Near-DIR diving: Are there DIR things you would probably never do?

[TSandM]

Shoulders are among the most susceptible joints to decreased range of motion after injury or immobilization, and they can be extremely difficult to rehabilitate. Someone who has had a shoulder dislocation or has required rotator cuff surgery may never get a full range of motion back, no matter how hard they work at it. Trying too hard can destroy the articular cartilage in the joint, as I know to my own personal sorrow. The motions required for entering a harness may not be possible for someone after such an injury or operation, yet all the normal motions of underwater diving are well within their reach. Or the motion may be possible, but very painful.

Can that issue be considered DIR? I don't really understand the question. A quick release in the harness is not DIR, and someone who is forced to use it may not take GUE classes because the quick release violates the written equipment standards. And that's not my interpretation, either.

Yes, the wetnotes are a last resort, because one should be able to communicate everything necessary with light and hand signals, since most everything necessary should have been gone over on land, where people could talk. But since we DO carry wetnotes, I thought RTodd's comments about not needing a slate because you don't need to write anything were a bit much. There are reasons for preferring wetnotes to a slate (they fit in pockets, don't add anything to your arm, and don't get caught on stuff) but we don't NOT use slates because we don't ever need to write anything.

 

[PfcAJ]

And really, if you need to communicate a complex message, I don't want to have to read your arm... Bust out the wetnotes, write the message, and pass the over to me. The end.

My issue with quick releases isn't in the water, realistic load on the harness is minimal at that point. What is going to cause a serious injury is that quick release failing on the surface of a pitching boat. At that point, your back is done, and now we've got a problem.

 

[RTodd]

Shoulders are among the most susceptible joints to decreased range of motion after injury or immobilization, and they can be extremely difficult to rehabilitate. Someone who has had a shoulder dislocation or has required rotator cuff surgery may never get a full range of motion back, no matter how hard they work at it. Trying too hard can destroy the articular cartilage in the joint, as I know to my own personal sorrow. The motions required for entering a harness may not be possible for someone after such an injury or operation, yet all the normal motions of underwater diving are well within their reach. Or the motion may be possible, but very painful.

Can that issue be considered DIR? I don't really understand the question. A quick release in the harness is not DIR, and someone who is forced to use it may not take GUE classes because the quick release violates the written equipment standards. And that's not my interpretation, either.

Yes, the wetnotes are a last resort, because one should be able to communicate everything necessary with light and hand signals, since most everything necessary should have been gone over on land, where people could talk. But since we DO carry wetnotes, I thought RTodd's comments about not needing a slate because you don't need to write anything were a bit much. There are reasons for preferring wetnotes to a slate (they fit in pockets, don't add anything to your arm, and don't get caught on stuff) but we don't NOT use slates because we don't ever need to write anything.

I have a bad shoulder injury and a week in Akumal takes a month or two of religiously doing my rehab exercises to recover again. But, getting out of the harness is minor compared to the strain carrying long bodies and stages across not insignifiant distances in akward positions. If your shoulder is so bad you need a quick release, you have no business doing anything but open water diving. The question was based on laziness though.

I never said don't use wet notes. I said, you don't rely on writing notes for communication and therefore don't need it handy. Every one of his excuses posted for wanting it can be shot down with a more pratical solution as well. But, he wants to use it so I don't care.

 

[JeffG]

Shoulders are among the most susceptible joints to decreased range of motion after injury or immobilization, and they can be extremely difficult to rehabilitate. Someone who has had a shoulder dislocation or has required rotator cuff surgery may never get a full range of motion back, no matter how hard they work at it. Trying too hard can destroy the articular cartilage in the joint, as I know to my own personal sorrow. The motions required for entering a harness may not be possible for someone after such an injury or operation, yet all the normal motions of underwater diving are well within their reach. Or the motion may be possible, but very painful.

I am currently healing from a seperated shoulder, so I understand what you are saying.

Can that issue be considered DIR? I don't really understand the question. A quick release in the harness is not DIR, and someone who is forced to use it may not take GUE classes because the quick release violates the written equipment standards. And that's not my interpretation, either.

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying here either.

But here it is in a nutshell. If you have a disability that requires a "non-DIR" approach to fix it, then the end result is a non-DIR solution.

Taking a diver like this on a dive weakens the team and in the strictest definition of DIR...Rule #1 should be invoked.

In my case, why should I endanger a buddy doing a dive where my shoulder injury could cause a catastrophic incident.

 

[RTodd]

And really, if you need to communicate a complex message, I don't want to have to read your arm... Bust out the wetnotes, write the message, and pass the over to me. The end.

My issue with quick releases isn't in the water, realistic load on the harness is minimal at that point. What is going to cause a serious injury is that quick release failing on the surface of a pitching boat. At that point, your back is done, and now we've got a problem.

True, underwater the more likely scenario is you have already busted it and it finally lets go. Or, you just knock it free and could re-clip it. But, you are most likely to knock it free when switching stages or performing other task loaded activities and this could be what causes the dive to spiral sideways just to have a perceived convienence item.

 

[*Floater*]

I agree that plastic quick-releases are potential failure points, though I feel their dangers are often overstated. That's why I'm trying to acquire an SS quick-release. But if something (SS quick-release) is not a real hazard and it adds convenience to your diving then I don't see why not to use it. I understand it may not be DIR, but I don't feel DIR divers should be bothered if their buddies use such things - that's taking the concept too far imo.

And I'm not an out-of-shape slob either. I initially installed the quick-release because my webbing was too tight for my drysuit with thick undergarments (my bad for trimming it too much while diving a 3mm wetsuit). I didn't want to replace the whole webbing since I had some extra leftover, so I just cut the left chest strap, put a quick-release there followed by the leftover piece of webbing I already had. But now I love the quick-release because it's so convenient, just wish it was stainless steel.

And by the way, if my plastic one breaks then my rig won't fall off, it'll still stay in place because of the right chest strap and the waist and crotch straps which are all locked in place with triglides. And depending on time available and circumstances I might even be able to fix the left shoulder strap underwater with an extra SS belt buckle (the one normally used to hold the can light), though it might not be worth the fiddling.

 

[JeffG]

And I'm not an out-of-shape slob either. I initially installed the quick-release because my webbing was too tight for my drysuit with thick undergarments (my bad for trimming it too much while diving a 3mm wetsuit). I didn't want to replace the whole webbing since I had some extra leftover, so I just cut the left chest strap, put a quick-release there followed by the leftover piece of webbing I already had. But now I love the quick-release because it's so convenient, just wish it was stainless steel.

So you used the nickel rocket approach.

Do you approach the rest of your diving that way?

 

[*Floater*]

So you used the nickel rocket approach.

Do you approach the rest of your diving that way?

Sometimes to try things out. In the long-run that's not the plan.

 

[Rainer]

So you used the nickel rocket approach.

Do you approach the rest of your diving that way?

Oh, I don't get the sense he was worried about the $3 of webbing. I think he was just lazy. So, do you approach the rest of your diving that way?

 

[jjones9527]

There is a line that has been drawn as to what is DIR and what is not. If you don't want to toe that line but your buddies do, then you're a little SOL but thats their choice. I personally won't do any longer/deeper/deco dives except with other GUE divers. My personal choice, and if that upsets someone too bad. If they want to do a simple benign skills dive, or see what GUE has to offer I'm cool with that. But as complexity increases, the buddy pool decreases.