GI3 once posted that he alone was the authority on what was DIR. By extension, I suppose, that he alone is the authority on who is DIR.
What Makes Divers a "DIR Diver"?
- Thread starter H2Andy
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
They understand the benifets of standard equipment, standard gas mix's, and the concept of a unified team.
PfcAJ
Contributor
Ok, ill take a stab at it.
I consider myself to be as DIR as possible. I dive with a "non-DIR" diver very frequently, but we still maintain a team attitude. We limit what we do to our training and we know when to call the dive. His philosophy might be different than mine in some areas, but thats ok. As long as we are safe, we're good to go.
Since fundies, I've had a few times to get out and try what I learned out in real life. So far, it has all worked out and made my time underwater easier. The equipment choices, predive planning and post dive discussion are all important to making my dive fun. After all, isn't this all about having fun?
I consider myself a DIR diver because I apply the DIR style of diving that I learned in class to every dive that I do. From equipment to gas planning and teamwork, its all there. Do I have more to learn about DIR? Sure! There is always something else to learn.
I really believe in this stuff. Not because "GI says so" or "WWJJD" or what even my instructor has said. I look at each peice objectively, and everything works if its done properly. Nothing in DIR-F without merit. In class, I was told that clipping up to the chest D-ring was better than down. I called BS. Then I got in the water and tried it out, and it worked! If it didn't work, trust me, I'd throw it away into the junk drawer of my brain.
H2Andy mentioned possessing the skills one was exposed to in class. No, I don't have everything locked down and picture perfect, but I'm still practicing and trying to get better. In time, those skills will become second nature.
I consider myself to be as DIR as possible. I dive with a "non-DIR" diver very frequently, but we still maintain a team attitude. We limit what we do to our training and we know when to call the dive. His philosophy might be different than mine in some areas, but thats ok. As long as we are safe, we're good to go.
Since fundies, I've had a few times to get out and try what I learned out in real life. So far, it has all worked out and made my time underwater easier. The equipment choices, predive planning and post dive discussion are all important to making my dive fun. After all, isn't this all about having fun?
I consider myself a DIR diver because I apply the DIR style of diving that I learned in class to every dive that I do. From equipment to gas planning and teamwork, its all there. Do I have more to learn about DIR? Sure! There is always something else to learn.
I really believe in this stuff. Not because "GI says so" or "WWJJD" or what even my instructor has said. I look at each peice objectively, and everything works if its done properly. Nothing in DIR-F without merit. In class, I was told that clipping up to the chest D-ring was better than down. I called BS. Then I got in the water and tried it out, and it worked! If it didn't work, trust me, I'd throw it away into the junk drawer of my brain.
H2Andy mentioned possessing the skills one was exposed to in class. No, I don't have everything locked down and picture perfect, but I'm still practicing and trying to get better. In time, those skills will become second nature.
He has also said there are only a handful of divers he considers to be DIR.captndale:
WreckHunter
Registered
captndale:
If we insist on judging DIR based on quotes of the often hotheaded internet ranting of George Irvine we will never learn anything useful about this philosophy of diving. GI3 contributed alot to the evolution of cave diving and DIR but he has also alienated more divers and turned them against DIR and GUE than anyone in the world. DIR has a lot to offer. You don't have to buy it all, It is a free country. But if you keep an open mind and listen to the arguments for and against doing it the DIR way you can learn a great deal about how to minimize life threatening risk while doing extreme dives. But you have to listen to experienced divers (DIR or not) that are actually doing the dives not just any idiot with a computer keyboard (like me
)One of the reasons you aren't getting alot of answers to this question is that this has been rehashed ad nauseum on several internet sites for years and the subject always seems to lead to major flaming by the hardcore zealots
:bigun2: 
on either side of the argument.
After a while it just gets boring :sleep:Chris
adurso
Contributor
I have only met one person who claimed to be "DIR".....set the wayback machine Mr. Peabody: On a boat in sunny Florida folks are gearing up, young man near me dons his BP/W and puts on his bungeed alternate. A young woman glances at the bungeed back-up and says:"OOOOh, what is that?" I tell her it makes it easier to get to, she asks about the BP, the young fellow turns and says:"This gear means I am doing it right, and you all are going to die" He then turns his back to everyone and giant strides into the Gulf with his short hose, and submerges, solo, with the current....boat had to up anchor to retrieve him as he could not return against the current being short-winded. On the return ride to the dock, as he lay puking in the scupper, I asked him if could tell me more about DIR.....
I am merely highlighting Andy's point, not bashing any style....
I am merely highlighting Andy's point, not bashing any style....
piikki
Contributor
WreckHunter:One of the reasons you aren't getting alot of answers to this question is that this has been rehashed ad nauseum on several internet sites for years and the subject always seems to lead to major flaming by the hardcore zealots
I venture a guess that people don't care and dare to 'come out of the closet' whether or not they have clearly 'defined' to themselves why they are DIR. Yes, part of it is that they are tired of having to defend themselves even on the DIR-forum, I understand. And part of it is that, yes, it's repetition. However, I have not seen much of this kind of discussion (just tell me to do a search). - Or maybe it's all grandiose and you all expect everyone else to know who truly is DIR. (Or maybe you all dive with each others and I just haven't realized how small a circle it is yet).
