Somebody clarify for me please.

[NOVIZWHIZ]

I have an ongoing "discussion" with another diver who, although he's never stressed the DIR approach...it looks like from his equipment set up and his point of view, he's talking DIR.

I fully agree with the safety aspects of the DIR philosophy, I just tend to believe that a diver needs to be able to adapt to the conditions and restrictions in which he finds himself. As I've said many times before, I river dive, although he tries, there is no way he can convince me that minimum weighting and a neutral bouyancy, hovering slightly over the bottom in a horizontal position is best for that kind of diving...maybe over a fragile reef in great vizability with minimal current.

With a stronger current, I use the tips of my fins, my knees (wearing kneepads to protect the suit) my belly and probably one hand are on the bottm helping hold me in place. I usually have a fairly large knife/tool in my other hand that I use to probe, dig, flip over rocks and other debris...and sometimes to prod creatures out of the way. I wear a helmet mounted cave light with battery pack, spare "sharp" knife. THAT is what works for me. I have an extensive collection of Civil War, Colonial and NAtive American relics, bottles, fossils, etc.

Keep in mind it's the type of diving you do that will determine what set up is best for you.

 

[Kriterian]

They, GUE, go for a certain common equipment set-up and a "holistic" approach, whatever the heck "holistic" really means.

Holistic means to emphasize the whole rather than the analysis or seperation in parts.

If I understand it correctly, the word holistic is intended to mean that DIR is about a complete diving system, including gear, attitude, training, fitness, team diving, and possibly more that I haven't caught.

That's the way I would think of it as well. If you hear anyone talking about DIR, you know that you must take the whole system. Just having DIR equipment does not make you DIR. You need to think about the phillosophies, teamwork, planning etc.

 

[northcoast_diver]

ok ok that article was really helpful....

so is all of this stuff (i dont know wheather to call it DIR or GUE) taught in courses or what?

You would be more technically correct to call it GUE. But the GUE people would probably disagree about that.