Is the DIR reg config safe when diving with rec trained divers?

[kathydee]

I;ve been lurking here for a while and it;s kinda scary to post in this forum. But I believe I have a legitimate question. Hopefully you guys will be gentle with a DIR curious newbie ;-).

I am trained up to rescue on the rec hose/octo config & soon will be diving for 2.5 months with various rec partners in fringe SE Asia locations. I;m upgrading some gear to DIR now, love your DIR hose configuration and have ordered a dark plate for my
R295 SP Octo.

But before I convert the hoses & octo config, I;m wondering if you think is safer to continue through this trip with the rec hose/octo configuration that is familiar to me and is consistent with my various dive partners training (I probably will be doing mellow diving with partners where English is not the first language). Or is it safer to switch now to the DIR hose configuration?

IÃÎ not DIR trained yet, but fully enamored, busy absorbing and slowly heading towards GUE-F ;-).

Thank you.

 

[AndyNZ]

As long as you take the time to explain the main differences - particularly that if there is an OOG situation that you will give them the reg from your mouth, then it's fine.

I where my rig when teaching OW students, and they cope with it fairly well.

Whether switching configurations is "safer" for your trip???? If you're diving with insta-buddies, then I'd be just as worried about them whether you're long hosed or short hosed!!! Go with whatever is most comfortable for you, it's all about having fun and enjoying yourself.

 

[Belmont]

When I go on rec dive trips I simply tell my instabuddy that I would be giving the reg from my mouth.

This has been easily understood and not been a problem.

An out of air diver wont be fussing about an offered working regulator, he'll be too happy to take it.

Practice the S-drill by yourself, switching to your second and unraveling your long hose, to build up muscle memory.

I wish you the best on your stay in paradise, I hope to visit this area one day.

 

[herman]

It's just as safe as any other method, while the configuration may be standardized it really is not that different than any other. An OOA diver is going to be looking for a reg, he cares little where it comes from and it's as likely as not it's the one in your mouth because it's the first one he sees. If you can see it coming and have it deployed at arm's length so much the better. While explaining the differneces to your buddy is always a good idea, it's likely that they are not going to be the problem....you are worring the crap out of them asking their pressure every 15 minutes aren't you, no reason at all for YOUR buddy to be OOA short of equipment failure...the real problem is the diver coming out of nowhere. This problem is going to exist reguardless of how your buddy is trained, you could be with a whole boat load of DIR trained divers but the boat next to you is filled with newbies from XYZ agency, one of which has wondered off and found you. If you like the DIR configuration, dive it. Your safety and the safety of others is much more dependent on your calm cool reactions to the problem at hand than how your hose is routed or how long it is.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Two out of three times the average recreational diver when confronted with a true OOA will take the reg in your mouth anyway regardless of how they were trained. If/When that happens, you are better off with a long hose primary configuration as it 1) gives you a bit more room to move and swim more or less normally, 2) will virtually eliminate the tendency that a short hose has to pull on the reg and increase the panic level of the OOA diver who feels he may lose the reg and 3) finally, the bungeed octo is very easy for you to find when you sudenly lose your primary.

The only real caution would be to go with a folding snorkel in a pocket if you feel you may still want to have a snorkel to eliminate any interference with long hose deployment. Also, hose lenght may depend to some extent on the rest of your configuration. If you have a back plate and wing, just go with a 7' hose and tuck the extra in the waistband. If you have a more recreatioanlly oriented BC with no waistband, go with a 5 or 6 foot hose so that the extra unsecured lenght is not a problem.

 

[Peter Guy]

In principle the Hogarthian Rig (the "DIR" setup is Hogarthian IIRC) is no different from the standard Air2/AirSource type rig that is more and more common. You donate the reg from your mouth and then put your backup into your mouth.

Have a great time.

 

[ligersandtions]

Most of the divers I dive with have their equipment configured the same as I do. However, I occasionally dive with divers who have the primary/octo set-up. In those cases, I take some time to talk with them about how I have my gear configured, why I dive it that way, and how we will deal if someone has an OOG incident. I've never had a buddy who had an issue with it....sometimes a little lightbulb goes off and they decide they want to switch over to a long hose and bungeed back-up (usually after doing an air share drill and seeing how simple it is with the set-up!).

Many recreational divers also dive with an Air2 (or similar). That means that they're already used to donating the primary, so it shouldn't be an issue. I'd switch over to the long hose and bungeed back-up and explain to people (even if it's just by showing them, rather than simply using words). I'd be pretty confident in saying you'll come across no issues.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Kathy, I travel with my long-hose setup all the time. Be prepared to deal with some curiosity from people who've never seen one before, and perhaps some gentle ribbing from dive staff. And don't let them set up your gear if you can help it ... (lots of places consider it a "service").

What I will do if I'm hooking up with a buddy I haven't dived with before is show them how it works ... i.e. "you give me an OOA signal" ... and then show them how it's donated. That usually gets a "that makes a lot of sense" response, and there are no language barriers with a demonstration.

As others have said, go with what makes you more comfortable.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[DevonDiver]

There should be no issues for non-DIR/technical (using long hose, donating primary and having a necklaced secondary are common for every technical agency and were commonly in practise long before DIR/GUE existed) divers.

As already posted, recreational divers should be aware that the primary would be donated if the donor was using an AIR2 system...or if the donor was configured/chose to donate the primary (long hose or not).

It is mentioned in the PADI OW DVD and in the course manual.

Diligent PADI instructors would also train/inform their students of this protocol.

In a practical sense, all divers should be aware of the buddy/team/group members decision to follow a primary donation protocol because they carry out a proper buddy check before diving.

Of course, this relies on recreational divers applying the knowledge and skills provided on their training courses. You can lead a horse to water........

 

[H2Andy]

When I go on rec dive trips I simply tell my instabuddy that I would be giving the reg from my mouth.

exactly. it is no more complicated than that

i try to repeat it a few times:

while i am setting up the equipment, i'll pull the buddy over and show him the long hose and explain that will be in my mouth and it will be his hose to breathe in case of trouble, and show him/her the OOA signal

once we are geared up and we're checking each other's equipment, i'll point it out again and repeat the OOA signal

and then right before going in, right after the "are you ready?" nod, i'll say, "remember, if there's any trouble, your regulator is the one in my mouth"

also, keep in mind that you can control which regulator you pass to your buddy. be alert and watch out for the OOA emergency, and be ready to hand over your long hose. knowing where your buddy is at all times and knowing what's going on with them will really give you and advantage in reacting

(for the record, part of the benefits of DIR is that both parties are equipped and trained similarly to avoid these situations; i am not DIR, though i use 90% of the system; ymmv)