I am sick and tired of this "it's been done millions of times and it's boring and not worth it" (and I have a head cold and a dive trip coming up, and I am cranky). There are some of us new who'd like to discuss (on discussion board) or at least listen in, and it gets old to hear that about nothing is worth discussing because it's all been done by others so many times already. Duh.
I am still waiting to hear from more than one person who publicly owns up to being DIR (and mods please dont let them be blasted for it with the same rhetoric again and again - again). It is interesting that we got way more definitions/admissions of not being DIR - including third person admissions. You can claim you're DIR even if your definition of it isn't so eloquent, right?
Good question Andy, your always thinking of stuff like that.
I think the whole label thing is F up'd. One time a buddy of mine and I met for a practice dive since he had just gotten some new gear and we ewre going to take a cave class together, another member of this board showed up and the FIRST question he asked my friend who he had never met before was: "Are you DIR?" What the hell is that? who cares?
I think that many people who have recently taken DIR-F claim to be DIR cause they apply all they learned in their dives since class...all 4 of them. Well you get the point.
Some say: "I am as DIR as possile" yet I dive solo, or whatever.
The gear part is easy. I can sell someone the set up in the time it takes me to swipe their credit card. Reading books or intetnet crap is easy and so is taking DIR-f heck its only 3 days of your life.
Im not sure what it takes others to call them selves "DIR". I bet that of those that do, "the powers that be" would disagree w/ 95% of them.
Thats why I think there are only "levels" for example. "Bob might be more DIR than his buddies, but probably wouldnt be considered DIR by JJ"
I think the most important thing is..who cares?
I think the whole label thing is F up'd. One time a buddy of mine and I met for a practice dive since he had just gotten some new gear and we ewre going to take a cave class together, another member of this board showed up and the FIRST question he asked my friend who he had never met before was: "Are you DIR?" What the hell is that? who cares?
I think that many people who have recently taken DIR-F claim to be DIR cause they apply all they learned in their dives since class...all 4 of them. Well you get the point.
Some say: "I am as DIR as possile" yet I dive solo, or whatever.
The gear part is easy. I can sell someone the set up in the time it takes me to swipe their credit card. Reading books or intetnet crap is easy and so is taking DIR-f heck its only 3 days of your life.
Im not sure what it takes others to call them selves "DIR". I bet that of those that do, "the powers that be" would disagree w/ 95% of them.
Thats why I think there are only "levels" for example. "Bob might be more DIR than his buddies, but probably wouldnt be considered DIR by JJ"
I think the most important thing is..who cares?
Diver Dennis
Contributor
WaterDawg, you made me think about the DIR guys I dive with. They all have extensive training and follow all the DIR procedures but they never call themselves DIR. Even when we talk diving, they talk about procedues and configurations but never really describe them as DIR procedures. It's just the way they dive. I never thought about that before.
EDIT: Maybe I should not be taking the liberty of calling them DIR here.
EDIT: Maybe I should not be taking the liberty of calling them DIR here.
Ck this out:
I was at a dive site a bit more than a year ago diving w/ a friend of a friend because both of us had taken leave during the same week. before I start gearing up for the dive I start checking my gear and notice that the yoke part of my reg is loose. Something that shouldnt really happen. As I didnt not have the right tool in my box I asked my buddy to go ask this lady (who I recognized as a local instructor) to see if she had the proper tool. In the distance I could hear him explaing the loose reg to her and saying: "..and he's the one thats supposed to be doing it right!"
What an idiot.
Another time I was on a boat in the Tampa area, the one where the DM's hold the gear for you. A young instructor looks at my gear and says "Is this what they call a DIR set up?" I started to explain that a bp/w could be worn by anyone and dosent make one DIR or anything (other that they made a good purchase ) the he looks at the Halcyon logo where it reads: DIr dive gear or something and points it out to me and says "Oh, no it IS DIR".
Thanks for the lesson buddy.
Also if any jacket BC people got their feeling hurts by my comment that a bp/w is a good purchase, just PM me and spare the rest of the folks here)
EDIT: Dennis: Its kinda why Chinese people dont call their food Chineses food, just food. Its only Chinese food to others
I was at a dive site a bit more than a year ago diving w/ a friend of a friend because both of us had taken leave during the same week. before I start gearing up for the dive I start checking my gear and notice that the yoke part of my reg is loose. Something that shouldnt really happen. As I didnt not have the right tool in my box I asked my buddy to go ask this lady (who I recognized as a local instructor) to see if she had the proper tool. In the distance I could hear him explaing the loose reg to her and saying: "..and he's the one thats supposed to be doing it right!"
What an idiot.
Another time I was on a boat in the Tampa area, the one where the DM's hold the gear for you. A young instructor looks at my gear and says "Is this what they call a DIR set up?" I started to explain that a bp/w could be worn by anyone and dosent make one DIR or anything (other that they made a good purchase
) the he looks at the Halcyon logo where it reads: DIr dive gear or something and points it out to me and says "Oh, no it IS DIR".Thanks for the lesson buddy.
Also if any jacket BC people got their feeling hurts by my comment that a bp/w is a good purchase, just PM me and spare the rest of the folks here)
EDIT: Dennis: Its kinda why Chinese people dont call their food Chineses food, just food. Its only Chinese food to others
Similar threads
