[Mark Chase]

[quote]

Originally Posted by NotDeadYet

But if I have a qualification that suits then you will dive with me regardless of knowing anything about me? Mark, you've posted some stuff over the years but if you don't mind me saying, that's the daftest standpoint I've ever heard at this level of diving.

No, I must have posted a lot dafter than this surely


Yes, if you were DIR Tech2 trained active diver I'd do a 70m OC dive with you on faith.

I will know exactly how your going to do the dive and how your gas planning and deco works and I know exactly what to expect in terms of buddy support. The system is pretty simple and very strict.

I know this because there are only a handful of DIR instructors in the UK and they are all doing tough training courses at Tech1 Tech2 level. I also know this because the diver has CHOSEN to be a GUE DIR diver. This suggests he prefers to dive in a systematic and disciplined fashion. Whats the point of going GUE unless your going to follow the standards.


Is someone tells me they are TDI advanced Trimix I have no idea how they will approach the dive. Last time i dived with two superb divers on a 70m wreck. Both of them could dive circles around me but the dive ended with one solo and me thinking the other one was dead. Back on the boat they laughed at my concern and assured me they always dived like that.

Another time The diver who was supposed to be reeling off showed me his jammed reel. So i deployed my reel and tied off. When i looked up from this task the others had gone. Apparently he was indicating to me his reel was jammed and as he knew the wreck he wasn't going to bother reeling off. I couldn't understand him so I ended up at 72m solo.

These are good divers, highly skilled in the water, but just mentally working on a different wave length to me.

Nope, my dil is plumbed into my BOV. How do you know your offboard is functioning/hasn't rolled off? How do you know you haven't plumbed in the wrong gas (you say you have tails on all your gases)? Do you have your buddy visually verify as with DIR stage management? I have my dil plumbed in, I know it is functioning because it's driving the RB, I know it's safe at depth because it's driving the RB.

I have never rolled off a stage but if I did id just turn it on again. Plumbing the BOV into a 3ltr with maybe 150bar in it on a 70m dive is useless. With a C02 hit and a SAC of 40 id empty the 3ltr in just over 1min and in the process loosing wing inflation.

I would have lost the benefit of having a BOV as I have to revert to an OC bailout.


I have two tins for bailout one is breathable at max depth and the other is breathable at 21m and above. Max depth tin is plumbed in to the bov. 50% tin has a whip so i can run the ccr on 50% or i can use it SCR. The max depth gas can be used SCR via the bov.

If I add a third tin it will be max depth lower than 18/45 Then it will be on the BOV and my deep whip is on the left and my rich whip is on the right. Pretty hard to plug it in the wrong side as the deep dill button is on the left and the rich is on the right.

Hard to screw up the tanks too due to size and markings

I don't have a HUD. I have three independant handsets. I still do not understand the obsession with a HUD. I'd like a reliable independant secondary but why a HUD? Things happen slow. I know, what if my arm is wrapped in monofilament... I'm starting to wear a helmet in case a defunct satellite lands on me too.

Always know your PP02.

With a HUD you always do. Without one you only occasionally know your PP02Its as simple as that.


But your arguing over standards I put up as an example not DIRebreather standards theres could be different.

Do you carry adequate OC bailout or do you rely on SCR? Why add the complication of SCR if you have adequate bailout?

I carry bailout deep at 2.5X sac and shallow at 1.5X sac. Some of the dives i do i have enough gas for a get out alive but most likely bent. Running 30/100 or even 100/100GF profiles. On those occasions if i still had the option of SCR i would use it. If not, its alive but it might hurt a bit.

I thought you used a VR£? I use tables that are quite conservative. If you want to follow them then fine, I'm not cutting it shorter than that though. I go by whoever's planned deco is the more conservative. I won't get in the water without knowing at what time we are turning for home.

No I use a Shearwater and a Hammer Head so I can run 10/100 or 100/100 profiles if i like. I prefer to run 20/85GF

I only expect my buddy to know 4, stop, OK, not OK, go home. Anything else I either point if obvious or use a slate. If someone is American type cave trained then I'll expect they'll know the NSS-CDS signals. Light signals are either OK or flash or no response (equal to flash). I don't expect to match hose fittings because I've planned my bailout not to be reliant on QC's. The KISS doesn't have the dependance on QC's that the Inspiration has (i.e. none as standard) so does that mean you won't dive with a KISS diver?

I don't have inspiration fittings on my unit. If you ran out of dill I could give you some if you had a standard hose connector on your diluent side. Same for 02. If you don't i cant help.

And that's my point. Who is to say what you are doing is right? It works but then so does how I dive. I'm not arguing for/against anything. If it works then it works. You like using gadgetry to overcome basic failures, I like the simplicity/run away strategy. Who is right? Maybe both, maybe neither.

If the new standards said to be DIRebreather you have to all dive a KISS Id sell my unit and get a KISS. Compromise is necessary for the greater good of the standard. Which is why i put up with a totally crap one piece harness when i dive with DIR divers.

Basic principles are great but not worth a thing if whoever is running the RB ignores them. I'd rather dive with someone I know won't ignore a few basic procedures.

I still think it is a moneymaking scheme, but I'm a cynic.

Cheers,

Whats the point in paying out to join and attend courses to be a DIRebreather diver and then ignoring the standards? i don't see many GUE DIR divers doing it and i wouldn't expect it of DIRebreather divers either.
They will relish the standards and strive to conform to them. They will be that sort of person. Personally i struggle with this a bit but i can see the benefit and would just rebel in a small way with a pink dry suit or something

ATB

Mark Chase