Why the Compass on the Left Arm?

[Gareth]

Am I a DIR diver? on some points, yes. But on some points, no.

So "No" then. The moment you abandon any team standard and cherry pick the bits you like you cease to be a DIR diver. You cannot be a DIR diver on some points, any more than you can be a "bit pregnant". there's nothing wrong with what you have chosen to do, and I don't consider it better or worse than any other solution, but it's not DIR.

I took out best of dir and mixed it with best practises from other methods.

you really didn't. You just cherry picked some of the equipment ideas. The equipment is one small element of a DIR diver. GUE Fundamentals is a four day course. I talk about equipment for about an hour.

 

[nimoh]

I have my compass on my hand on the right. Not on arm or wrist, but on my hand. Some others took it over now. If I need to change such a thing to do a gue course, then I will never do a gue course.
Futher my oc equipment is a dir configuration, the backuplights on my harnass, mainlight left hand, stages left and on leash and rotate if needed.
Never done a specially DIR-course, but it is not the course that makes a diver, it is the mindset. Am I a DIR diver? on some points, yes. But on some points, no. I prefer the possibility to dive with the gas I prefer, and that is not always a standardgas. And I don't like the behaviour of some DIR divers that think they are best. Sometimes I use ratio deco, so I took out best of dir and mixed it with best practises from other methods. To get my own DIR

your configuration is not DIR...but it isn't wrong either.

As for DIR divers that think they are better than everyone else, I agree, there probably are some even though I have never met one. Ten years ago, there were a lot more, but not so much anymore.

However, it seems to me that people who take the DIR configuration and make significant changes are at least suggesting that they are better. Otherwise why would you make changes unless you think your non-standard DIR configuration is better?

Probably a moot point anyway since most DIR divers don't use the term DIR anymore and would instead choose to say that they had a GUE or UTD configuration.

 

[Taliena]

Funny discussion. With my oc equipment, I can do a fundy class without changes on harnas or wing or lights. Some friends who did a fundy class told me a compass on right hand is not a problem. So let's say my equipment for oc is dir. But that don't make a real dir diver as I said, it is the mindset too. I can dive with standardgases and ratio deco, but dive with other gases too. Sometimes I dive with gue buddy's, sometimes with others. I have stages all left and if I use more than 2 I use a leash, I prefer that. Some friends wear them left-right. If needed I can do that too. I am not better than others and dir diving is not better than other style diving. A DIR diver can still get bent and there is no proof that they get less dcs.
A lot of people think that I did a gue course when they see me diving but I didn't. I am interested in dir diving. But decided to follow iantd courses with good instructors.

 

[PfcAJ]

If you do lean left, rich right, you're not DIR. Sry man. If you're making compromises like that, then the upstairs component isn't there.

That's cool, but lets call a spade a spade.

 

[Taliena]

As I said, I do all stages left and on leash, but I can do left-right if needed. But I don't prefer. left-right is not dir, I know. But I don't mind if they wear left-right, if I can dive with save buddy's/team.

 

[PfcAJ]

So wheres your unified team with standardized equipment? Identical procedures?

It all comes down when you start cherrypicking.

 

[Taliena]

What is cherrypicking? Swedtech is an organisation that teaches according to DIR too. That organisation seems to be older than GUE.

Mixed team diving was always a problem, but now it is possible within DIR, since GUE looks for the JJ ccr.

 

[Gareth]

Swedtech require you to wear your compass on your left arm.

Look at page 8

http://www.swedtechdiving.se/files/SwedTech_Diving_Training_Standards_2011.pdf


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Vegan Shark]

Speaking of CCR, how do you feel they fit into DIR standardization, Gareth? In your post you talk about how DIR configuration isn't necessarily the best for every dive situation, but that it covers a wide range and is applicable to many, thus the value of standardization. But a CCR is specialized, and if a GUE dive group has 1 or 2 CCR divers, and a few OC divers, then the team is no longer standardized. If bending the rules is acceptable for certain technical dives, why not allow compass on the left when not scootering, wireless transmitters for rec diving, and other changes? If standardization is so cut and dry, is the allowance of CCR not contradictory?

 

[Gareth]

Speaking of CCR, how do you feel they fit into DIR standardization, Gareth? In your post you talk about how DIR configuration isn't necessarily the best for every dive situation, but that it covers a wide range and is applicable to many, thus the value of standardization. But a CCR is specialized, and if a GUE dive group has 1 or 2 CCR divers, and a few OC divers, then the team is no longer standardized. If bending the rules is acceptable for certain technical dives, why not allow compass on the left when not scootering, wireless transmitters for rec diving, and other changes? If standardization is so cut and dry, is the allowance of CCR not contradictory?

I don't have an opinion on it tbh. GUE are still working out how to integrate CCR and OC, so there's little point me getting involved until the people that actually dive with CCR and in mixed teams have worked out the details. I don't dive GUE for any ethical or fundamentalism belief reasons, so I don't care one way or the other about CCR. If it's the best tool for a job, then it makes sense to me. However, I can assure you that as there is 1 OC rig, there will be 1 CCR rig, and how the two interact has taken years of thought and working out.

If you feel so strongly about putting your compass on your right arm, and having a wireless transmitter, then go for it. There's no dive police. If you want to dive GUE, dive GUE. If you don't, don't. you seem to be a little fixed on arguing for GUE changing to suit your thoughts rather than the other way around.