving with other DIR folks, but it's because the shared protocols and procedures make diving so easy.

DIR divers, past a certain point, do not use computers. Once you start to learn what they teach, you begin to see why. You can absolutely begin the process while diving a computer, however. I did, and nothing was said about my computer at all.

I have now dived with DIR folks in Seattle, Monterey and Hawaii, and not one of the people with whom I have dived tells anybody else that what they are doing is wrong. That's a stereotype which has little validity any more, I think.

If the idea intrigues you, the very best thing would be to take onfloat up on his offer. There's nothing like seeing the system in action to tell you whether it's something that would appeal to you or not.

 

[Data]

DIR divers, past a certain point, do not use computers.

I agree with everything tssandm said, except this. It looks like it would be ok to dive a computer being tech 1 certified but stop using it when going to tech 2 or something in those lines.

at no point at all do dir divers use a computer. save your money and buy a good bottom timer or if you must have a computer, make sure it can work in gauge mode.
from your first day of diving in your fundamentals class you will be toughed why a computer is useless and will not use your computer.

 

[lamont]

I agree with everything tssandm said, except this. It looks like it would be ok to dive a computer being tech 1 certified but stop using it when going to tech 2 or something in those lines.

at no point at all do dir divers use a computer. save your money and buy a good bottom timer or if you must have a computer, make sure it can work in gauge mode.
from your first day of diving in your fundamentals class you will be toughed why a computer is useless and will not use your computer.

most DIR divers use a computer for the first hundred or so dives, and they don't confiscate any computers they find in DIRF and RecTriox.

 

[TSandM]

Sorry, what I was trying to say is that a lot of us started with DIR-F while we were still using computers. In fact, I continued to use a computer until recently. It took me a while to understand and feel comfortable enough with the information presented to stop using the computer altogether.

Computers aren't DIR, but they don't throw you out of the fold for having one.

 

[rjack321]

You could not use a computer for a Tech 1 class. Would not work with the instruction.

And unless you had exactly the same computer as your buddy's, you would not use one after class either. In fact you will be trained to use a variety of tools to plan your deco dives, none of which are wrist computers.

EDIT: Feel free to use you computer in DIRF, perfectly acceptable. Its only later that computers become less and less capable of planning deco the DIR way

 

[cmalinowski]

Hello All,
After reading the current thread that went just about to the point where I'm suprised a few people weren't meeting the parking lot, I have gained an interest in DIR. I'm living on Oahu, HI, and I just recently bought a Knighthawk when I didn't know much about DIR. Can I still use my knighthawk and do DIR? With DIR is there rules about what dives you can and cannot do? Also, is it true that you can't dive w/ people who don't practice DIR? I am looking at buying Scubapro MK25, S600 w/ an aladin prime computer, any good for DIR? I think that the practices sound good, however I don't want to be someone who tells others that the way they choose to do things is wrong.. does this DQ me from DIR?? Thanks for any help you guys can provide!

All mentioned above is great advice. If you have the option, get the aladin tec instead of the prime and then when you are ready it works great as a bottom timer in guage mode (it's what I use). Just my thoughts on computers since you mentioned the prime (they use the same users manual... or did before the 2g).

Chris

 

[rjack321]

Its what I use too (aladin tec). Get yourself a deeep sea supply wrist boot and you are off to the races