DIR- Generic Why no D-Ring on right hip?

[inquis]

Or (c) a Choptima doesn't interfere with deployment of the long hose to a teammate.

 

[stretchthepenn]

Or (c) a Choptima doesn't interfere with deployment of the long hose to a teammate.

Conceivably, but call me a skeptic about that option. I dive a Choptima, and I find that routing the longhose around it is nigh-on impossible.

It may be the case that I'm doing things wrong, but I'm 6'4" and when I try to route the longhose in a standard way, the hose gets trapped under my O2 bottle and the second stage still ends up somewhere around my right ear. Getting the hose loose is a chore in itself, and I feel that trapping it there isn't a safe configuration.

 

[Gone for diving]

Conceivably, but call me a skeptic about that option. I dive a Choptima, and I find that routing the longhose around it is nigh-on impossible.

It may be the case that I'm doing things wrong, but I'm 6'4" and when I try to route the longhose in a standard way, the hose gets trapped under my O2 bottle and the second stage still ends up somewhere around my right ear. Getting the hose loose is a chore in itself, and I feel that trapping it there isn't a safe configuration.

Sounds like a longer hose is needed.
For me with doubles I have a 7'4" hose, fits better for me.

 

[PfcAJ]

I see the arguments from the strict DIR perspective for omitting a right hip D-ring, but how does one square that idea with using a Choptima, which requires clipping into that very D-ring?

My guesses are either that (a) the strict DIR philosophy is exclusively OC, or (b) using a rebreather while staying DIR means bowing to GUE's requirement for a particular rebreather.

There’s nothing DIR about the choptima.

We’ve got rb configs that work really well.

 

[eelnoraa]

There’s nothing DIR about the choptima.

We’ve got rb configs that work really well.

I thought the same too. I remember GUE has its own standard for CCR. And last I knew, choptima isn’t on that list.

 

[overthinking_diver]

I'm new to DIR so I could be wrong about this but there's another benefit of unclipping the SPG and bringing it in front of you to read it. It is that you can keep looking forward and maintain situational awareness while checking your gauge.

If you look at your chest d-ring to check the SPG you'll be distracted for a split second because you can't look forward anymore. If the hose is twisted and you have to turn it to read it, or if you are surprised and double check it you might be distracted for 2-3 seconds. In strong current, low visibility conditions (like in the North East) that can be enough to lose the line or your teammate. This may be a made up problem and it might never happen but why worry about it if there's a better way.

In the DIR way, you don't "stop to check the SPG", you don't stop at all, you grab the light with your right hand, so you can signal and you continue swimming and looking forward while you fumble with the boltsnap. You maintain light communication with your teammate, you can signal each other if there's a problem, or if one of you is going the wrong way.

It'll take some practice to clip/unclip quickly, but the point is that speed doesn't matter because you're not distracted. You'll hear the phrase "slow is smooth, smooth is fast" about a hundred times during fundamentals and it applies here as well.

 

[mje113]

I'm new to DIR so I could be wrong about this but there's another benefit of unclipping the SPG and bringing it in front of you to read it. It is that you can keep looking forward and maintain situational awareness while checking your gauge.

Huh, didn't even think about this but it makes a lot of sense. Thinking back I'm sure I've thrown my situational awareness off from looking down at my spg. Maybe even turned myself around...

 

[PfcAJ]

I'm new to DIR so I could be wrong about this but there's another benefit of unclipping the SPG and bringing it in front of you to read it. It is that you can keep looking forward and maintain situational awareness while checking your gauge.

If you look at your chest d-ring to check the SPG you'll be distracted for a split second because you can't look forward anymore. If the hose is twisted and you have to turn it to read it, or if you are surprised and double check it you might be distracted for 2-3 seconds. In strong current, low visibility conditions (like in the North East) that can be enough to lose the line or your teammate. This may be a made up problem and it might never happen but why worry about it if there's a better way.

In the DIR way, you don't "stop to check the SPG", you don't stop at all, you grab the light with your right hand, so you can signal and you continue swimming and looking forward while you fumble with the boltsnap. You maintain light communication with your teammate, you can signal each other if there's a problem, or if one of you is going the wrong way.

It'll take some practice to clip/unclip quickly, but the point is that speed doesn't matter because you're not distracted. You'll hear the phrase "slow is smooth, smooth is fast" about a hundred times during fundamentals and it applies here as well.

This idea crumbles when you consider checking stage SPGs requires you to look down at it. And we do that when scootering (often in low vis when following line) all the time.

 

[overthinking_diver]

This idea crumbles when you consider checking stage SPGs requires you to look down at it. And we do that when scootering (often in low vis when following line) all the time.

Oops, my bad. Thanks for the correction! I think at my level doing it this way helps, but clearly this is a skill thing and not a procedure thing.

Also, how good do you have to be to take your eyes "off the road" when scootering inside a cave!? We're all just children playing in the water to you, aren't we?

 

[inquis]

And last I knew, choptima isn’t on that list.

Times may be changing, given how they raved about it on their blog.