What if DIR Evolved Elsewhere...

[b1gcountry]

I know this question will stir up some arguments, and conversation. It's been slow around here lately anyway, and I was bored. This is a serious question, and not a troll...

Every group and region tend to have their own specific set of idiosyncrasies to the way they dive. I've often heard people knock DIR practices because "That kinda ___ would never fly around HERE!" So my question of the day is this:

If DIR evolved in a different environment, what would we now be doing differently? Would there even be any differences? What kind of environment would you see having a different effect?

...and by environment, I mean the physical, and geographical environment. I do not mean the social or political environment. Obviously, if the mindset was "certify a new diver as quickly as possible", everything would be different.

 

[Ice Mike]

If originated from ice diving...

Maybe a different approach to the dangers of regulator freeflow.

 

[Carribeandiver]

lots of the techniques and practices employed by cave divers was passed down from the pioneers of the sport. The late great Sheck Exley "invented" stage bottles in diving caves and the "rule of thirds".
In the early days, people learned through trial and error but from their experiences, it became more and more evident of what system was best. It is from these experiences that DIR diving evolved.
Ok, DIR people flame me now and correct my assumptions. I know the credits to Mr Exley are accurate; as for the rest, it is my deduction and logical reasoning which may have led me astray.

 

[lamont]

If it didn't evolve initially from caves you might have a permanently affixed boltsnap at the rear of the light...

 

[TSandM]

I think, if it hadn't evolved in the high flow cave environment in Florida, you'd have less emphasis on building the system around scooters, and less concern for fitness.

 

[RTodd]

Also, keep in mind, most of modern scuba started in cave diving. Bouyancy compensators, an alternate second stage, power inflators (I think since I believe the first BC was two jugs filled with air), etc. It is simply the environment where the benefits of efficiencies are greatest.

 

[H2Andy]

what a great question

and it basically shows that DIR is a product of its environment, and that depending on environment, there might be different ways to DIR

 

[David C R]

I think this is something you might love to read


SCUBA Diving Equipment and gear for Technical, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc - Historical Timeline

 

[Peter Guy]

Also, keep in mind, most of modern scuba started in cave diving.

?

When I first started diving, 1966, although we didn't have BC's as they are now known, we did use our Mae Wests to offset the compression of our wetsuits at depth (we'd put a few puffs into the inflator and then have to remember to let it out on the way up -- but not hard to do).

I remember my Dad getting a Buoy Fenzie (sp?) in '69 or '70 and that had a "power" inflator (actually a refillable bottle that you could turn on/off). I may well be wrong but it seems to me that had no relationship to cave diving. (That was well beyond anything I could afford.)

While RTodd may be correct on his points, my guess is that our "modern" equipment was invented by many different people in many different environs.

Dave Mc. needs to jump in here to discuss the history of the BC!

 

[Thalassamania]

?

When I first started diving, 1966, although we didn't have BC's as they are now known, we did use our Mae Wests to offset the compression of our wetsuits at depth (we'd put a few puffs into the inflator and then have to remember to let it out on the way up -- but not hard to do).

I remember my Dad getting a Buoy Fenzie (sp?) in '69 or '70 and that had a "power" inflator (actually a refillable bottle that you could turn on/off). I may well be wrong but it seems to me that had no relationship to cave diving. (That was well beyond anything I could afford.)

Maurice Fenzy develped his BC in the early 1960s and it became available, if I recall, in 1962. I got one 1963. In the late 1950s California divers were using an intermediate pressure hose with a ball valve screwed into the CO₂ detonator to create the earliest "direct feed" or "power inflator." Over pressure vaves were quickly added after some interesting, but not-serious accidents. "Octopus regulators" also went back into the late 1950s in California, where they were seen by most divers as a solution in search of a problem, the general consensus at the time was the buddy breathing worked just fine and that if you coundn't buddy breathe comfortably you had no business diving anyway.

While RTodd may be correct on his points, my guess is that our "modern" equipment was invented by many different people in many different environs.

?Dave Mc. needs to jump in here to discuss the history of the BC!

Dave's great Powerpoint Presentation on BCs, is here: http://mckclan.net/BC.htm

The reality is that "DIR" as a philosophy and approach was invented elsewere, decades before the WKPP, but the philosopy was not preached with a great beating of the chest and remained excusive to U.C. Divers and their offshoots. Credit Lloyd Austin at UC Berkeley for that.