NE DIR Divers ? Advice needed

[robrob]

Hello All,

First an introduction - Got certified AOW in Honduras last year and have done about 25 dives..heheh thought myself a diver unitl I plunked my butt into NE waters and realized what a complete newbie I am. b/n the neoprene, cold water and vis I felt like a deaf dumb and blind wrecking ball...(nothing to wreck where I dove...thanfully) so I am decidedly a newbie and decidely hooked on diving and starting the accumulation of equipment.

While researching gear I ran into the DIR information and really liked a lot of what i saw. I wont be following the standards to the letter but am insterested in the BCD/Reg/octo setup they use and am wondering if any of you follow this philosophy.

I would liek to build the setup myself as I really like the thoughts of it but am a little uneasy about builing a system on which my life (and perhaps others) depends.

I would really like to connect with a NE diver and pick their brains on how best a newbie should appraoch the accumulation of gear. I have done tons of reading and have seen the equipment lists and specs but really would liek the chance to hear some first hand experience with the understanding that I am a newbie.

So anyone one who uses this setup care to take a newbie under their (backplate and) wing (heheh) and show them the ropes ?

Thanks in advance. Rob

 

[Green_Manelishi]

Hello All,

First an introduction - Got certified AOW in Honduras last year and have done about 25 dives..heheh thought myself a diver unitl I plunked my butt into NE waters and realized what a complete newbie I am. b/n the neoprene, cold water and vis I felt like a deaf dumb and blind wrecking ball...(nothing to wreck where I dove...thanfully) so I am decidedly a newbie and decidely hooked on diving and starting the accumulation of equipment.

While researching gear I ran into the DIR information and really liked a lot of what i saw. I wont be following the standards to the letter but am insterested in the BCD/Reg/octo setup they use and am wondering if any of you follow this philosophy.

I would liek to build the setup myself as I really like the thoughts of it but am a little uneasy about builing a system on which my life (and perhaps others) depends.

I would really like to connect with a NE diver and pick their brains on how best a newbie should appraoch the accumulation of gear. I have done tons of reading and have seen the equipment lists and specs but really would liek the chance to hear some first hand experience with the understanding that I am a newbie.

So anyone one who uses this setup care to take a newbie under their (backplate and) wing (heheh) and show them the ropes ?

Thanks in advance. Rob

Where are you located?

Check out The Deco Stop for information re: NE DIR

G_M

 

[salty]

There is a growing contingent of DIR divers in the North East. What state are you in? Feel free to post specific questions.

 

[jonnythan]

Absolute best way is to get the gear (SB can be a good place to learn, but stick to the source - www.gue.com), have a few dives on it just to get comfortable, then TAKE THE CLASS!

Read the old BD and regulator forums to learn the most.

BTW, I'm in upstate NY and dive Dutch Springs most often.. Cape Anne is equally far. I'd be happy to dive with you.. where are you?

 

[MSilvia]

Fill in your profile, and I'm sure someone who lives close to you will be able to give you a hand. There are a bunch of DIR and aspiring DIR divers in the area.

 

[mer]

I second Jonnythan on taking the class. Do it as soon as you can. I would disagree with doing a few dives on a hog-style rig to get used to it first.... I would just wait for the class so that you learn to dive it properly the first time.

There is a lot of information on the web about DIR and GUE... some of it right, some of it sorta right, and some of it very wrong. Being a newbie, why not go to the horses mouth and learn from the source (Fundamentals book, GUE DVDs and the GUE Fundamentals). If you're in the Boston area, I'd be happy to meet you some time and show you the gear, so you have a idea of what things look like while you're reading the book.

Take the class as soon as possible and then decide if you like what you hear. My father took the class with only 15 dives under his belt and is much farther ahead of me, seeing that he doesn't have a few years of bad habits to unlearn. As for purchasing gear, there is at least 1 shop in NE I can think of that would rent you a BP/wing/reg with long hose to use during the class, if you are not willing to commit immediately.

 

[Soggy]

Yup, get the gear, get a few dives in, and contact Bob Sherwood at www.alllaboutscuba.com and schedule a DIR-F class.

 

[robrob]

Wow what a great response. I will take all of these into consideration and have updated my profile.

I am in Boston and mer will take you up on your offer to discuss and show the gear. I will pick up the recomended materials and look into classes...then give you a holler.

Is there a shop in the NE area or a reccomended dealer taht sells a DIR bc/reg/octo setup for a fair price ? Again I dont mind putting it all toghether but am always leery of dropping big bones (well for me anyway) without knowing if I am doing the right thing. I am confident this is the right way to go so it is just a matter of finding the right setup and doing it.

I see some dealers which look to be industry leaders and then the FredT fella who seems to have a better value...hard to know what to do.

I would love to buy used but reckon that the beauty of these systems is that there rarely is a need to sell and replace gear.

Hope all this makes sense. Thanks for the great response...the class really seem like a great way to get familiar with it all and a solid way to really learn my gear..this is my next stop. Thanks folks!

 

[Green_Manelishi]

Wow what a great response. I will take all of these into consideration and have updated my profile.
...
I would love to buy used but reckon that the beauty of these systems is that there rarely is a need to sell and replace gear.

Not true. Divers are always selling perfectly good gear, DIR or not because they must have the latest and greatest.
Also, you really should own lots of good gear. Own some junk too so you'll appreciate the good stuff.

Perhaps some DIR types will allow you to test dive some of their extra gear so you can determine what brand/size BP is most comfortable for you. A BP-is-a-BP-is-a-BP for the most part but the angle, profiles, sizes (length) and weight differ so one might be a bit better for you.

 

[jonnythan]

Mer and Rob, wanna go diving Sunday? We'll show him how it's done