The power of the system.

[TSandM]

This past weekend, we had a "DIR Gathering" in Seattle. Originally planned as an event which could draw divers from anywhere and everywhere, we actually ended up with only five out of town people, but a good response from our local group, too. For four days, we dove and dove and dove . . . We shore dove, we dove off boats. We scootered.

On Saturday, we crammed 14 divers onto the Naknek, a boat run by Bandito Charters out of Anacortes. We had one team tech diving, one trio scootering, several intense photographers, and some underwater tourists. The really wonderful thing was to see the same system -- same equipment, same planning, some protocols, same skills -- working in all those different arenas, and working well.

One of the fabulous things about the weekend was the ability to shake up teams, even at the last minute. There wasn't anybody that nobody wanted to dive with. Even if we didn't know each other very well, we knew what to expect, and how people would behave and what level of skill they would possess.

This seamlessness is one of the most powerful characteristics of the system, in my view. A single, consistent training paradigm unites divers across the country, and probably across the world. It's pretty cool.

 

[PerroneFord]

I hope you share some of this when you come to FL. Not too many DIR folks around here. That I can dive with.

 

[Jason B]

We need to do this on the East coast.

Any pictures Lynne?

 

[Randy43068]

We need to do this on the East coast.

Any pictures Lynne?

East coast! Yeah baby!!

Thanks for the report Dr. Lynne, I always enjoy hearing what you have to say.

 

[TSandM]

Tons of pictures were taken, by various participants, and are in the process of selection and editing. I'm sure a bunch of storytelling posts about the dives and the days will show up, here and/or on the Matrix, over the next few days.

We really had an enormous amount of fun, especially considering that Murphy and Mother Nature joined forces to throw us a few curve balls in the process. We weren't able to show our guests the very BEST diving that Puget Sound has to offer, but it was a great reminder that each place is different, and for divers new to an area, even what locals view as mediocre diving can be very exciting, as folks get to see new terrain and new animals.

And of course, the bottom line is that diving, for many of us, is a very social activity, and four days of happy, animated, enthusiastic diver company is a joyful thing!

I would highly recommend that you guys do something similar on the East Coast. Just be aware that organizing the tanks and fills for a weekend like this is something you have to do well ahead of time!

 

[rjack321]

I would highly recommend that you guys do something similar on the East Coast. Just be aware that organizing the tanks and fills for a weekend like this is something you have to do well ahead of time!

And the whomever takes on the job (dsteding) can anticiapte some last minute twists and turns too!

 

[dsteding]

And the whomever takes on the job (dsteding) can anticiapte some last minute twists and turns too!

Tanks ended up going really smoothly, just had to start thinking about it 3 months ahead of time.

Who knew the problem would be the charters cancelling? Never saw that coming. . . .

 

[rjack321]

And the poopy winter weather so soon. But we managed

 

[Randy43068]

Did you guys have Mizzle too?

I just heard that term on the Weather Channel last night. Mizzle... Mist & Drizzle.

 

[TSandM]

We had a little mizzle, a shower or two, and a fair amount of wind. The wind definitely impacted the diving, causing one charter operator to cancel on us and the other to find the most sheltered sites possible, and scrubbing the proposed scooter dive for Sunday afternoon.

Early October is usually cool but lovely here, but our weather broke about three weeks early this year, so our guests saw early winter instead of fall. Our great luck is that, almost no matter WHAT the weather is doing, there are diveable sites in the Sound.