Moving your wife to DIR?

[HenrikBP]

Ohhhhh, tread lightly. A spousal "teacher - student" relationship is not necessarily a good idea.

Henrik

 

[TSandM]

Do you have access to a pool? You could ask her, as a favor to you, to go to the pool and play around in YOUR setup (if it's appropriate for pool use and doesn't have a ton of unavoidable weight on it). Tell her you really think she'll like the stability of the tank, and you'd just like her to play with it. She doesn't have to change HER gear. (Yes, this will mean you'll have to adjust your rig, but if you mark the harness, it's not that bad to put it back the way it was.)

Every student we have put in a backplate setup, who has dived in something else, immediately asks us where they can buy one

Oh, and BTW, Richard's right -- it's not about the gear. But I know what you are thinking, and yes, the setup is more comfortable and more stable, and she won't believe it until she tries it out.

 

[Mayor]

Removing the padding and air trapment that a traditional jacket BCD provides will eliminate some of the weight. She may be able to drop down to 8lbs or so, but putting even the 8lbs (4 on each side) on her waist may make trim difficult. Adding a 6lbs back plate with 2 - 4 lbs would help tremendously.

That said, just like others have said. Only if she wants to.

I would like to see no more then 4lbs to ditch 2lbs would even be better. It's really just for that warm and cozy feel right. That way I could use the trim pockets to make adjustments. Anyway that's the easy part.

 

[herman]

Do yourself a big favor. Drop the DIR idea (with her) and just enjoy the dives with her. You may love DIR but there are those who do not. You try to push your wife into DIR and I can promise you she will not react kindly. Let her dive her way, you dive yours and if she likes what she sees she will migrate towards it, you push her and it will not go well.

 

[Mayor]

Do you have access to a pool? You could ask her, as a favor to you, to go to the pool and play around in YOUR setup (if it's appropriate for pool use and doesn't have a ton of unavoidable weight on it). Tell her you really think she'll like the stability of the tank, and you'd just like her to play with it. She doesn't have to change HER gear. (Yes, this will mean you'll have to adjust your rig, but if you mark the harness, it's not that bad to put it back the way it was.)

Every student we have put in a backplate setup, who has dived in something else, immediately asks us where they can buy one

Oh, and BTW, Richard's right -- it's not about the gear. But I know what you are thinking, and yes, the setup is more comfortable and more stable, and she won't believe it until she tries it out.

Thanks, I have her rig built up already so the adjustments are only going to be on her stuff. The single wing and STA are mine but everything else was just for her. If she liked it I was going to finish the build.

As for the pool I have access any am forma few hours to play around. Over then years I have put many people in bp/w and made adjustments. As for training I would leave that to Bob or Trace but I could get the basic trim in place. Maybe even a frog kick if things went well. Of course I would not push the issue. Hover and relax would be the only true goal.

 

[Mayor]

I went through this with skiing and had to get a pro to finish the class. I would never go down this road again unless she wanted me to fix little things. It's best left up to the pros who make their living fixing people.

 

[danvolker]

Do yourself a big favor. Drop the DIR idea (with her) and just enjoy the dives with her. You may love DIR but there are those who do not. You try to push your wife into DIR and I can promise you she will not react kindly. Let her dive her way, you dive yours and if she likes what she sees she will migrate towards it, you push her and it will not go well.

I pushed my wife into halcyon gear around 2000. She did not really wANT TO learn anything specific in how to set it up, or how to use it...she was not optimally configured, and resisted any attempt to get more DIR squared away....after a few years, she compalined that the backplate was too big. and the shoulderstaps slid off too easily---a local dive store convinced her thaT dIVE RITE with A CHEST STRAP would be better. I was tired of argueing, and she got it....after a few years, she realized that :

• the dive rite wing was terrible at letting out the air so that you could get neutral or negative
• the overal trim was not so hot
• that halcyon had been better, but that now she would have to say that I was right
• Halcyon came out with the small backplate for women, and Sandra finally decided it waS TIME to go bACK TO Halcyon.
• She LOVES halcyon now, hates diverite. and would never try any brand but Halcyon again

 

[Mayor]

Do you have access to a pool? You could ask her, as a favor to you, to go to the pool and play around in YOUR setup (if it's appropriate for pool use and doesn't have a ton of unavoidable weight on it). Tell her you really think she'll like the stability of the tank, and you'd just like her to play with it. She doesn't have to change HER gear. (Yes, this will mean you'll have to adjust your rig, but if you mark the harness, it's not that bad to put it back the way it was.)

Every student we have put in a backplate setup, who has dived in something else, immediately asks us where they can buy one

Oh, and BTW, Richard's right -- it's not about the gear. But I know what you are thinking, and yes, the setup is more comfortable and more stable, and she won't believe it until she tries it out.

Sorry my iPad is giving me issues......
I need the gear in place to move on. By working with gear that's fighting us makes for a bad outcome. It's not the gear, I get that but we have to start somewhere. Plus I have access to whatever I need.

 

[gypsyjim]

If I were to in any way indicate that she could use more training, etc, Colleen and I would be at war.

BUT, she has shown a real interest in the BP/W set up I am diving in, as it fits much more snugly than the back inflate Riptide she is currently diving. She does not like the loose fit of the BCD. She says she likes the "simplicity" of my new rig. I think I may be able to actually get her to take this one small step, if I arrange for her to borrow a small BP/W just once.

As for DIR, I know she will not venture far down that road. I do not even intend to try. I just enjoy sport diving when we are together, and she is happy letting me dive with others, when she has had her tank or two. I can live with that.

 

[Mayor]

If I were to in any way indicate that she could use more training, etc, Colleen and I would be at war.

BUT, she has shown a real interest in the BP/W set up I am diving in, as it fits much more snugly than the back inflate Riptide she is currently diving. She does not like the loose fit of the BCD. She says she likes the "simplicity" of my new rig. I think I may be able to actually get her to take this one small step, if I arrange for her to borrow a small BP/W just once.

As for DIR, I know she will not venture far down that road. I do not even intend to try. I just enjoy sport diving when we are together, and she is happy letting me dive with others, when she has had her tank or two. I can live with that.

Your welcome to our small stainless back plate / wing for a test weekend anytime! If I can be of help then let me know.

Edit... Also Lehigh Valley Dive Center has some DEMO cinch system that i can grab anytime.