Right hand release Harness buckle

[kidspot]

Very Simple question about DIR gear rigging (probably obvious answer too) Just curious about the thinking behind using a right hand release on the harness buckle and Weight belt (If I've read this correctly from various posts)

In the Padi instructions they say right hand for weight belt and left hand release for bcd "buckle" so that they are never mixed up - you always know which way to pull will get a weight belt free and not mix it up with the BCD buckle.

Why does DIR have them both facing the same way? (since both buckles are near identical in the DIR gear rig) or am I just completely mixed up in this?

Thanks for continuing my education.

Tim

 

[Lane Zimmer]

Very Simple question about DIR gear rigging (probably obvious answer too) Just curious about the thinking behind using a right hand release on the harness buckle and Weight belt (If I've read this correctly from various posts)

In the Padi instructions they say right hand for weight belt and left hand release for bcd "buckle" so that they are never mixed up - you always know which way to pull will get a weight belt free and not mix it up with the BCD buckle.

Why does DIR have them both facing the same way? (since both buckles are near identical in the DIR gear rig) or am I just completely mixed up in this?

Thanks for continuing my education.

Tim

Short Answer:

The harness buckle is on the right to hold the light canister in place. Weight belt buckle is also on the right because that's what you are taught from the beginning.

Long Answer:

To truly get an understanding of why this is done, you must consider the more advanced dives that DIR was designed for. Sure, it's a little confusing of why both buckles are on the right with only a single tank and in open water with no light canister. But now consider a multi-stage scooter dive with a can light. Light head in the left hand, stage bottle manipulation with the left hand, and bouyancy is controlled by the left hand. The right hand is busy driving the scooter, donating the reg in an OOG situation, and ditching weight (light canister, weight belt, etc.) if needed. It all boils down to repetition and muscle memory. If the skills are practiced enough, it all becomes a fluid motion to grab the weight belt and ditch the weight.

As far as what PADI teaches, your going to have to "unlearn" some things and open your mind to think about the "why"s of the system. You're also not using a BCD with DIR, so no cumberbun and quick release to mess with.

Take the DIR Fundamentals class, it will go into a lot more detail of the whys.

 

[kidspot]

ahh - it's all clear now ;-) I new there was a reason, I just had not come across it yet - thanks

 

[VTernovski]

I have met one PADI instructor who is teaching DIR system to his PADI OW students right from the start. (but he is also working on becoming GUE instr. for the Funduies class.)