What makes a DIR buddy?

[Derek S]

I am a recent Fundies grad so I think I'm in a pretty good position to respond as I had similar questions not too long ago.

I used to really dislike the whole "kool-aid" analogy. You know what...it truly all about the Kool-aid. What I mean is that your perspective changes. In my evolvement of diving, I began doing more complicated diving, to deeper depths requiring larger volumes of gas, more equipment, and planned decompression. My thought process in the evolution of technical diving is that I need to become self-sufficient because I cannot always count on my buddy. What GUE teaches you is that you can't do everything yourself so you MUST be able to rely on your buddy. Once you understand this, your thought process changes. You begin thinking "what can I do to make sure my buddy is always there for me and what can I do to ensure I'm always there for my buddy." By being "there," I mean way more than just physically. I mean in skill, experience, equipment, and mentality.

The reason many people have so emphatically stressed that it is a team rather than a dive buddy is that they thought that was helping to answer your question. A "team" has a common defined goal which all members are working to accomplish. They discuss the objective, the requirements, the responsibilities and contingencies if things do not go as expected.

Spot on bro, spot on.

Bob Sherwood said something to his Rec Triox class in a parking lot discussion that really stuck in my head. He said that GUE trained divers are constantly mentoring. Fundies grads help upcoming students, Tech1/Cave1 help Fundies grads, Tech2/Cave2 help Tech 1 grads. And although some will quickly say that's to sell more class space, that not the case. It's because you want to ensure that everyone in your team is completely up to the task. You want to ensure they will be "there" when you need them. On the flip side, you are driven to ensure that you are not the weakest link and that you have the skills, mentality, and preparation to be "there" for the rest of the team.

I saw this firsthand for myself. During my Fundies class in early October at Dutch Springs, there were no less than another 20 GUE trainded divers who were either Fundies provisional, Fundies graduates, Cave 1 or Tech 1 graduates. At every turn, they were quick to help with anything we needed, offering advice and encouragement along the way. It always cracks me up to hear people say "DIR divers are jerks", because here was a weekend where none of them had any other reason for being there than to dive and enjoy the camraderie with fellow NEUE members.

The videos you hear about in the classes are a love/hate relationship. You always hear about the how humiliating they are but I bet nearly every student is glad they watched them because it helped them become a better diver. It shows you what you need to work on to get to the level that you wish to be (whatever level that is.) The really cool thing is that this continues on regular dives. You are encouraged to point out the little things your teammates need to improve on that they may not be aware of. There is no malice because you want to ensure you are up to snuff just as much as they do.

Just like the mirror, the video doesn't lie. If you're out of trim, your buoyancy isn't spot-on, it is going to show like a sore thumb. I take it all with a grain of salt because it shows me what I need to work on.

 

[cbfin]

I think you broke NWGratefulDiver's Rule.

Sorry Rick but my 30 day quarantine has expired. Funny thing is that the next example in my head was from a recent dive with NWGratefulDiver.

These concepts aren't revolutionary. It's not that they couldn't be taught by other agencies. But, for the most part, they just aren't.

While other people will tell you, "naw...don't worry about it. You’re a good diver." A GUE trained diver will tell you, "Well, actually...if you want to become a better diver, you need to work on this, this, and this." And the next question they will ask you is when you want to schedule a dive to work on it. Training actually becomes fun because you are striving for a higher standard. I'm not talking about instructors either. These are your every day dive partners. Your teammates.

 

[Snowbear]

When it happens I'll let you know.

Any chance you would arrange for a stopover in Anchorage on your way down or back home? If the weather gives us a break, I would be glad to drag the Whaler down to Seward to show you a couple of my favorite dive sites

If not, there's alwayd the ol' standby... Smitty's Cove in Whittier. Not as interesting as Rez Bay, but winter generally means fantastic viz and very little kelp, so it's easier to find some of the critters that are usually hard to spot...